Tag Archives: Boeing 747-41R

Virgin Atlantic to retire its last Boeing 747-400 in 2021

While Virgin Atlantic Airways unveiled its new cabins for the new Airbus A350-1000s, it also confirmed the delivery schedule for its remaining eight 455-seat Boeing 747-400s.

Virgin Atlantic CEO Shai Weiss stated Virgin Atlantic would soon begin to retire its Boeing 747-400s this year. By 2021, all eight remaining 747s will be retired and replaced with the new Airbus A350-1000s.

Top Copyright Photo (all others by the airline): Virgin Atlantic Airways Boeing 747-41R G-VROC (msn 32746) LHR (SPA). Image: 924415.

Virgin Atlantic Airways aircraft slide show:

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Ex-Virgin Atlantic G-VWOW is now with Virgin Orbit as N744VG “Cosmic Girl”

https://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/CorporateAircraft/Corporate-Aircraft/i-wBggZfV/A

Virgin Orbit is the newest member of the Virgin Group:

“We are the newest member of the Virgin family, and we are thrilled to be here! Our team is hard at work launching the smallsat revolution. Right now, our engineering-driven team are integrating rockets, filling up our launch manifest, preparing for our initial orbital flights, and yes, finding time here and there to build out a full website. While we get that last one finished up, here’s a bit more about our technology, our mission, and our team.”

Virgin Orbit continues;

WE ARE IN THE FINAL STAGES OF TESTING AND PREPARATION FOR LAUNCHERONE, A TWO-STAGE, EXPENDABLE, LOX/RP-1 ROCKET THAT LAUNCHES FROM OUR MOBILE AIR LAUNCH PAD, A DEDICATED 747-400 CARRIER AIRCRAFT, CALLED COSMIC GIRL.

Cosmic Girl will carry LauncherOne to an altitude of approximately 35,000 feet before release for its rocket-powered flight to orbit. Starting each mission with an airplane rather than a traditional groundbased launch pad offers performance benefits in terms of payload capacity, but more importantly, air-launch offers an unparalleled level of flexibility.

LauncherOne will operate from a variety of locations independently of traditional launch ranges—which are often congested with traffic—and will have the ability to operate through or around weather conditions and other impediments that delay traditional launches.

Once released from the carrier aircraft, the LauncherOne rocket fires up its single main stage engine, a 73,500 lbf, LOX/RP-1 rocket engine called the “NewtonThree.” Typically, this engine will fire for approximately three minutes. After stage separation, the single upper stage engine, a 5,000 lbf LOX/RP-1 rocket engine called the “NewtonFour” will carry the satellite(s) into orbit. Typically, the second stage will execute multiple burns totaling nearly six minutes.

At the end of this sequence, LauncherOne will deploy our customers’ satellite (or satellites) into their desired orbit. Both stages of LauncherOne will be safely deorbited, while the carrier aircraft will return to a predetermined airport, where it can be quickly prepared for its next flight.

LauncherOne is capable of delivering 300 kilograms to a 500 kilometer Sun-Synchronous Orbit.

TO LEARN ABOUT THE VEHICLE’S CAPACITY TO OTHER ORBITS OR OTHER TECHNICAL STATS, CHECK OUT OUR SERVICE GUIDE.

We have built LauncherOne from a blend of classic, proven techniques and tailored high-tech investments. Both the NewtonThree and the NewtonFour are highly reliable liquid rocket engines designed, tested, and built by Virgin Orbit. We are at the forefront of hybrid manufacturing, automated flight safety systems, composite structures, and ultra-responsive launch operations—cutting edge developments that allow us to offer unparalleled service to the small satellite market.

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