The Scaled Composites Model 351 Stratolaunch, or “Roc”, is a solitary testbed aircraft built by Scaled Composites for Stratolaunch Systems to carry air-launch-to-orbit (ALTO) rockets, and subsequently repurposed to offer air launch hypersonic flight testing after a change of ownership. It was announced in December 2011, rolled out in May 2017, and flew for the first time on April 13, 2019, shortly after the death of founder Paul Allen. The aircraft features a twin-fuselage design and the longest wingspan ever flown, at 385 feet (117 m), surpassing the Hughes H-4 Hercules “Spruce Goose” flying boat of 321 feet (98 m). The Stratolaunch is intended to carry a 550,000-pound (250 t) payload and has a 1,300,000-pound (590 t) maximum takeoff weight. Stratolaunch ceased operations in May 2019, shortly after the first flight of the Roc, and placed all company assets, including the aircraft, for sale by June 2019. In October 2019, Cerberus Capital Management acquired Stratolaunch Systems, including the Stratolaunch aircraft. Stratolaunch announced in December 2019 that it would be focusing on offering high-speed flight test services. As of May 2025, the Stratolaunch has flown 24 times. We celebrate this remarkable aircraft with an image of it at the airport …
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April 13
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#Stratolaunch #Roc #HypersonicFlight #Aerospace #AircraftDesign #AirLaunch #SpaceInnovation #TestFlight #AviationHistory #ScaledComposites #RocketLaunch #TwinFuselage #Wingspan #FlightTesting #PaulAllen #AviationLovers #SpaceExploration #EngineeringMarvel #AviationPhotography #FutureOfFlight
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