#STRATOLAUNCH PLANE COCKPIT HOW TO#
After ownership of the company transitioned to Cerberus Capital Management, Roc’s focus shifted to launching hypersonic test vehicles.Įventually, the Pentagon’s Missile Defense Agency is expected to use Talon to provide “threat replication” to help scientists understand how to engage and intercept hypersonic weapons. īut Roc’s mission changed after the tragic 2018 death of Stratolaunch founder Paul Allen. (Coincidentally, that airplane, nicknamed Cosmic Girl, successfully air-launched seven satellites on Thursday, after taking off from Mojave.) Eventually, Roc’s massive wings will carry and launch reusable hypersonic test aircraft. Originally, a key purpose for the airplane was to launch small satellites into low Earth orbit from the air, much like Virgin Orbit’s modified 747-400.
Roc, built by Scaled Composites, founded by Burt Rutan, was designed as an in-flight launch platform. A data boom extending from the front of Roc’s right fuselage gathered key information during Sunday’s mission. Thomas says those initial seconds of flight feel like riding on an elevator. During Roc’s historic first flight in April 2019, the flight crew discovered that the airplane gains altitude much more quickly than expected. Surprisingly, during initial ascent, the winged behemoth packs some actual get-up-and-go. In the weeks leading up to this latest test flight, Roc flight crews practiced taxi test runs, operating the airplane’s communications, airworthiness, and all of its subsystems to ensure proper functionality. We’re excited to get the aircraft on the ground and start analyzing all of the great data we collected today! #LetsRoc /FcwHbv8qmo- Stratolaunch January 16, 2022 The team is rounding out a successful Roc carrier aircraft test flight with two low approach maneuvers before landing. “Testing the left main landing gear individually mitigated risk and provided our aircrew with options for landing the aircraft in the event the hardware didn’t perform as expected.” “The partial gear retraction seen during today’s flight is a graduated approach to building confidence in the landing gear and gear door hardware,” Krevor said. Its 8 landing gear and 28 wheels-like its avionics system and its Pratt & Whitney PW4056 turbofan engines-were obtained from retired Boeing 747-400s. Remaining gear will be tested on future flights. This initial in-flight gear test was limited as a precautionary measure.
Remarkably, it was the first time the airplane had retracted landing gear in flight. Thomas said Roc’s twin rudders have proved very effective during previous tests for lining up with the runway.ĭuring Sunday’s test, the flight crew retracted and re-extended Roc’s middle main gear on the left fuselage. “One of our key parameters for landing is to line up the fuselages with the runway, because our main landing gear are in line, kind of like two big in-line skates.”Īnother challenge: the pilots can’t see the entire left wing.
“The last thing you want to do is swerve back to the center line or try to line up on the center line.” As a result, Stratolaunch pilots train on the sim to offset the airplane to the right side of the runway. “You cannot land on the center line,” Thomas told FLYING last December.
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