The Scaled Composite Stratolaunch is the largest aircraft ever designed. It was manufactured by an American aircraft manufacturing company called Scaled Composites. This aircraft is designed for an special purpose. That is carrying satellites to sapce. The idea of this aircraft was announced in December 2011. It flew on April, 13, 2019. This test run take place in a dessert of Los Angeles.
This aircraft’s wingspan measures 385 feet (117 meter). This is wider than an other airplane on the world. Also from front to back, this aircraft measures 283 feet long. Which is 86 meter. And this is 50 feet tall aircraft. Because of the design of this aircraft, it has two cockpits. But when flying, only one is used to control the aircraft. Maximum crew of this aircraft is four. But only 3 people travels.
This giant aircraft has 6 jet engines called PW4090 (Pratt & Whitney PW4090). These are high-bypass turbofan aircraft engines. Those are specially designed for Boeing 747 air crafts.
At the test run, the pilot Evan Thomas flew this aircraft to 173 mph (278.4 kph), into 15,000 feet height and finally landed after two and a half hour flight. Thomas was a F-16 Air Force fighter pilot.
As mention above, this aircraft is used to carry satellites into the air. Not only the satellite. with the rocket. This aircraft can carry 1,300,000 LBS (589670 KG). An ordinary airplane can carry up to 987,000 LBS (447695 KG).
When carrying the rocket, First aircraft should climb the altitude of 35,000 feet (10.5 KM) height. After that, it release the rocket and head back to the base. To carry a rocket, this aircraft must be light weight. So designers have heavily used carbon fiber materials, instead of aluminium.
Also there are 28 wheels includes on it’s landing gear. Stratolaunch requires a runway with minimum 3.65 KM to take off.
Engineers called this “the Rock”. Also this aircraft’s price hasn’t announced officially. But some sources say it will be around $300 millions.
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