If they train with 6peecee they will all just sit in back.
Newspaper article said the right fuselage. In fact, the other fuselage won't even be pressurized.
I have a feeling that they probably want to keep a control surface out of the potentially very turbulent airflow caused by any payload they'll be carrying
I understand the need for two engines on each wing, if this had only two engines then an engine failure would be catastrophic, they're so far apart I doubt there's any realistic Vmc on a design like that. But 6 engines? From a 744 that works out to about $320K lbs of thrust, 4 engines from a triple 7 would have just as much, if not more, power. Wonder why the decision to go with 6.. even if the older 744 engines are cheaper that's 50% more in overall maintenance cost (not that money is any object to these people, but then if money is no object why not 4 of the more modern GE190s...)
Looks like it must work ok. Guess ya just gotta build it sturdy enough that "twisting" is a non issue.Scaled Composites built it. They've worked with similar configurations before
yeah but it's an RGHigh wing...
And turbines ....
Frankly when I saw the picture it did cross my mind that it might be a mock-up.. the fuselage looked very cheap and "fake"
Does the jumpseat get to ride on the payload in-between?
Yes, but: You'll need the launch and support infrastructure a lot closer to the equator. The US's current air launch system hasn't gone further than a few hundred miles from its base. The Sea Launch system runs up closer to the equator, but that's a boat (or a set of them, actually).
White Knights One and Two are registered as Experimental Research and Development. Suspect the new one will do the same. It's just basically negotiated with the FAA, and there aren't any particular standards it'll have to comply with.
While it's higher altitude and lower drag, isn't the pull-up to get on trajectory pretty expensive (in terms of drag and fuel)? I know the trade doesn't work for everyone.
It's been 20 years since I had a payload ride a Pegasus, but I believe the L-1011 drops the rocket while in level flight.
C'mon... Everybody know that the left plane holds PIC.
This is one of those distinct types where central European pilots are required to fly from the left cockpit.
To me, the biggest issue is the launch aircraft bottleneck. If they have only one airplane and something happens to it, all your customers are screwed. They need to build a second one to have a backup. I mean, you've got almost a half-million pounds of rocket fuel hanging from the center section. "It's a fine line between a bomb and a rocket...and the finer the line, the better the rocket."
