World’s biggest airplane takes flight for the first time ever

The world’s largest airplane took flight for the first time ever on Saturday morning. Built by rocket launch company Stratolaunch, the 500,000-pound plane with a 385-foot wingspan lifted off shortly after 10AM ET from Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, California. It was a critical first test flight for the aircraft, designed to launch rockets into orbit from the air. The inaugural flight lasted for 150 minutes, according to the company, after which the plane safely landed.

World’s biggest airplane takes flight for the first time ever

It was a very smooth flight according to reports. This is an amazing accomplishment.

I am guessing next they will test it with a rocket strapped to it or at least a dummy. Northrop Grumman has already signed up to launch a Pegasus XL rocket from the aircraft.

Will these lead to the giant Air wing ships we've seen in the latest ACE COMBAT trailer?

The "Arsenal Bird" capable of carrying 80 X-47B attack drones, a fully autonomous weapons platform...

youtu.be...



Only because it looks familiar...

a reply to: LookingAtMars

It worked! 👏👍😀Swore it looked like it would twist😥


Thanks for posting

a reply to: LookingAtMars

I am guessing next they will test it with a rocket strapped to it or at least a dummy.

Next big step will be captive carry, and then release tests. But probably not after two and a half hours of total flight time.

a reply to: Bigburgh

Thanks for posting that data, some good info there.

Would love to be on the ground to see that thing fly live one day. Can't even imagine the sight of a rocket launching from it.

a reply to: LookingAtMars

Same here, loved to see it up close. Wonder if Zaph was driving through and got pics. He has ground shots here somewhere. 👍😊

a reply to: LookingAtMars

They're a long way from strapping anything to it. Today just proved it flies and the flight controls react as expected. They'll spend months, minimum, doing envelope expansion and gradually flying the launch profile before they start ground test with a Pegasus attached.

a reply to: Bigburgh

We don't run that way anymore sadly.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Bigburgh

We don't run that way anymore sadly.

Damn...

Richard Branson moved his Virgin Orbit 747 from Long Beach Airport up to Mojave Airport in the last couple of month. They are rumoured to be making it a launch platform too. Exciting times to be plane spotting up there.

a reply to: Bigburgh

It already is a launch platform. They've done captive carry tests. I've got shots of her first visit to Mojave.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Wow...
Didn't realize they were that far along
Those pics in the general aviation pics thread?

a reply to: Bigburgh

Honestly, I'm not sure. Next time we're down for a few days I'll dig out my hard drive and find them.

If you watch the video of the low pass they made before landing, she tends to favor the right fuselage. As she's coming by she tends to slightly dip the right wing, consistent with the pic of her touching down on that side first. It could just be the winds, but it'll be interesting to see if that's something that continues.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Ahhhh...
Now I see how they're doing it. Like dropping from the wing of a B-52. Thought they were going to heavily modify the 747....


I was over thinking it

a reply to: Bigburgh

They modified the fifth engine position to hold the launch rail.

a reply to: Zaphod58

twitter.com...
This the video of Strato Launch?

a reply to: Bigburgh

You can kind of see it there. There's another video from the other side on Facebook.

I see it..
Didn't really notice till you mentioned it

Edit: reply to Zaphod58
Reply button didn't work.

a reply to: Bigburgh

It could be the winds, or it could be because of the dual fuselage and the pilots sitting on one side. It'll be interesting to see in future flights.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Was wondering if they counter weighted the other side. But the bird is so big I did think that 2 pilots would make a difference.