Roc landed Sunday at California’s Mojave Air & Space Port after a test flight that lasted nearly four and a half hours. [Courtesy: Stratolaunch]
Key Takeaways:
Stratolaunch's "Roc," the world's largest airplane, successfully completed its first test flight in over eight months, achieving new records for flight duration, altitude, and speed.
The mission included the first-ever in-flight retraction and extension of one of Roc's main landing gear, validating system improvements and expanding its proven test envelope.
Roc is designed to serve as an air-launch platform for reusable hypersonic test vehicles, such as Stratolaunch's developing Talon-A, with commercial operations expected to commence later this year.
Piloting the massive, twin-fuselage aircraft presents unique challenges due to its immense size and off-center cockpit, requiring specific landing techniques.
Stratolaunch’s Roc—the biggest airplane in the world—returned to the sky Sunday, completing its first test flight in more than eight months.
The four-hour and 23-minutemission expanded Roc’s proven test envelope, including a higher altitude, as well as retracting and extending one of Roc’s main landing gear in flight for the first time.
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Thom is a former senior editor for FLYING. Previously, his freelance reporting appeared in aviation industry magazines. Thom also spent three decades as a TV and digital journalist at CNN’s bureaus in Washington and Atlanta, eventually specializing in aviation. He has reported from air shows in Oshkosh, Farnborough and Paris. Follow Thom on Twitter @thompatterson.
