Stratolaunch: General Company and Development Updates and Discussions

[Rocket Science]

Sad to read, but so very predictable. 

Many here on the form (including myself) labeled the aircraft as a Spruce Goose Mk II.

Carbon Goose...

[wannamoonbase]

Sad to read, but so very predictable. 

Many here on the form (including myself) labeled the aircraft as a Spruce Goose Mk II.

It was probably a good idea when the project started.  But with SpaceX lowering launch costs and companies like Rocket Labs grabbing the small end of the market.

Hopefully that plane finds a home.  It's pretty amazing

[Comga]

Sad to read, but so very predictable. 

Many here on the form (including myself) labeled the aircraft as a Spruce Goose Mk II.

Carbon Goose...

How about the Composite Crow?
(Wish I could make that rhyme)

Not only is it too big to put in a museum, it would need a good sized chunk of land by a big runway just to display outdoors.
Or they could turn its current hangar into a museum only real enthusiasts would visit.

[Eric Hedman]

With the twin fuselage how about "the Deuce Goose?"

[Star One]

The problem is it isn’t a generally useful one off aircraft unlike the AN-225 has been.

[Arch Admiral]

There is a lot of folklore about the Hughes-Kaiser HK-1, some of which has crept into this discussion.

-- The aircraft was not intended as a troop transport, but a heavy cargolifter.  The U-boats never sank a major Allied troop transport in the North Atlantic, because they traveled in heavily escorted convoys moving at 16 knots minimum. The heavy ship losses of early 1942 that inspired Henry J. Kaiser to dream up the Spruce Goose were in slow cargo and petroleum ships moving without escort. The design payload of 60 short tons was intended to accommodate the M6 heavy tank, the US equivalent of Tiger I. The LCT (5) landing craft was designed at the same time to carry three of these behemoths across the English Channel.

The idea was fundamentally misconceived. Even today, air transport is too expensive to move a major mechanized army across an ocean. All the HK-1s would have to refuel in the UK before they flew back to Newfoundland (where all the bays and sounds suitable for landing would be frozen over half the year). So there would still need to be tanker convoys across the Atlantic, and it was tanker tonnage that was most severely reduced by the U-boat war.

Then in December 1942, the projected size of the US Army was cut back from 300 divisions to 90 (because the Red Army hadn't collapsed as expected), and the 5000 M6 heavy tanks on order were cancelled (because they used the same engine as the B-17). In May 1943, the U-boats suffered heavy losses and were withdrawn from the North Atlantic. At this time the HK-1 logically should have been cancelled.

-- The aircraft was a mixture of backward and too advanced technologies. The Mosquito used mostly imported tropical woods like balsa, but Hughes insisted on using only North American trees. The R-4360 engines were underdeveloped and seem to have a low priority with both Pratt & Whitney and the Air Corps. I have never seen a weight table, but the fact that Hughes didn't fly it out of ground effect even lightly loaded indicates that the structure was severely overweight.

Overall, it is a very mysterious project and somebody needs to write a good book about it.

[CorvusCorax]

Maybe Virgin Galactic has use for the plane.

Thats kinda the only other player still pursuing the carrier-plane-based-rocket-launch approach.

[Eric Hedman]

I just discovered that Burt Rutan is coming to the EAA AirVenture this summer after a few years absence.  Since this was his concept, it will be interesting to see if he says anything about it.

[Robotbeat]

Just going to say AGAIN that this story is not well-sourced. Stratolaunch says they have not ceased operations.

[Lars-J]

Just going to say AGAIN that this story is not well-sourced. Stratolaunch says they have not ceased operations.

They appear trying to sell off assets, and formally ceasing operations is sure fire way of making any prospective buyers offer a whole lot less than they would have otherwise.

Announcing that you have formally ceased operations is the last thing that is done before the last person leaves and turns off the lights.

[Star One]

Just going to say AGAIN that this story is not well-sourced. Stratolaunch says they have not ceased operations.

They appear trying to sell off assets, and formally ceasing operations is sure fire way of making any prospective buyers offer a whole lot less than they would have otherwise.

Announcing that you have formally ceased operations is the last thing that is done before the last person leaves and turns off the lights.

What would be the motivation in leaking this? Those angry at losing a job I am assuming?

[Kabloona]

Just going to say AGAIN that this story is not well-sourced. Stratolaunch says they have not ceased operations.

They appear trying to sell off assets, and formally ceasing operations is sure fire way of making any prospective buyers offer a whole lot less than they would have otherwise.

Announcing that you have formally ceased operations is the last thing that is done before the last person leaves and turns off the lights.

What would be the motivation in leaking this? Those angry at losing a job I am assuming?

Leaking a story that your company is ceasing operations is basically cutting your own throat. Probably these are people who have already left, but still have contacts within the company and know what's going on.

From the article:

Several Stratolaunch employees have moved on to other aerospace companies in recent months, including Blue Origin and Sierra Nevada Corporation, according to a review of LinkedIn profiles.

There's no one to be angry at, anyway. This was always a billionaire's fantasy, and anyone who worked on the project would/should have had an awareness of the obvious parallels with Spruce Goose, not to mention the white elephant, and should have been trying to enjoy the ride while it lasted, knowing that it could well be a very short ride.

[Star One]

Just going to say AGAIN that this story is not well-sourced. Stratolaunch says they have not ceased operations.

They appear trying to sell off assets, and formally ceasing operations is sure fire way of making any prospective buyers offer a whole lot less than they would have otherwise.

Announcing that you have formally ceased operations is the last thing that is done before the last person leaves and turns off the lights.

What would be the motivation in leaking this? Those angry at losing a job I am assuming?

Leaking a story that your company is ceasing operations is basically cutting your own throat. Probably these are people who have already left, but still have contacts within the company and know what's going on.

From the article:

Several Stratolaunch employees have moved on to other aerospace companies in recent months, including Blue Origin and Sierra Nevada Corporation, according to a review of LinkedIn profiles.

There's no one to be angry at, anyway. This was always a billionaire's fantasy, and anyone who worked on the project would/should have had an awareness of the obvious parallels with Spruce Goose, not to mention the white elephant, and should have been trying to enjoy the ride while it lasted, knowing that it could well be a very short ride.

I was struggling to see the motivation in doing this as it would be self defeating, but as you say it makes a lot more sense once you consider that it is most likely coming from former employees.

[ParabolicSnark]

Was sort of predictable. They could have been interesting with their SSTO ambitions, but without their own rockets the project was pretty much doomed. Wonder whether anyone will buy the Roc. Virgin Orbit, maybe?

Not a shot Virgin Orbit wants this thing. They fled WhiteKnightTwo to go a 747 because they could be operated and serviced from nearly any major airport. L1 is ~30 tons and their 747 can hold >130 ton (before mods). That aircraft will tide them over for a very long time.

Virgin Galactic has their hands full building more SpaceShipTwo's. With all the effort getting WhiteKnightTwo working as well it does now, I don't think they'll be so eager to pick up this one.

[Star One]

Was sort of predictable. They could have been interesting with their SSTO ambitions, but without their own rockets the project was pretty much doomed. Wonder whether anyone will buy the Roc. Virgin Orbit, maybe?

Not a shot Virgin Orbit wants this thing. They fled WhiteKnightTwo to go a 747 because they could be operated and serviced from nearly any major airport. L1 is ~30 tons and their 747 can hold >130 ton (before mods). That aircraft will tide them over for a very long time.

Virgin Galactic has their hands full building more SpaceShipTwo's. With all the effort getting WhiteKnightTwo working as well it does now, I don't think they'll be so eager to pick up this one.

If they needed to change aircraft down the line they’d probably be better off getting a later model second hand 747 or A380 than this thing.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

The world's largest airplane is up for sale for $400 million
Michael Sheetz | @thesheetztweetz
Published 1 Hour Ago  Updated 52 Mins Ago

Holding company Vulcan is seeking to sell Stratolaunch at $400 million, people familiar with the matter told CNBC.

Vulcan is the investment conglomerate of the late billionaire Paul Allen.

There are number of possible suitors for Stratolaunch, especially the most active space industry trio of billionaires: Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson.

While its unknown if either Musk's SpaceX or Bezos' Blue Origin are pursuing a purchase of Stratolaunch, people familiar told CNBC that Vulcan has spoken to Branson about selling Stratolaunch to his Virgin Group.

https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2019/06/14/vulcan-selling-stratolaunch-worlds-largest-airplane-for-400-million.html

Edit to add: Branson apparently offered $1 for Stratolaunch

[GWH]

One item holding up the sale of Stratolaunch, according to one of the people, is an internal disagreement between CEO Jean Floyd and Paul Allen's sister Jody Allen, who serves as the chair of Vulcan as well as the executor of his estates. While Floyd appears to be petitioning that Vulcan keep the Stratolaunch program alive, especially by retaining the company's intellectual property, Jody Allen would like to sell the company outright, the person said.

 No surprise there. Incredible and sad that one would put so much trust in someone just because they are family.

[yg1968]

I wouldn't sell Stratolaunch to Branson. If he is only willing to pay $1 that means that he won't use it. The best outcome would be for Stratolaunch to merge with a small rocket launcher but that seems unlikely to happen.

[Lars-J]

One item holding up the sale of Stratolaunch, according to one of the people, is an internal disagreement between CEO Jean Floyd and Paul Allen's sister Jody Allen, who serves as the chair of Vulcan as well as the executor of his estates. While Floyd appears to be petitioning that Vulcan keep the Stratolaunch program alive, especially by retaining the company's intellectual property, Jody Allen would like to sell the company outright, the person said.

 No surprise there. Incredible and sad that one would put so much trust in someone just because they are family.

From another angle is is incredibly sad that someone would leave their family with this lead balloon and financial black hole and expect that they would feel obliged to keep it afloat for sentimental reasons.

[Robotbeat]

One item holding up the sale of Stratolaunch, according to one of the people, is an internal disagreement between CEO Jean Floyd and Paul Allen's sister Jody Allen, who serves as the chair of Vulcan as well as the executor of his estates. While Floyd appears to be petitioning that Vulcan keep the Stratolaunch program alive, especially by retaining the company's intellectual property, Jody Allen would like to sell the company outright, the person said.

 No surprise there. Incredible and sad that one would put so much trust in someone just because they are family.

From another angle is is incredibly sad that someone would leave their family with this lead balloon and financial black hole and expect that they would feel obliged to keep it afloat for sentimental reasons.

yeah, I’m sure the heirs to one of the richest people in the world are hurting for cash... 🙄