The Berkut 360 is a tandem-seating, two-seat homebuilt canard aircraft with pusher configuration and retractable landing gear, built primarily of carbon fiber and fiberglass.

In January 2001, under pressure from Ronneberg, Renaissance sold the assets to Vicki Cruse, an American aerobatic pilot,[5][failed verification – see discussion] who then formed Berkut Engineering and Design, Inc.[6] That company withdrew the aircraft from the market in 2002.

Cruse was no longer involved with day-to-day operations, but maintained ownership until her death on August 22, 2009, when the aircraft she was flying — a borrowed Zivko Edge 540 — crashed in Buckinghamshire, England, during a qualifying flight for the World Aerobatic Championships.

The Berkut is derived from the Rutan Long-EZ, with the primary differences being retractable main landing gear, dual canopies, and molded fuselage, strakes, and wing spar.

The fuselage was stretched and the nose, canard, instrument panel and pilot moved forward one foot (300 mm), to allow a heavier engine to be used in the rear.

ft. density Dow STYROFOAM PI cores cut to shape with a hot-wire foam cutter, but with carbon fiber reinforced polymer skins instead of fiberglass.

Like the earlier Vari-Eze and Long EZ, the Berkut kneels with its nose gear retracted to prevent the aircraft from tipping over backwards when parked without a pilot in the front seat.