Vulcan Aerospace / stratolaunch

[RobDickinson]

What an absolute monster launch platform! Will be amazing to see this thing fly. 385 ft wingspan, 1.3million llb take of weight.



https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/05/paul-allen...

[Eric Mc]

Gerry Anderson plans being nicked again.

[Sylvaforever]

Does it have ejection seats?

[Eric Mc]

Sylvaforever said:

Does it have ejection seats?

Why should it?

[V8LM]

With the missing leading edges and the various faded panels it looks a bit Heath Robinson to say the least.

[Simpo Two]

It doesn't look a happy design to me. The forces on the centre section must be immense; I would have joined the tailplanes together for extra strength*.

But wouldn't it be nice to see something like this on the news, instead of just bloody politics, doom and gloom.

• ETA Oh they have!

[RobDickinson]

what forces, shouldnt be any more at the wing than any other similar fuselage

[Simpo Two]

RobDickinson said:

what forces, shouldnt be any more at the wing than any other similar fuselage

The torsion on that section could be incredible in turns, you've got so much more aeroplane acting against it, and not joined at the back for rigidity.

ash73 said:

Just me messing about in photoshop.

I wondered but it fooled me, well done!

[coanda]

Torsion won't be a problem with a box that wide.

And anyway, you could have a torsion balancing system in the control laws especially with the separate horizontal stabilisers.