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Giant Stratolaunch Begins Engine Tests

Stratolaunch successfully started each of the massive aircraft’s six Pratt & Whitney turbofan engines for the first time. Dylan Schwartz/Stratolaunch
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

Paul Allen’s enormous aircraft project has taken a big step toward success. With six Pratt & Whitney engines of the same kind used on a Boeing 747 strapped to its massive fuselage, the engine tests for Vulcan Aerospace’s Stratolaunch is a critical step in the development process. This week, the engines were run for the first time at the company’s development facility in Mojave, California.

Pia Bergqvist

Pia Bergqvist joined FLYING in December 2010. A passionate aviator, Pia started flying in 1999 and quickly obtained her single- and multi-engine commercial, instrument and instructor ratings. After a decade of working in general aviation, Pia has accumulated almost 3,000 hours of flight time in nearly 40 different types of aircraft.

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