Largest aircraft in history could take flight in 2016 thanks to Paul Allen

Imagine the 320-foot span Spruce Goose. Then picture an aircraft larger than that.

An aircraft, backed by Seattle’s Paul Allen, is expected to have a 385-foot wing span and will be used deliver satellites to space. It is reportedly being called Roc.

“This thing is absolutely huge,” AviationWeek.com senior editor Guy Norris told The Dori Monson Show on Friday.

The Roc is being assembled in Mojave, California for Stratolaunch System’s space launch program. It is being built by Scaled Composites.

Powered by six Boeing 747-400 engines, along with other parts salvaged from two 747s, the twin-fuselage carrier aircraft closely resembles the WhiteKnightTwo.

Once complete, the Roc will be mostly wing, according to Norris. Basically, its sole purpose is to fly to a high enough altitude to deliver satellites.

Norris said when the Roc is in space it will fire rockets to deliver satellites. The Roc will reportedly have a crew of three: a pilot, co-pilot and engineer.

“To be quite honest with you, it has been quite a secret up until now,” he said.

Norris said the most difficult aspect of launching an aircraft into space is escaping earth’s gravity – just that first few miles into the air. That’s why the Roc will be mostly wing and engine.

The rocket used to launch a satellite is going to be named Thunderbolt, after one of Paul Allen’s childhood toys. It will weigh more than 500,000 pounds and be 130-feet long, Norris told Dori. Combined with everything on it, the Roc will weigh about 1.3 million pounds.

But why did a project like this draw Paul Allen’s attention, Dori wondered.

“I imagine it is the uniqueness of it,” Norris responded.

The Roc is scheduled to fly sometime in 2016.

“It’s going to be as big as you can imagine,” Norris said.