The story
Two fuselages, one 385-foot wing and six jet engines: Roc has the longest wingspan of any aircraft ever flown. Scaled Composites built it in Mojave for Stratolaunch, the company Paul Allen founded in 2011. He died in October 2018, six months before its first flight. Its engines, landing gear and avionics came from two retired Boeing 747-400s. Since December 2024 it has carried Talon-A, a reusable hypersonic test vehicle, out over the Pacific and let it go. Talon-A lights its rocket, passes Mach 5 and lands itself on a runway.
Roc rolls on 28 wheels. Its pilot, co-pilot and flight engineer sit in the right-hand fuselage; the left-hand cockpit carries no one, only mission equipment.
Quick answers
How do you identify a Stratolaunch Roc (Scaled Composites Model 351)?
Two complete fuselages side by side, each with its own tail, joined by one long straight wing. Three engines hang outboard of each fuselage; the wide centre section between the fuselages is where Talon-A rides. All white. It flies from Mojave, and every flight is an event.
What does a Stratolaunch Roc (Scaled Composites Model 351) sound like?
Six PW4056s, the engines that powered the 747-400: a jumbo jet's roar with two extra engines in the chorus.
How fast is the Stratolaunch Roc (Scaled Composites Model 351)?
Top speed is 460 kts.
How many people does the Stratolaunch Roc (Scaled Composites Model 351) carry?
Typical configuration: Pilot, co-pilot and flight engineer in the right fuselage.
How far can the Stratolaunch Roc (Scaled Composites Model 351) fly?
Range is about 1,000 nmi radius.
How big is the Stratolaunch Roc (Scaled Composites Model 351)?
It is 238 ft long and 385 ft across the wings.
When did the Stratolaunch Roc (Scaled Composites Model 351) first fly?
Its first flight was in 2019.
How many Stratolaunch Roc (Scaled Composites Model 351)s have been built?
1 built.
How rare is a Stratolaunch Roc (Scaled Composites Model 351) in Bogey?
LEGENDARY. The top tier. Spotters plan trips around a catch like this. Your first Stratolaunch Roc (Scaled Composites Model 351) catch is worth 1,000 points.
