Test Flight for Hypersonic Flying by World's Largest Plane
Stratolaunch's Roc Carries a Hypersonic Vehicle to 23,000 Feet Source: Stratolaunch Major Moves Toward Hypersonic Commercial Flying at Mach 6 The world's largest airplane, California-based Stratolaunch's Roc, with a wingspan longer than a football field, just aced a major test flight while carrying a hypersonic prototype plane. The success is important on a number of levels. It moves Stratolaunch, whose mission is to launch small, autonomous, rocket powered hypersonic vehicles from altitudes of 35,000 feet, closer to test flying its Talon A hypersonic vehicle. And it moves the world closer to hypersonic flying at speeds of Mach 6 and more. This will eventually include commercial passenger planes traveling at six times the speed of sound or 4,570 mph. That would enable passengers to fly long distance air travel at warp speeds. Aviation Technologies Deployed Roc is a highly sophisticated payload release system specifica