World's Largest (and Oddest-Looking) Aircraft Rolled Out for Tests

The Stratolaunch aircraft, which weighs about 500,000 pounds (227,000 kilograms)

moved out of the hangar to conduct aircraft fueling tests on May 31, 2017. Credit: Stratolaunch Systems Corp. A bizarre, double-bodied airplane with the largest wingspan of any aircraft in the world just rolled out of its hangar for the first time. The Stratolaunch aircraft is designed to carry satellites into low-Earth orbit. The aircraft will carry satellites and their launch vehicles to a cruising altitude of 36,000 feet (11,000 meters) or so, according to Paul G. Allen, the founder of Stratolaunch. From there, the aircraft becomes something like a mobile launch pad, releasing the satellites and their launchers into orbit before returning to the runway. The advantage, according to Allen, is that getting satellites into orbit would become easier and faster. No longer would scientists or governments have to wait for a rocket launch from the ground; the Stratolaunch plane could take off from many runways and fly for hundreds of miles to find good weather conditions. The strange dual fuselages of the craft each have a role. The right fuselage is for the flight crew, according to the company, and the left fuselage houses flight data systems. The payload will be carried underneath the conjoined center wing. Six 747 engines will lift the craft off the ground, and 28 wheels will allow for runway-style takeoffs and landings.       https://www.livescience.com/59324-largest-aircraft-stratolaunch-rolled-out.html