EDWARDS AFB 2009 WHITE KNIGHT 2

White Knight Two is roughly three times larger than White Knight, in order to perform a captive carry with the larger SpaceShipTwo spacecraft. The WK2 is similar in wingspan to a B-29 Superfortress. Despite that comparison, White Knight Two is a thoroughly modern aircraft - even the flight control cables are constructed of carbon fibre, using a new patented design.

WK2 will provide preview flights offering several seconds of weightlessness, before the actual suborbital event. It is intended to have a service ceiling of about 60,000 ft (18 km), offering a dark blue sky to passengers. This will allow tourists to practice before the real flight.

WhiteKnightTwo consists of a twin boom with two jet engines per hull. One hull is an exact replica of that of SpaceShipTwo (to allow tourist training), and the other will carry cut-rate day-trippers into the stratosphere.

The design is quite different from the White Knight, both in size, use of tail, engine configuration and placement of cockpit(s). The White Knight uses two T-tails, but the WhiteKnightTwo uses two cruciform tails. Engine configuration is also very different, with engines hung underneath the wings on the WhiteKnightTwo as opposed to engines on either side of the sole cockpit on the White Knight.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• EDWARDS AFB
• WHITE KNIGHT 2
• AIRSHOW
• FLIGHT TEST NATION 2009