Scaled Composites White Knight Two

Quad Jet

White Knight Two is a unique twin-fuselage jet-powered carrier aircraft designed and built by Scaled Composites specifically to air-launch Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo suborbital spacecraft. First flown in 2008, it represents one of the most unusual aircraft configurations in modern aviation: essentially two fuselages joined by a massive center wing section, with SpaceShipTwo suspended between them at altitude. The design allows the mothership to carry the rocket-powered spaceplane to approximately 50,000 feet before release, giving SpaceShipTwo the altitude and airspeed needed to ignite its hybrid rocket motor and climb to the edge of space. Powered by four Pratt & Whitney PW308A turbofan engines (two per fuselage), White Knight Two has a wingspan of 141 feet, making it wider than a Boeing 757, yet it weighs only about 70,000 pounds empty. The aircraft is named after the original White Knight, which performed the same role for SpaceShipOne during the successful Ansari X Prize flights in 2004. Two White Knight Two aircraft were built: VMS Eve (N348MS) entered service in 2010 and remains the primary carrier, while VMS Spirit of Steve Fossett was retired before completion of flight testing. The type operates exclusively from Spaceport America in New Mexico, conducting captive-carry flights, glide tests, and operational spaceflight missions. SkyMeter has tracked 1 flights across 1 airframes and 1 operators, with VIRGIN GALACTIC VEHICLE HOLDINGS INC the sole operator.