My Hero Burt Rutan

[Plane]

Is prepareing to build the worlds biggest aircraft.


Who whooo

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratolaunch_Systems

[Xavier_Onassis]

I find the name "Dynetics" rather curious. It resembles the title of L. Ron Hubbard's book Dianetics.

[Plane]

The carrier aircraft they are to build will have a 385-ft. wingspan — a 747-400’s is a mere 212 ft. — and use twin fuselages. No technical data are being provided, beyond a weight of 1.2 million lb.

But the aircraft will be made of composites, so even though it will use a -400’s engines, flight deck, landing gear and systems, it will be a substantially different aircraft.

With a wingspan longer than a football field, Rutan emphasizes that the proposed carrier aircraft will easily rank as the world’s largest airplane.

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=space&id=news/awx/2011/12/13/awx_12_13_2011_p0-405946.xml&headline=Stratolaunch%20Aims%20to%20Break%20Affordability%20Barrier

[Xavier_Onassis]

It will be an unmanned expendable launch system for satellites. Rutan said the human-rated Falcon system will fly the “feathered” low-drag re-entry profile he used for SpaceShipOne.

It sounds like after the launch of the spaceship, the giant airplane crashes and never flies again.

Is that correct?

[Plane]

No, it is a manned reusable launch platform.

The orbiter can be manned or robotic as needed.

One of the planned missions would use a six person rocket.

[Xavier_Onassis]

Doesn't the term unmanned expendable launch craft suggest that it is only used once? Who lands it if it is unmanned?

I have no idea whether a recyclable flying rocket launcher is possible, but the terms "unmanned" and "expendable" seem to suggest that it is unlikely to be reused.

If not, it will require some very majot engineering to make it reusable.

[Plane]

I don't think you read the same thing I did.

Where would you want a 1.2 million pound aircraft to crash?

[Xavier_Onassis]

I would personally not want it to crash. But what else would an "expendable, pilotless aircraft " but crash?

[Plane]

  What ?

  This aircraft is not pilotless ,not expendable, it is supposed to be reused enough to make the project pay for itself.

   The spacecraft could be disposable, but can also be piloted and recoverable.

[Plane]

http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/13/9417303-billionaire-plans-worlds-biggest-plane-for-orbital-launches

  Not a cheap project, but if it works well enough it might make putting a ton into space cost about half as much as presently.

[Xavier_Onassis]

Launching a rocket from a plane sounds like it could be rather hard on the plane. If there was a problem, and the plane crashed from miles up, I don't see how it could be rebuilt. So what exactly do you mean by "recoverable"?

I would think that for the plane to have a pilot would be a rather good idea, unless the pilot were in danger.

I have no expertise at building aircraft, but this sounds like a good idea.

[Plane]

  Launching rockets from planes is a proven technology.

  And the "Roc" will have a crew.


    The method chosen for these launches is that the carrier aircraft will carry the multi stage rocket to a high level , drop it and swerve aside as it falls.
    The rocket engines will be started after the rocket is clear of the aircraft so that the aircraft will not need to be fireproof.