Click here: to donate by Credit Card
Or here: to donate by PayPal
Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794
Thank you very much and God bless you.
Posted on 12/13/2025 2:57:15 AM PST by DFG
From a distance, it looks like a war plane imagined by Hayao Miyazaki, or the type of machine that could only exist in a science fiction novel.
But according to aviation enthusiasts who captured footage of it soaring in the California skies last week, it’s an experimental aircraft designed by Stratolaunch, an aerospace company located in the Mojave Desert. Chances are, residents in surrounding towns will see more of it, too.
Described as the world’s largest flying aircraft, Roc — which looks like two 747s fused together and has a wingspan larger than a football field — recently completed a series of test flights last year, where it reached an altitude of 35,000 feet. Named after a large bird of prey from Arabian folklore, the unique composite aircraft has six engines, a 385-foot wingspan, and a takeoff weight of 1.3 million pounds. According to Stratolaunch’s website, the legendary bird was so large, it could carry elephants and transport sailors to safety. Similarly, it appears that the 21st-century iteration is designed to carry another Stratolaunch aircraft, the fully autonomous Talon-A2, which is capable of reaching hypersonic speeds when released into the air — that’s five times the speed of sound.
Photos show the enormous plane taking off from the Mojave Air and Space Port at Rutan Field, an aerospace testing center in the high desert. First established in 1935 as a small, rural airport for silver and gold mining industries, by World War II, it became a gunnery training site for America’s “aces,” or most skilled fighter pilots. Today, it serves as a testing ground for more than 60 aerospace companies, its website says.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
|
|
Click here: to donate by Credit Card Or here: to donate by PayPal Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794 Thank you very much and God bless you. |
Da big plane is actually launching the little hypersonic test plane.
Cool info - Thanks!
I grew up in Palmdale - ‘62 -’75. Saw a lot of really neat stuff happen.
Like to know where it could take off and land.
380 has enough issues😂>>>>
Mohave desert test site. It’s used to launch other planes like the Talon hypersonic test plane
https://www.airport-technology.com/projects/talon-a-hypersonic-vehicle/
https://www.photopilot.com/blog/stratolaunch-roc-a-modern-marvel-in-aerospace-innovation/
How many airports can handle a craft flight in that configuration?
“Bumblebee”? Please elaborate.“
Let me guess: facts appear to prove that a bumblebee is unable to fly.
It is. It's from Scaled Composites and started more than a decade ago. It was put on hold after Paul Allen died in 2018.
It's a larger version of White Knight which carried Spaceship One up to altitude before Spaceship One rocketed into space before returning. Spaceship One used a shuttlecock design to slow reentry so that it did not build up heat that require ceramic tiles like the space shuttles.
Years.
They've done taxi runs, photo ops, and everything. This is nothing new.
The payload is what people are waiting for. It's launched hypersonic test aircraft and is expected to launch space vehicles like the earlier "White Knight / Spaceship One" had done.
**It’s a behemoth, but could one small flock of Canada Geese bring it all down?**
Maybe they better not fly it over Canada. (tee hee).
This isn't just a toy. The U.S. retired the space shuttle program but there's still a use for a space vehicles capable of landing by means other than parachute.
Elon Musk went the route of rocket-return to the launch pad which might turn out to be the better route compared to an air launched / runway landing space vehicle.
Spaceship One was started in 1994 and first flew in 2003, launched from White Knight. This Stratolaunch is designed to carry a 590 ton payload, which is much, much greater than the weight of Spaceship One.
>My thoughts exactly. Yes, it’s an ambitious project, but doesn’t look too practical.
I would agree. I mean they have the money to support the project but to what end? Accolades that it succeeded? What is the real commercial viability of this thing, tourist flights? Record setting?
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
“Bah, my buggy whip factory will keep my family rich for generations.”
Advantages:
• Can launch a variety of rockets with different weights and payloads.
• Weight and expense savings in rocket fuel.
• Launch vehicle never leaves earth’s atmosphere.
• I can imagine even Space X could take advantage of it: They might be able to launch heavier payloads in a reusable rocket if The Roc can save the rocket enough fuel needed to achieve orbit.
lol I know but very little options otherwise😂
Not sure how a random is any better than two single aircraft
NOPE its real, built as a carrier ship for to drop air launched rocket from
one side has to cockpit the other does not, its quite to site to see flying. it does fly over the southern portion of cali central valley
It must be one of a kind with special testbed instrumentation. It’s big enough for plane spotters to notice it, that’s for sure.
It has been flying out at Mojave, CA since 2019 (the plane build was finished in 2017)...not exactly “breaking news”! ;-)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratolaunch_Systems
Well then, it must be good to go, cleared in hot, etc. etc. I’d like to see it at an air show.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.