Now that's an airplane!

[MG1968]

http://www.space.com/37046-stratolaunch-worlds-largest-airplane-first-rollout.html?utm_content=bufferc4cc1&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook

Billionaire Paul Allen's private spaceflight company Stratolaunch has just unveiled the world's biggest airplane: a massive carrier plane with a wingspan longer than an entire football field.

 

[allvol123]

Hope it is solar powered.

 

[Biopsyman]

Do you have to ask for extra peanuts?

 

[YankeeVol]

I hope he paid cash

 

[MG1968]

Do you have to ask for extra peanuts?

You're out of luck if they're in the other fuselage.

 

[InVOLuntary]

You're out of luck if they're in the other fuselage.

Nothing a little wing walking couldn't fix.

 

[Boca Vol]

Spruce Goose FTW!

 

[governmentmule]

hmmm did Charters rates go up ?

 

[Orangedogsrule]

I, Volstradamus, here do see calamity.

Catastrophe of the broken center wing.

Disaster falling from the sky.

Broken, smoldering ...

 

[volinbham]

Spruce Goose FTW!

my initial reaction exactly

 

[Coug]

I, Volstradamus, here do see calamity.

Catastrophe of the broken center wing.

Disaster falling from the sky.

Broken, smoldering ...

I was about to offer a dollar to the first person who could tell me where the weakest part of that "plane" is.

You couldn't pay me to fly on that thing.

 

[LouderVol]

for comparison, wow.

with a wingspan of 385 feet (117 m)
a length of 238 feet (72 m)
and a tail height of 50 feet (15 m).
The massive plane weighs 550,000 lbs.

B-52 Stratofortress:
Wingspan: 185'
Length: 159.3'
Tail Height: 40.667'
Weight: 185,000lbs

 

[LouderVol]

I, Volstradamus, here do see calamity.

Catastrophe of the broken center wing.

Disaster falling from the sky.

Broken, smoldering ...

I have no idea how they think this is a good idea. are they building in a camber to the central wing? releasing the rockets will cause a lot of deflection, can't imagine what that does to the flight characteristics. I also wonder about how it flies? I figure both bodies have controls, but one is slaved to the other during normal operation???

 

[rockydoc]

Amazing what fool billionaires like Allen and Howard Hughes waste their money on.

 

[jvol1]

What is the second cockpit for?

Are two sets of pilots potentially going to be duelling for control of the plane? Is it like the Enterprise, where you've got a back up bridge if you need to disconnect the main bridge from the ship for some reason? Just curious.

 

[AirVol]

This plane has 28 wheels with max takeoff weight of over 1 millions lbs. The Lockheed C-5 has 28 wheels too and waaaaay less weight.

When is the maiden flight?

 

[Biopsyman]

Shows that Paul Allen has more mo eye than sense

 

[Godfatha]

You'd think there would be another strut of some sort between the two fuselages. That seems like an extraordinary amount of stress on that middle wing.