The Roc, the world’s largest aircraft in terms of wing span, has completed another test flight and is getting ready to officially work in the coming years. The exercise was done over the Mojave Desert in California/USA, and it got pretty close to what this aircraft will accomplish in the near future.
According to Scaled Composites Stratolaunch, the company responsible for the Roc, the 117-meter-wide monster flew at an operational ceiling of 7,160 meters and at a speed of 346 km/h. Even though it was “slow and low”, this test was of paramount importance for gauging the vehicle’s behavior.
When ready and 100% tested, the Roc will reach altitudes of over 10,000 meters, ideal for launching hypersonic aircraft, such as the Talon TA-0, also made by Stratolaunch. This movement needs to be done due to the operational need for models with this speed capability.
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To achieve these numbers and engineering feats, Stratolaunch needed six Pratt & Whitney PW4000s, all taken from unused Boeing 747s. In addition to the engine, the two cockpits present in the plane’s body were also removed from the Boeing giant.
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The next phase of testing with the Roc should be with hypersonic aircraft attached. The prediction is that this will happen in 2022.
