The first time Stratolaunch test pilot and director of flight operations Evan Thomas beheld the company's massive six-engine, high-wing, twin-fuselage, payload-launch aircraft, he was "a bit daunted."
"I'll be honest, the first time I looked at it I went, 'Wow! I don't know that I can fly that. That's going to be a real challenge!"
That's quite an observation from a test pilot who commanded the U.S. Air Force's F-22 Combined Test Force and has over 3,500 hours in the F-16 as an operational fighter pilot and VISTA program test pilot with Calspan.
But the Roc-named for an enormous mythical bird of prey-evokes awe in all who see it. With a wingspan longer than a football field-385 feet-and a takeoff weight that can be up to 1.3 million pounds, Roc is the biggest composite airplane on the planet and the world's largest operational aircraft. Scaled Composites, the firm founded by famed designer Burt Rutan in Mojave, California, created Roc as its "Model 351" in 2012. It was intended to be a gigantic space launch vehicle if you will, meant to take large payload-carrying spacecraft to altitude for launch into orbit.
Rutan and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen founded Stratolaunch in 2011. But build challenges delayed its first flight until April 2019. By that time, Allen-also known for the warbirds he amassed for his terrific Flying Heritage Collection now belonging to Steuart Walton of Walmart-had passed away.
The Allen family supported development of the Roc for about a year after his death, then withdrew as Stratolaunch pivoted to a new business, using Roc as the launch vehicle for a hypersonic testbed known as "Talon-A."
With hypersonic missile and vehicle development a high priority for the Department of Defense, Stratolaunch recognized an opportunity to accelerate hypersonic research in the real world, outside of wind tunnels with Talon-A.
This story is from the July - August 2023 edition of Flight Journal.
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This story is from the July - August 2023 edition of Flight Journal.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Keeping 'em Flying!- The new generation of warbird pilots, restorers and mechanics
The new generation of warbird pilots, restorers and mechanics. Nearly 80 years after the end of World War II, the fighters, bombers, and trainers that defended freedom continue to enthrall and inspire audiences at airshows, thanks to generations of warbird pilots, maintainers, restoration specialists and collectors. In our September, 2022 issue we introduced you to the young warbird pilots, maintainers and restorers who are already beginning to displace more "experienced" warbird fliers and fixers.
The Corsair Maker- Bringing the Vought Corsair to the fleet was a daunting challenge that spanned nearly three years.
When the first production Corsairs exited the Stratford factory in June 1942, Guyton, as seen here, was tapped to manage the flight and production test program. Armament was improved to six wing-mounted .50s, displacing the wing fuel tanks now placed forward of the cockpit which necessarily was moved rearward by 32 inches. Overall length was increased, armor plate added, landing, arresting and tail gear improved, aileron control enhanced, and a new version of the R2800 engine was incorporated. But those significant improvements unearthed numerous idiosyncrasies that would take an extended period to make the Corsair acceptable for carrier operations
STARFIRES Over Korea
F-94 pilots tangle with MiGs
Training Mission
BY THE TIME THIS TRAINING SCENE WAS RECORDED in Canne, Italy, in July 1944, Allied Yugoslavian airmen had several years of experience working side by side with the RAF.
KC-46A PEGASUS
Next generation aerial refueler
"SATAN'S ANGELS" ACE - Tales from a P-38 pilot in the South Pacific
\"AS A KID GROWING UP on the bow of my father's tugboat, hauling oil from Seattle to Alaska, I had a lot of time on my hands.
WACO YKC - Stunning and Ultra Rare Golden Age Cabin Flier
BETWEEN THE IMPLEMENTATION of the Air Commerce Act of 1926 and December 31, 1948, all U.S. registered flying machines sported an N-number, much as they do today, the \"N\" being an internationally recognized identifier for the United States. During that period, however, an additional letter-identifier followed the \"N.\" Depending on their category, they were registered in the NC (Commercial), NG (Glider), NL (Limited), NR (Restricted, usually meaning race airplanes), NS (State government), and, finally, NX (experimental).
BADER'S HURRICANES
Double amputee fighter ace Douglas Bader and his Battle of Britain Hurricanes
Scourge of the Allied Fighters
IT HAD TO BE THE MOST HELPLESS FEELING in the world: you're at 25,000 feet over Europe knowing that your primary function is to drop bombs-or flying escort for the bombers while being a slow-moving target for some of the world's finest shooters. However, you have John Browning's marvelous .50 caliber invention to give some degree of protection. Unfortunately, you're absolutely helpless against flak. Piloting and gunnery skills play no role in a game where sheer chance makes life and death decisions. For that reason, the Krupp 88 mm Flak 18/36/37 AA cannon could be considered WW II's ultimate stealth fighter. You never saw it coming.
ZERO MYTH, MYSTERY, AND FACT
A test pilot compares the A6M5 Zero to U.S. fighters
