Rutan's newest world beater

[BOBO]

The Stratolaunch had its maiden flight finally.  I place Burt Rutan amongst the likes of Nikola Tesla, Eugene Stoner, Albert Eisenstein and some others.

Say hello to the new Worlds Biggest Aeroplane 
Scaled Composites' newest world beater, the Model 351 Stratolaunch

[Shuffler]

By wingspan.....

[Arlo]

What's it for?

[APDrone]

What's it for?

https://www.stratolaunch.com/

It's to be used as a platform to launch space ships, instead of booster rockets.

Methinks, anyway.

[Arlo]

https://www.stratolaunch.com/

It's to be used as a platform to launch space ships, instead of booster rockets.

Methinks, anyway.

Cool. Makes sense. I'm so Apollo era.

[Brooke]

I wonder why the fuselages on it are so large.

Aren't they needed just to hold landing gear and the tail?

[Bizman]

I wonder why the fuselages on it are so large.

Aren't they needed just to hold landing gear and the tail?

I wonder if there's some fuel tanks in the fuselage. The width may also be needed for attaching the enforced middle wing as well as the extra long side wings. For some reason the site didn't tell those details 

[BOBO]

By wingspan.....

Bear in  mind that this plane's cargo will be carried externally.  I'm curious as to what the gross take off weight will be once they start flying it with a load.

[BuckShot]

The roll rate must be fantastic.

[ToeTag]

Bear in  mind that this plane's cargo will be carried externally.  I'm curious as to what the gross take off weight will be once they start flying it with a load.

A reported 500,000 lbs

[bustr]

So the world has given up on an equatorial launch rail to use the 1000mph the earth turns and the shorter travel distance at the equator to leave the atmosphere?

[Puma44]

So the world has given up on an equatorial launch rail to use the 1000mph the earth turns and the shorter travel distance at the equator to leave the atmosphere?

No, just Burt Rutan and company.