Composites make the largest aircraft

China Coatings Online News:
July 27, 2016 : The largest aircraft completed this year: will be the largest composite aircraft. The largest aircraft, completed this year, was built not by big aircraft makers such as Boeing or Airbus, but by a company invested by Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft Corp., to compete for the commercial satellite launch market. The project was implemented by Allen's Vulcan Aerospace's Space Launch Systems, which designed and manufactured Skelder Composite Technologies. Allen worked with Skelder founder Bert Rutan to develop the world's first privately funded manned spacecraft, SpaceShipTationAl. Chuck Bimes, head of Vulcan Aerospace, said the company is planning to work with several rocket companies to provide small and medium-sized satellite launch services.
according to China Coatings online

Experts say the plane, called The Stratolaunch Carrier, has two craft, six engines and is about 73 meters long. It has a wingspan of 117 meters, surpassing the An-225 transport aircraft currently manufactured by an Antonov company in Ukraine, the world's largest aircraft. It follows the engines, landing frames, eronics and other components of two Boeing 747 aircraft, while the airflight and wings are handcrafted from lightweight composite materials and will be the largest composite aircraft. The plane is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year and commercial services are expected to begin by 2020, Reuters reported. It has been assembled 76 per cent and the engine, landing frame and tail have not yet been installed.
mission of the aircraft is to provide launch services for satellites, particularly low-Earth orbit satellites. It is designed to fly rockets or space vehicles to high altitudes, and then rockets or space vehicles can ignite and fly into orbit. The plane has a maximum load of 250 tons. Compared with the traditional rocket ground launch method, this method can reduce costs and put satellites into orbit accurately and quickly. At present, a new commercial service aimed at selling services such as Internet access, Earth imaging and climate data from low-Earth orbit satellite networks is emerging. The satellite network based on low-cost spacecraft is the fastest growing sector of the global satellite industry, Reuters reported. In 2015, the global satellite industry earned more than $208 billion, according to the American Satellite Industry Association.
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