Stratolaunch Reportedly Shuts Down Leaving World's Largest Plane With An Uncertain Future

They are trying to sell somebody (anybody) in work they've already done. "Look we have X amount of data on Y, we're Z% to finishing it. What can you do with it, and how much is it worth to you?"

There plenty of uses foe such a thing -- if it already existed. Even trying to crowdsource like this, I still don't see a useable business case. Unless, as you say, there is significant interest from the government.

With the Gov playing WhackaMole with Hypersonic projects I can see why a private firm wants to build its own test vehicles..Bit late to the party though I think..

Roc was out today preforming engine runs and flight control checks. There are several NOTAMS for Mojave that their longest runway is on a 12 hr PPR notification for the next few days, which may indicate taxi tests.

Here's a pic, credits Jack Beyer.


reply to: Zaphod58

Engine runs and taxi tests yesterday.

The second flight occurred late in the week. The aircraft flew three hours and fifteen minutes.

She's in the air again:

spacenews.com...

Stratolaunch got a contract with the AFRL:

www.parabolicarc.com...

Heres what were going to do...call long beach. Buy a parking lot somewhere there. Build a dome. Put it in there. Charge 20.99 a head to see it. 5 bucks for zany photo with it in back ground. Problem solved!

Works for the Hughes Hercules Flying boat.

The Stratolaunch carried out its seventh flight last June. In retrospect, the Stratolaunch is the first aircraft in history with a 300+ foot wingspan to fly more than once because the Spruce Goose flew only once.

Link:
www.space.com...

Stratolaunch has been testing the pylon, including the explosive bolts, for Talon. She came out of the hangar with Talon hanging, but it isn't clear if it's an actual vehicle, or a mockup. They're going to have a mockup at the Edwards Airshow later this month.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
Stratolaunch has been testing the pylon, including the explosive bolts, for Talon. She came out of the hangar with Talon hanging, but it isn't clear if it's an actual vehicle, or a mockup. They're going to have a mockup at the Edwards Airshow later this month.

The Talon-A had its first captive-carry flight aboard the Model 351:
www.youtube.com...

Prepping for the drop test:

theaviationist.com...

At least one of the money streams IDed:

parabolicarc.com...

Second captive carry test done:

www.flightglobal.com...

Multiple bits from stratolaunch:

1! Captive carry test was used instead for a drop test for the hypersonic demonstrator:

newatlas.com...

2! Stratolaunch has offered a 'stalking horse agreement' for Cosmic Girl from Virgin Orbit to buy her for $17M if no one else offers more.

parabolicarc.com...

Stratolaunch successfully bought Cosmic Girl. They'll further modify her to carry the Talon-A vehicle.

www.prnewswire.com...

Stratolaunch has announced plans to purchase the Boeing 747 Cosmic Girl that was used by Virgin Orbit as a launch platform for the LauncherOne air-launched SLV:
simpleflying.com...

Given that Stratolaunch operates the world's biggest aircraft by wingspan, the Cosmic Girl will provide Stratolaunch with an extra launch platform for spaceplanes and SLVs, and one day Stratolaunch could acquire a total of eight gigantic aircraft for use as launch platforms.

Stratolaunch got the AFRL to pony up for a second hypersonic bird:

www.flightglobal.com...