The Stratolaunch Roc — the world’s largest operating plane — was recently spotted cruising over California, showcasing an aircraft so massive it dwarfs nearly everything else in aviation.
At 117 meters in wingspan, the Roc is longer than a Premier League football pitch and rivals the length of Trafalgar Square in London. Named after a legendary bird from Middle Eastern folklore said to be so immense it could snatch an elephant in its claws, the aircraft looks like two Boeing 747s fused together.
Footage circulating on Reddit shows the experimental plane soaring through the sky and landing in the Mojave Desert, offering a rare glimpse of this engineering marvel in action.
Built for hypersonic testing
The Roc is manufactured by US aerospace company Stratolaunch Systems. First rolled out in 2017, it completed its maiden test flight in 2019. Don’t expect to see it at your local airport, though.
This carrier plane is designed to carry and launch hypersonic test vehicles like the Talon-A, which serve as testbeds for developing next-generation US military technology. Eventually, the goal is to use the aircraft to launch rockets into space.
Supported by six 747 engines, the Roc boasts a robust payload capacity of 226,796 kilograms. In comparison, other giants in the aviation industry — like the double-deck Airbus A380, the original “jumbo jet” Boeing 747, and the massive cargo hauler Antonov An-124 — look minuscule.
Requires massive infrastructure
The jet is so large that it requires a runway at least 12,000 feet long. Dr. Zachary Krevor, president of Stratolaunch, said in 2023 after another of the Roc’s test flights: “Our amazing team is continuing to make progress on our test timeline, and it is through their hard work that we grow closer than ever to safe separation and our first hypersonic flight tests.”
“We are excited for what’s ahead this year as we bring our hypersonic flight test service online for our customers and the nation,” he added.
Uncertain future
The aircraft’s future remains unclear. After its first successful test flight, the Roc was put up for sale at $400 million, CNBC reported. There were several potential suitors at the time, from Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos to Richard Branson. But none made the investment.
