World's biggest plane, Stratolaunch, marks another key milestone

[Cow Poke]

World's biggest plane, Stratolaunch, marks another key milestone

stratolaunch.jpg

[Cow Poke]

But as much as it's touted "the biggest", it's not as "bigger" as I thought.

comparison.jpg

Its wingspan is definitely longer, but its 'sleeker', and not as big nose to tail.

[Sparko]

But as much as it's touted "the biggest", it's not as "bigger" as I thought.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]26787[/ATTACH]

Its wingspan is definitely longer, but its 'sleeker', and not as big nose to tail.

probably because it is meant to carry and launch rockets.

[Cow Poke]

probably because it is meant to carry and launch rockets.

It is, but that seems to be one of the concerns --- its payload won't be very great.

[Cow Poke]

From that same article...

[Roy]

But as much as it's touted "the biggest", it's not as "bigger" as I thought.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]26787[/ATTACH]

Its wingspan is definitely longer, but its 'sleeker', and not as big nose to tail.

But the Hercules never went into service - it only existed as a prototype, and only flew during testing.* The stratolaunch is bigger than anything that has actually been used.

*The flight to Melanesia doesn't count for obvious reasons.

[Roy]

From that same article...

... A spacecraft typically weighs just 1-2 percent as much as the rocket that launches it, Hudson says. Since Stratolaunch is designed to carry up to 550,000 pounds, its payload capacity is likely to be 5,000 to 10,000 pounds. ...

That's like saying that because an ant can carry 500 times its own body weight, a human can too. It's absurd. You can't legitimately apply limitations or capabilities of one design/structure/technology to another radically different one.

[Cow Poke]

That's like saying that because an ant can carry 500 times its own body weight, a human can too. It's absurd. You can't legitimately apply limitations or capabilities of one design/structure/technology to another radically different one.

Yeah, I was still contemplating that.... But they're not really saying what their anticipated lift capacity is, are they? Can you find that?

[Cow Poke]

But the Hercules never went into service - it only existed as a prototype, and only flew during testing.* The stratolaunch is bigger than anything that has actually been used.

No argument, but the Hercules has logged more flight hours (seconds) than the StratoLauncher!

[Roy]

Yeah, I was still contemplating that.... But they're not really saying what their anticipated lift capacity is, are they? Can you find that?

"the aircraft is intended to carry up to 550,000 pounds to an altitude of 35,000 feet. "

Not sure if that is gross payload (in which case the cargo would be 50klb) or net.

[Cow Poke]

"the aircraft is intended to carry up to 550,000 pounds to an altitude of 35,000 feet. "

Not sure if that is gross payload (in which case the cargo would be 50klb) or net.

Yeah, that's what I couldn't figure.

[Roy]

Yeah, that's what I couldn't figure.

Mark down another case of sloppy journalism.

[Sparko]

From that same article...

But how much fuel does each method take? If the Plane uses significantly less fuel per pound of payload compared to a straight rocket like SpaceX then it is still a good idea.

[Sparko]

"the aircraft is intended to carry up to 550,000 pounds to an altitude of 35,000 feet. "

Not sure if that is gross payload (in which case the cargo would be 50klb) or net.

That would have to include the launch rocket and the payload.

[Cow Poke]

Mark down another case of sloppy journalism.

OK, according to StratoLaunch's own website, here are the stats...

stratolaunch stats.jpg

And from that website you can go to Paul Allen's LinkedIn page, where he says...



So, max takeoff weight of 1.3 million pounds, payload of half a million pounds.