SCALED COMPOSITES MODEL 318 « WHITE KNIGHT »
With a space launcher unlike any other before it, Rutan once again evidenced the power of his vision...

Type: high-altitude carrier plane

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Powerplant: 2 x General Electric J85-GE-5 turbojets

First flight: 1 August 2002

The Model 318 White Knight is a twin turbojet research aircraft with an 82-foot wingspan that was developed first and foremost as a carrier plane for the SpaceShipOne, but can also be used in various other space projects. The first flight of the White Knight took place on Aug. 1, 2002. It has a wingspan of 25 m and is powered by twin afterburning J85-GE-5 turbojets.

With White Knight, space-launch operations are made possible for the civilian market. By changing out aircraft sections (a feature it borrows from the Proteus) and configuring the vehicle to carry large external payloads, both suborbital and orbital booster operations could be carried out.

After the successful SpaceShipOne launches, the White Knight mothership has been involved in fit and high-speed taxi checks with a new passenger – the Boeing/DARPA X-37, an unpiloted, reusable spaceplane.


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