Aviation enthusiasts; Worlds largest aircraft completes 2nd taxi test (Stratolaunch)

[A HERETIC I AM]

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s “Stratolaunch” aircraft, the largest aircraft in the world, completed its second taxi test last Sunday in Mojave, CA reaching a speed of 40 mph powered by 6 Pratt and Whitney turbofans.

The aircraft will be used as a launch platform to carry rocket payloads to 33,000 feet and then releasing for insertion into Low earth orbit.

More here

https://www.yahoo.com/news/world-largest-airplane-stratolaunch-completes-000506520.html?.tsrc=daily_mail&uh_test=2_04

[bullimiami]

1. Cool. Thanks.

[A HERETIC I AM]

2. Youre welcome

[Sailor65x1]

3. Geez, I think I could fly my little Cessna

Right through that thing!

[A HERETIC I AM]

4. LOL

No doubt!

That airport had an old boneyard and I read a couple years back that one idea they had was to use two old 747 fuselages that were readily available!

I think this one looks elegant, frankly.

It will be cool to see it fly

[Sailor65x1]

6. Yes she's a beautiful airplane

Can't wait to see her fly

But seriously, two 747 fuses connected? That would be EPIC!

[jberryhill]

5. How is the worlds smallest aircraft doing?

[A HERETIC I AM]

7. No idea.

No one can find it!

[Major Nikon]

13. Getting polished regularly at a museum in Oshkosh

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

14. Here they are

The red and white airplane took the title of Smallest Biplane from the Bumble Bee II biplane. The BD-5J is the smallest jet.



My absolute favorite is the Colomban Cri-cri (cricket), designed in the early 1970s by French aeronautical engineer Michel Colomban.

[jberryhill]

15. Still has more legroom than American

[drray23]

8. Does not look structurally stable.

Is he trying to scam investors ? The beam connecting the two fuselages would have to be incredibly strong to resist forces that would be amplified by the long span. Just turning too fast could be an issue. The gradient in forces occurring from the lift on one wing and the drag on the other will be tremendous. Never mind flying through turbulence. I hope they have top notch engineers checking that design.

[A HERETIC I AM]

9. Im not an aerospace engineer, but Im betting they have a competent team

Allen is in it for the same basic reason Elon Musk is;

To build and operate viable spacecraft and delivery systems outside the umbrella of NASA

[drray23]

10. I trust musk more than Paul allen.

Musk is a proven technologist, running several highly successful high tech companies and surrounded by the best scientists and engineers he can hire. Allen co-founded Microsoft and is very wealthy.

He may very well have hired top aerospace engineers and all is fine. I am a PhD physicist and first principles tell me this is a dicey design. I hope I am proven wrong and it somehow works. After all, the first fly by wire airplanes were also met with skepticism.

[A HERETIC I AM]

11. Indeed

This follows a design by fellow Mojave resident Burt Rutan, Who was associated with Allen early on

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scaled_Composites_White_Knight

BTW, not trying to be snarky here. I’ll defer to your much more advanced education. Still.....it’s pretty cool, isn’t it?

[drray23]

12. Interesting.

Yes I knew about the first white knight design. It had 82ft wingspan and was making extensive use of composites. Even thought, they had issues at first that they managed to overcome. This one has over 380 ft. Its not clear from the article what kind of material they are using. It's going to be very challenging. Time shall tell.