Stratolaunch Takes Flight

As seen in the July 2019 issue of Model Aviation.

AMA Thanks Its Lifetime Supporters!

The Academy of Model Aeronautics recently welcomed Life Members Troy Allen Kyle, Tomball TX; and Linda Rice, San Antonio TX. For information about becoming a Life Member, contact AMA Headquarters at (800) 435-9262. —AMA Membership department

A RECORD-BREAKING airplane, which was partly designed by a group of AMA members, has taken its first flight. The Stratolaunch, the world’s largest, all-composite airplane, made its maiden flight on April 13, 2019, over the Mojave Desert. The 385-foot airplane achieved a maximum speed of 189 mph and flew for 2.5 hours. AMA member Mason Hutchison, a design engineer for Scaled Composites, helped design the airplane’s flight controls. He shared some photos of the aircraft’s launch (shown above).