Stratolaunch Releases Test Aircraft From World’s Largest Plane, Setting Stage for Hypersonic Flights

Roc, which is named after the giant bird in Middle Eastern mythology, features a twin fuselage design and a wingspan of over 385 feet (117 meters), making it the largest plane in the world. The pylon that carries the Talon-A aircraft is approximately 14 feet (4.3 meters) long and 8,000 pounds (3,630 kilograms).

Here’s how it will eventually work: The hypersonic plane hitches a ride while attached to the pylon on Roc’s belly and then launches from the aircraft when it hits 35,000 feet (10,668 meters). For reference, hypersonic vehicles travel faster than Mach 5, which is five times faster than the speed of sound. Stratolaunch is positioning Talon-A as an autonomous and reusable hypersonic aircraft capable of performing scientific research with customizable payloads. 

Related: Hypersonic Plane From Venus Aerospace Will Travel to the Edge of Space

Saturday’s test marks the company’s eleventh flight with Roc, according to Stratolaunch’s release, but not all have gone according to plan. During a test of Roc’s pylon last summer, the company ended the plane’s flight prematurely. During the test, Roc flew for one hour and 26 minutes instead of the scheduled 3.5 hours, and Stratolaunch was not forthcoming with the details on why the flight ended prematurely.

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