Largest plane in the world

[cymaz]

I came across this and couldn't believe my eyes..

[Martin Whybrow]

It's the largest by wingspan, but I think the A380 has it beaten on weight.

It's interesting that the prototype has 2 cockpits, compared to the CGI that shows only 1 cockpit with the other fuselage being windowless.

[KiwiKid]

I guess someone (probably in Germany) will take it on as an RC modelling project one day.

Blohm und Voss had a similar concept float plane called the Bv 222 Zwilling, but it (probably fortunately) never got of the drawing board.

[kevin b]

I think Multiplex will be looking at their copyrights.

I'm waiting for the Japanese to bring out theirs. It will probably do the same job, be half the size and cheaper to build and run.

Has anybody worked out how environmentally economical it will be compared with existing, and developing rocket / satellite launching technology ? Or is it that it is "American and the biggest" that is the important thing ?

The word Folly springs to mind. Remember the "Spruce Goose" ? At least that was attractive and served as a great restaurant. What can they use this for, container storage ?

Rant over

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[cymaz]

Posted by Tom Sharp 2 on 04/06/2017 20:53:44:

Spruce Goose was not a folly, the atom bomb made it redundant.

She was BIG

[John Bisset]

If I recall the early discussions on this correctly, it should save a great deal compared to conventional rocket launches. It is the first few thousand feet that cost a lot to get above and a great deal of the initial weight is used up accelerating fuel needed for that first segment of climb. Launching from 30,000 ft plus at several hundred knots provides an excellent flying start.

I think when the rocket is also attached the total mass will be greater than any other aircraft has reached. Impressive.

[Mike Etheridge 1]

Was it not said that if a plane looks good it will probably fly good ? That big plane looks as if it could fall apart and I think it looks awful. I also think that similar to the Lockheed Lightning,the Twin Mustang and any twin boom aircraft the tail plane should link both booms structurally. I hope I am proved wrong.

[KiwiKid]

The concept is also vulnerable to technological advances. The plan is to launch up to three rockets in a single flight. This model should allow it to avoid bad weather & reach different orbits in a single flight, but it's limited to low Earth orbit & very small payloads. The problem is they're still throwing away the rocket when a fully reusable rocket is coming increasingly closer to reality. By their forecasted 1st launch many years hence, a Falcon heavy could technically achieve full reuse for small LEO payloads. The need for a gigantic airplane launching expendable rockets for these payloads would then be much less viable.

[Piers Bowlan]

'Stratolaunch' uses a similar configuration to the 'mother-craft' which carries the Virgin Galactic space-plane aloft. That was also designed by Burt Rutan's Scaled Composites and in turned was a product of his earlier work developing Space Ship one with the White Night, mother-craft, that launched it from 60,000ft. If it is designed by Burt Rutan and funded by Paul Allen (£300M projected) it will do what it says on the tin! The max take off weight is 540T including a 230T launch vehicle, which in turn will be able to carry a 6.1 payload to low earth orbit. With a conventional launch vehicle most of the cost is in the first stage booster which is very expensive if it is not reusable. SpaceX are developing their reusable first stage booster but that is still costly to recover and refurbish before reuse. The extra fuel and the weight of the landing gear with SpaceX detracts from the size of the payload that can be carried too.

I think any concept is vulnerable to technological advances KiwiKid, it's called progress.

 

 

 

Edited By Piers Bowlan on 05/06/2017 10:26:01