WhiteKnightTwo Flies With SpaceShipTwo in Captive Carry

Posted
by
Doug Messier
on June 19, 2012, at 3:57 pm
in News
. Tags: , , , , , .
Comments: 5 responses
5 Comments

Flight: 85
Date: 15 June 12 Flight Time: 1.5 hr
WK2 Pilot: Mackay WK2 CoPilot: Stucky WK2 FTE: Vannoy

Objectives:
Virgin Galactic WK2 pilot proficiency and joint SS2 GF18 pilot proficiency

Results:
Conducted multiple instrument approaches and touch and goes at multiple airports.

Flight: 84
Date: 12 June 12 Flight Time: 2.2 hr
WK2 Pilot: Siebold WK2 CoPilot: Colmer WK2 FTE: Zeeb

Objectives:
Pilot familiarization
Cold soak gear behavior
Fuel inlet temps
Dump valve evaluation

Results:
All objectives achieved.

Flight: 83 / CC15
Date: 8 June 12 Flight Time: 2 hr
WK2 Pilot: Stucky WK2 CoPilot: Mackay WK2 FTE: Morgan
SS2 Pilot: Siebold SS2 CoPilot: Alsbury

Objectives:
Rehearsal for glide flight
Damper system bypass mode evaluation
New stabilizer controller checkout
New MFD software checkout
New DAU checkout
WK2 landing gear cold soak

Results:
All objectives achieved.

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  • http://www.spacetransportnews.com Clark S. Lindsey

    I’m surprised no one at Mojave mentioned the CC flight. Did it happen really early before anyone else was up! ;-)

  • http://www.parabolicarc.com Doug Messier

    No, it wasn’t that early, from what I was told later by others. I didn’t see it fly.

  • Greg Holden

    Doug do you have any news on the RocketMotorTwo testing and when they might move on from static hot fire testing to real flight testing?…

  • http://www.parabolicarc.com Doug Messier

    Greg:

    According to Virgin Galactic, they will begin powered flights toward the end of this year with a starter engine, which seems to be a smaller version of the full-scale one. Depending upon how well that goes, they want to progress with the big engine next year with the full engine and begin commercial flights by the end of 2013.

    That much you probably have read. Your question is whether that is realistic….

    I’m not sure. My best guess based on what I’m hearing is no. The big engine remains problematic as near as I can determine. But I can never be entirely sure on these matters.

    I do know that they need to show forward progress. It will be eight years in October since the last flight of SSOne. The clients are beginning to get restless. There’s a spaceport in New Mexico nearing final completion. And XCOR is nipping at their heels.

  • Greg Holden

    Hi Doug, many thanks for that. Its pretty much what I’ve heard and am anxious for them to get started with full flight testing. As you say, at $200,000 a pop, customers will only sit and wait patiently for so long before cancelling and paying XCOR $95,000… However, safety first!! Better lose some customers, than REALLY lose some customers!