August 05, 2008 | Hi-Tech NewsLargest Carbon Composite Aircraft, WhiteKnightTwo, UnveiledThe Virgin Galactic company unveiled the WhiteKnightTwo, a new class of carrier airplane that will help loft space tourists beyond Earth's atmosphere. The event marks a major milestone in Virgin's quest to launch the world's first private, environmentally friendly spaceflight company. The rollout of WhiteKnightTwo takes the Virgin Galactic vision to the next level and continues to provide tangible evidence that this most ambitious of projects is not only for real but is making tremendous progress toward the goal of safe commercial operation.
Designed by aerospace firm Scaled Composites, which also built its predecessor, WhiteKnightTwo is the largest carbon-composite aircraft ever made. The twin-boom, catamaran-like design features four turbofan jets engines and a 140-foot (42.6-meter) wingspan.
SpaceShipTwo connected to WhiteKnightTwo
Its fuel capacity will allow it to complete up to four daily spaceflights, or to fly nonstop while ferrying a SpaceShipTwo vehicle between the U.S. coasts. Its efficiency will herald a wake-up call to the aerospace industry and the necessity of using new materials and technologies in the future.
Source: http://www.lucintel.com/
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