Nicknamed ROC after the giant mythical bird capable of carrying off elephants in its talons, the Stratolaunch Model 351 is a one-of-a-kind engineering marvel. Originally designed to carry air-launch-to-orbit (ALTO) rockets, it was subsequently repurposed to offer air launch hypersonic flight testing following the death of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, who had also co-founded Scaled Composites, the maker of the ROC.
Looking like two jets fused together, the Stratolaunch ROC is an impressive sight to behold. Each of its two fuselages is 238 ft (73 m) long and supported by 12 main landing gear wheels and two nose gear wheels, for a total of 28 wheels. The combined wingspan of these two fuselages adds up to 385 feet (117 m), making the ROC wider than a 300 ft (91 m) American football field.
Interestingly, the pilot, copilot, and flight engineer are located in the right fuselage cockpit, while the flight data systems are in the left fuselage, which is completely unmanned. This massive aircraft is powered by six massive Pratt & Whitney PW4056 engines capable of providing 56,750 lbf (252.4 kN) of thrust per engine.
The Stratolaunch ROC requires 12,000 ft (3,700 m) of runway to lift off, and is capable of carrying a payload with a weight of up to 550,000 lb (250 t), 10% more than its own weight of 500,000 lb (227 t).
Unveiled in 2011 as a prototype, the Stratolaunch ROC performed its maiden voyage in 2019 and has performed a total of 24 flights since.
