Stratolaunch tested the world's largest Roc aircraft with a mockup of the hypersonic Talon-A aircraft for the first time

The aerospace company Stratolaunch conducted the first flight test of the Roc aircraft with a mock-up of the hypersonic Talon-A block installed.

Here's What We Know

The test took place at the end of October and ended successfully. The Talon-A unit was attached to the aircraft's center pilot. The test took place over the Mojave Desert. Roc was in the air for more than five hours and climbed to an altitude of up to 7 km. During this time, the startup gathered the necessary information about the aerodynamic loads of both aircraft.

By the end of 2022, the company plans to conduct several more tests. In particular, as part of one of the test flights Stratolaunch to test the work of the system jettisoning aircraft, dropping a block Talon-A over the Pacific Ocean. At the same time the startup continues to develop a hypersonic flying machine. Work on it should be completed in 2023.

The Roc is a biplane with a wingspan of 117 meters. It made its eighth flight during tests in October. The company plans to use it to launch oversized vehicles that will help in the exploration of hypersonic flights.

As for Talon-A, it is a hypersonic test vehicle that can reach speeds over 5 Mach (6,000 km/h) and carry a customizable payload. The TA-0 unit, took part in the test without engine. The company is now working on TA-1 and TA-2 prototypes.

Source: @Stratolaunch