Worlds Biggest Aircraft.

[Navy1960]

SEATTLE (AP) — Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and aerospace pioneer Burt Rutan are building the world’s biggest plane to help launch cargo and astronauts into space, in the latest of several ventures fueled by technology tycoons clamoring to write America’s next chapter in spaceflight.

Their plans, unveiled Tuesday, call for a twin-fuselage aircraft with wings longer than a football field to carry a rocket high into the atmosphere and drop it, avoiding the need for a launch pad and the expense of additional rocket fuel.


SEATTLE (AP) — Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and aerospace pioneer Burt Rutan are building the world’s biggest plane to help launch cargo and astronauts into space, in the latest of several ventures fueled by technology tycoons clamoring to write America’s next chapter in spaceflight.

Their plans, unveiled Tuesday, call for a twin-fuselage aircraft with wings longer than a football field to carry a rocket high into the atmosphere and drop it, avoiding the need for a launch pad and the expense of additional rocket fuel.



Read more: Paul Allen, Burt Rutan Plan Huge Plane to Launch Spaceships | Techland | TIME.com


I will be watching this with interest and at least in my humble opinion it shows that American "can do spirit" is alive and well. The aircraft that they intend to build to lift this rocket should be massive and if Rutan's designs are a roadmap , should be unique as well.

 

[Mr. H.]

Groovy.

 

[Warrior102]

The government is not involved in building it, so at least it'll fly/operate correctly.

 

[Navy1960]

Rutan is the same person involved in the design of the folloiwng aircraft.

This aircraft will bring passengers to space as part of "Virgin Galactic" which is the real deal and has already won the Ansari X prize for being the first non Govt. operation to go into space. As someone who has been invloved with aviation all my life, this sort of things brings a smile to my face and Warrior if your interested there are many others too, in fact take a look at Space X, another private company that will launch it's first rocket to the International Space Station in Feb. and your correct

 

[nitroz]

I thought this was the world's biggest....

 

[Navy1960]

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and aerospace pioneer Burt Rutan are building the world’s biggest plane

Currently the AN225 is the Worlds biggest, however the thread title was to simply show that Burt Rutan and currently building such an aircraft, as stated in the article.

 

[techieny]

exciting stuff indeed !

 

[Navy1960]

Can you imagine based on Burt Rutans past ability with composites an aircraft that size in an all composite airframe? The real exciting part about it is the sheer size of the spacecraft that will also have the ability to make flights from what I understand to the International Space Station. Again, what I find exciting about this sort of thing is people like Rutan show just how much that spirit is alive and well.

 

[daveman]

SEATTLE (AP) — Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and aerospace pioneer Burt Rutan are building the world’s biggest plane to help launch cargo and astronauts into space, in the latest of several ventures fueled by technology tycoons clamoring to write America’s next chapter in spaceflight.

Their plans, unveiled Tuesday, call for a twin-fuselage aircraft with wings longer than a football field to carry a rocket high into the atmosphere and drop it, avoiding the need for a launch pad and the expense of additional rocket fuel.


SEATTLE (AP) — Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and aerospace pioneer Burt Rutan are building the world’s biggest plane to help launch cargo and astronauts into space, in the latest of several ventures fueled by technology tycoons clamoring to write America’s next chapter in spaceflight.

Their plans, unveiled Tuesday, call for a twin-fuselage aircraft with wings longer than a football field to carry a rocket high into the atmosphere and drop it, avoiding the need for a launch pad and the expense of additional rocket fuel.



Read more: Paul Allen, Burt Rutan Plan Huge Plane to Launch Spaceships | Techland | TIME.com


I will be watching this with interest and at least in my humble opinion it shows that American "can do spirit" is alive and well. The aircraft that they intend to build to lift this rocket should be massive and if Rutan's designs are a roadmap , should be unique as well.

Interesting idea. The Air Force flirted with the idea of launching ICBMs from C-5A Galaxies in the 70s...but that was for mobility and survivability, not fuel savings.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96A0wb1Ov9k]C-5 Galaxy Minuteman ICBM Drop Test - YouTube[/ame]

The plan will save rocket fuel, but that energy will have to be replaced with jet fuel. But Jet-A's cheaper than rocket fuel.

 

[Navy1960]

dave, Pegasus launch system has been around for a little bit now and works on the same principle and one can see that Rutans group pretty much can trace this back to the day's of the X15 and X series of aircraft but are taking it to a logical conclusion. They have already demonstrated with Spaceship One the ability to go into space this way, so I don't doubt this venture the least little bit and ar eint the test flight stage on Spaceship Two.

The Pegasus rocket is a winged space launch vehicle capable of carrying small, unmanned payloads (443 kilograms (980 lb)) into low Earth orbit. It is air-launched, as part of an expendable launch system developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation (Orbital). Three main stages burning solid propellant provide the thrust. It flies as a rocket-powered aircraft before leaving the atmosphere.

The Pegasus is carried aloft below a carrier aircraft and launched at approximately 40,000 ft (12,000 m). The carrier aircraft provides flexibility to launch the rocket from anywhere rather than just a fixed pad. A high-altitude, winged flight launch also allows the rocket to avoid flight in the densest part of the atmosphere where a larger launch vehicle, carrying much more fuel, would be needed to overcome air friction and gravity.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pegasus_(rocket)

 

[daveman]

dave, Pegasus launch system has been around for a little bit now and works on the same principle and one can see that Rutans group pretty much can trace this back to the day's of the X15 and X series of aircraft but are taking it to a logical conclusion. They have already demonstrated with Spaceship One the ability to go into space this way, so I don't doubt this venture the least little bit and ar eint the test flight stage on Spaceship Two.

The Pegasus rocket is a winged space launch vehicle capable of carrying small, unmanned payloads (443 kilograms (980 lb)) into low Earth orbit. It is air-launched, as part of an expendable launch system developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation (Orbital). Three main stages burning solid propellant provide the thrust. It flies as a rocket-powered aircraft before leaving the atmosphere.

The Pegasus is carried aloft below a carrier aircraft and launched at approximately 40,000 ft (12,000 m). The carrier aircraft provides flexibility to launch the rocket from anywhere rather than just a fixed pad. A high-altitude, winged flight launch also allows the rocket to avoid flight in the densest part of the atmosphere where a larger launch vehicle, carrying much more fuel, would be needed to overcome air friction and gravity.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pegasus_(rocket)

To borrow from Mrs Lovell: "If they could get a washing machine to fly, my Jimmy could land it."

Burt Rutan is the man who could get a washing machine to fly.

I have no doubt this will be successful.

 

[Mr. H.]

Is Dick Rutan still involved with Burt's doings?
Remember when Dick and Jeana Yaeger flew non-stop around da world?
That was cool stuff.

 

[Navy1960]

Is Dick Rutan still involved with Burt's doings?
Remember when Dick and Jeana Yaeger flew non-stop around da world?
That was cool stuff.

Dick Rutan Biography

Welcome To Scaled Composites

He is the director at the Spaceport from what I gather where Spaceship One and Two are launched, its a really great American story that in my humble opinion does not get told enough. I wish them the best of luck as well as Elan Musk and his upcommming flight to the ISS in the Dragon.

 

[ggicollegeindia]

Really biggest Aircraft in the world. How much capacity it lifted at a time?

 

[Shuban]

The government is not involved in building it, so at least it'll fly/operate correctly.

You're absolutely right. There is no role of Govt. in this project.