Apr 15, 2019 12:30:00

The world's longest winged airplane 'Stratlaunch', 117 meters wide, succeeds in the first flight and may contribute to space development

From the

Mohave Airport in California, USA, at 10:30 am on April 13, 2019 local time, the world's longest winged airplane ' Stratlaunch ' with a length ( wing width ) of 117 m at the left and right wings. I flew away. The Stratolaunch test flight, which has spent eight years on development, is expected to be successful and may play an important role in the field of space development in the future.

Stratolaunch, the world's biggest airplane, takes flight | Ars Technica
https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/04/stratolaunch-the-worlds-biggest-airplane-takes-flight/

World's biggest airplane takes flight for the first time ever-The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/transportation/2019/4/13/18309129/stratolaunch-worlds-biggest-airplane-first-flight-rockets

The US venture company Stratolaunch Systems made a test flight of Stratolaunch, the largest wing in history, on April 13, 2019, and succeeded in about 150 minutes of pilot flight. Stratolaunch, who flew from Mohave Airport, climbed to 17,000 feet (about 5200 meters) by the time it landed at the airport, and recorded a top speed of 189 miles per hour (about 304 kilometers).

'The moment I saw Stratolaunch flying up was very exciting for me,' said Jean Floyd, CEO of Stratolaunch Systems. 'The flight was very good. The plane moved exactly like a watch,' commented test pilot Evan Thomas.

You can watch the Stratolaunch actually fly from the following movie.

Stratolaunch First Flight


A plane that appears on the unlighted runway. It is the Stratolaunch, the world's longest-wing aircraft scheduled to be tested.

The pilots get in.

The Stratronich is a type of plane called a

twin-body plane , with horizontal and vertical tails attached to the two fuselage. The Stratolaunch, which boasts the largest wing span ever, is said to occupy the end-to-end of a hangar with an area of 100,000 square feet (about 9,200 square meters).

Stratolaunch running on the runway.

The takeoff is a moment of tension for the pilots as well.

Stratolaunch, who glides vigorously, has finally left the ground.

Stratolaunch, which rises to the blue sky, receives a great cheer from the audience.

If you are unfamiliar with a twin-body, it may seem a bit strange that a plane with two torso is flying.

The six

Pratt & Whitney engines and 28 wheels on the Stratolaunch are all manufactured for the Boeing 747 . The maximum take-off weight is 1,300,000 pounds (approximately 590,000 kg).

Paul Allen , founder of Stratolaunch Systems, also known as Microsoft's co-founder, died of malignant lymphoma in October 2018. Mr. Allen did not hesitate to see this flight, but Floyd said, 'The moment Allen was not at takeoff, I whispered' Thank you 'to Allen the moment Stratolaunch took off. '.

The Stratolaunch has successfully landed successfully.

Members who share the joy.

“In the near future, Stratolaunch Systems will be loading a 250 ton rocket carrying a satellite on the Stratolaunch, and when it reaches 35,000 feet (about 10 km), it will ignite its rocket engine and We would like to put a plan to launch satellites into practice. If satellites can be launched from airplanes flying in the sky, it will not be necessary to reserve a few of the Earth's few facilities long ago to launch satellites and experience long waiting times. Other companies , such as Virgin Orbit , have plans to launch satellite-powered rockets from airplanes, and it is likely that satellite launches from airplanes will become commonplace in the future.