The story
Virgin Galactic's carrier aircraft is a catamaran of the sky: twin fuselages, cruciform tails, and a 141-foot wing with a spaceship-sized gap at its center. Built almost entirely of carbon composite, it carries SpaceShipTwo to 45,000 feet and lets go. Only one was ever completed, VMS Eve, named for Richard Branson's mother, and every Virgin Galactic flight to space has started under her wing.
WhiteKnightTwo is the only aircraft in the world whose job is to drop a spaceship. One exists, and it flies out of Spaceport America, New Mexico.
Quick answers
How do you identify a WhiteKnightTwo?
Unmistakable: two slim fuselages side by side under one long wing, with a gap between them. If something is hanging in that gap, you are about to see a spaceship launch.
What does a WhiteKnightTwo sound like?
Four business-jet turbofans in a wide, even chord: much quieter than something this big has any right to be.
How fast is the WhiteKnightTwo?
Top speed is Not published.
How many passengers does the WhiteKnightTwo carry?
Up to 0. A typical layout is 2 pilots + launch crew.
How far can the WhiteKnightTwo fly?
Range is about Not published.
How big is the WhiteKnightTwo?
It is 78 ft 9 in long and 141 ft 1 in across the wings.
When did the WhiteKnightTwo first fly?
Its first flight was in 2008.
How many WhiteKnightTwos have been built?
1 built.
What do crews call the WhiteKnightTwo?
Eve.
How rare is a WhiteKnightTwo in Bogey?
LEGENDARY. The top tier. Spotters plan trips around a catch like this. Your first WhiteKnightTwo catch is worth 1,000 points.
