Scaled Composites Stratolaunch

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Scaled Composites Model 351 Stratolaunch
Stratolaunch aircraft
Type: Launch platform for space flights
Design country:

United StatesUnited States United States

Manufacturer:

Scaled composites

First flight:

April 13, 2019

Number of pieces:

1

The Scaled Composites Model 351 Stratolaunch , also called Roc (after the fabulous bird Roc ), is an aircraft built by the US company Scaled Composites in Mojave and operated by Stratolaunch Systems , which is intended as a launch platform for launchers and space gliders . In terms of wingspan , it is the largest aircraft ever built. The first flight took place on April 13, 2019. Series production is not planned.

history

To build the aircraft, the company bought two used Boeing 747-400s , from which various systems such as engines, cockpit, landing gear, hydraulics and electrics were taken over. These machines are two 747-422s newly acquired from United Airlines (Reg .: N198UA, MSN: 28716, Line No .: 1124 and Reg .: N196UA MSN: 28715 Line No .: 1120). After the rollout on May 31, 2017, taxiing attempts at speeds of up to 74 km / h have been carried out since December 2017. After that, further rolling tests should take place at up to 222 km / h.

The first flight took place on April 13, 2019. The aircraft took off at 06:58 PDT ( UTC − 7 ) from runway 12/30 of Mojave Air & Space Port , California , flew 2.5 hours, reached a maximum speed of 189 mph (304 km / h) and altitudes of up to 17,000 ft (about 5200 m) and landed again.

Since the company founder of Stratolaunch Systems , Paul Allen , passed away in October 2018 and left no financial will in favor of the Stratolaunch project, its future has been unclear. The plans of the operator Scaled Composite to develop its own launcher were abandoned, and a little later the alternative use of Pegasus-XL rockets , of which up to three were to be launched at the same time in one flight. Scaled Composites was sold to an unnamed new owner in October 2019. The company issued a statement stating that operations would continue.

construction

The Scaled Composites Model 351 is a twin-fuselage aircraft with two largely symmetrical fuselages with cross tail units. The carrier aircraft that was built has two identical front fuselages with cockpit windows, the actual cockpit being in the right fuselage. The fuselages are made of lightweight composite materials and are only connected to one another by the central wing section; the elevator fins have - in contrast to most other double hull designs - no connection to each other. Originally, the machine was to have a raised cockpit area similar to that of the Boeing 747 in the right front part of the fuselage .

The non-arrowed wing has a high aspect ratio and a rectangular floor plan in the central part, while the outer wings of the engines are slightly trapezoidal towards the outside. The aircraft is powered by six Pratt & Whitney PW4056 turbofan engines, three of which are arranged individually on pylons next to one another on the outer wings.

The retractable landing gear consists of three main landing gear legs of the Boeing 747 arranged one behind the other, each with four wheels and one steerable nose landing gear leg on each side.

The operational concept provides for the missile to be launched to be carried as an external load centrally under the center wing and to be released when the launch site is reached, the missile drive being ignited after a few seconds of free fall in a horizontal flight position.

The Scaled Composites Stratolaunch has a length of 73 m and a wingspan of 117 m. The deployment radius is approx. 2400 km until reaching the rocket launch point. Alternatively, the maximum range for freight transport is approx. 9200 miles (approx. 15,000 kilometers). The system requires a runway length of at least 3660 m.

Technical specifications

Comparison of the Scaled Composites Stratolaunch with other large aircraft: Airbus A380 , Antonow An-225 , Boeing 747-8I , Hughes H-4 , Scaled Composites Stratolaunch

Parameter Data (performance data calculated)
crew 3 (2 pilots and 1 flight engineer)
length 238 ft (73 m)
span 385 ft (117 m)
Height (tail unit) 50 ft (15 m)
Wing area
Empty mass
Max. Takeoff mass 1,300,000 lb (approx. 590,000 kg)
payload 550,000 lb (approximately 249,000 kg)
drive six Pratt & Whitney PW4056 jet engines
Top speed
Cruising speed
Service ceiling 35,000 ft (approx.11,000 m)
Range approx. 15,000 km

With a wingspan of 117 m, the Scaled Composites Stratolaunch surpasses the previous record holder, the Hughes H-4 Hercules ("Spruce Goose") flying boat , which in 1947 only completed a single test flight.

According to its designer, Roc is the aircraft with the highest total thrust, but not as heavy as the Antonov An-225 transport aircraft .

See also

literature

  • Peter Schneider: The largest airplane in the world. In: PM Magazin , No. 3/2019, pp. 76–81
  • Patrik Zwerger: A giant fledged. In: aerokurier , No. 6/2019 pp. 98-105
  • Chapter: Stratolaunch. In: Eugen Reichl: Typenkompass: Zukunftsprojekte der Raumfahrt , Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 2012, ISBN 978-3-613-03462-4 , pp. 48–54

Web links

Commons : Scaled Composites model 351 Roc  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Sean O'Kane: World's biggest airplane takes flight for the first time ever. In: The Verge. April 13, 2019, accessed April 13, 2019 .
  2. ^ Rainer E. During: Stratolaunch makes first flight. In: FliegerRevue , No. 6/2019, 67th year, pp. 38–41
  3. ↑ Stephen Clark: World's largest airplane completes first flight. In: Spaceflight New. April 13, 2019, accessed April 14, 2019 .
  4. ↑ a b FlugRevue, Motor Presse Stuttgart, August 2017, pp. 74–78
  5. ↑ https://www.airliners.net/photo/Untitled/Boeing-747-422/2134060?qsp=eJwtjcEKwkAMRH9Fcu5FBA%2B96Q8o1B8I2cEW1%2B6SRHQp/Xdj8fZ4M8wsJGV2fPzWKqgnA6uM1FFl5adRv9AD7V00BdPgyl4yv2YZd0MzR1Q6sqJ%2BbpEndpxEUB3p7y%2BaoL8IJtvsPW72AdDrxnQ4hk%2BT1czbBpynTOv6BYXTNKs%3D
  6. ↑ a b c Stratolaunch by the Numbers. In: scaled.com. 2018, accessed April 25, 2018 .
  7. ^ Stratolaunch Systems: Stratolaunch Aircraft Makes First Rollout To Begin Fueling Tests. May 31, 2017, accessed on November 12, 2018 (English): "Stratolaunch is on track to perform its first launch demonstration as early as 2019."
  8. ↑ Jeff Foust: Stratolaunch plane makes first flight. April 13, 2019, accessed April 13, 2019 .
  9. ↑ Stratolaunch First Flight Stratolaunch, youtube.com, published April 13, 2019. - Video (0:58)
  10. ↑ Christoph Seidler: Giant Stratolaunch "Roc" aircraft in crisis on the ground. In: spiegel.de. February 5, 2019, accessed February 7, 2019 .
  11. ↑ Sebastian Steinke: Stratolaunch presents take-off loads. In: Flugrevue.de. August 21, 2018. Retrieved August 24, 2018 .
  12. ^ Stratolaunch under new ownership . Spaceflight Now, October 11, 2019.
  13. ^ Stratolaunch. 2017, accessed April 25, 2018 .
  14. ↑ Sebastian Steinke: Stratolaunch should take off for the first flight in summer. In: Flugrevue.de. April 19, 2018. Retrieved April 25, 2018 .
  15. ↑ World's largest airplane completes first flight spaceflightnow.com, April 13, 2019, accessed April 13, 2019.