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237:; while the results of the wind tunnel tests were considered promising, the drawbacks of such a large design, including the cost of developing an entirely new aircraft, flight testing the design and the sheer size of the aircraft requiring the development and/or expansion of infrastructure to support it, militated against further development of Virtus. The
187:. When the air-breathing engines were deleted from the Shuttle design due to cost and weight concerns, a requirement arose for a transport aircraft capable of carrying the Shuttle from landing sites back to the Kennedy Space Center. One early design for a shuttle carrier aircraft was proposed by
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airlifter to carry the
Shuttle, also saw its proposal rejected for the same reasons. A more modest conversion of existing C-5s was proposed and nearly taken up by NASA but it was determined that having aircraft continually available was preferable to being restricted by the
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12.5 million each (equivalent to $ 60.1 million in 2023), Virtus was a twin-fuselage design powered by four large jet engines; it was intended for these to be
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262:. A proposed commercial version of the Virtus design, named Colossus, also failed to gain any further interest, and the Virtus design was abandoned.
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fuselages to form a new craft using existing parts for cost-savings. While the project was seriously considered, it proved impractically large and
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turbofans. Conroy proposed extensive use of 'off the shelf' military parts in the design to reduce costs; this included the use of fuselages from
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would be carried under the center section of the Virtus aircraft's wing, between the fuselages; other large cargoes, including the
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strategic bombers to form the aircraft's main fuselage pods, added to a new wing and tail section. The
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Space
Shuttle: The History of the National Space Transportation System - The First 100 Missions
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624:(5). Houston, TX: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Houston Section.
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203:; named Virtus, a contract was issued for design and development work in 1974.
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Proposed
American large transport aircraft intended to carry the Space Shuttle
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Aircraft/Specialized Aircraft/Turbo-Three Corporation
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The Space
Shuttle was originally designed to use on-board
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Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
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199:oversized cargo aircraft, in cooperation with the
233:The Virtus design was tested in the NASA Langley
163:engines for propulsion within the atmosphere on
123:large transport aircraft intended to carry the
1327:Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL)
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343:3,000 mi (4,800 km, 2,600 nmi)
8:
474:"Space Shuttle Orders Giant Plane Developed"
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293:22,166 sq ft (2,059.3 m)
1681:Rendezvous: A Space Shuttle Simulation
781:Aircraft designed for the carriage of
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1723:When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions
637:Conroy, John M. (February 28, 1974).
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250:on the use of C-5s and a proposal by
175:or contingency landing sites such as
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258:airliner was selected, becoming the
1702:Space Shuttle: A Journey into Space
807:Dreamlifter (Large Cargo Freighter)
609:Lowther, Scott (March–April 2012).
228:Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters
594:. Stillwater, MN: Voyageur Press.
135:, it was to incorporate a pair of
127:. Designed, beginning in 1974, by
14:
308:850,000 lb (385,554 kg)
484:. February 13, 1974. p. A17
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1780:Aircraft related to spaceflight
1447:Spartan Packet Radio Experiment
36:Artist's concept of the Virtus
1716:Orbiter Space Flight Simulator
1095:Multi-Purpose Logistics Module
559:. R. H. Donnelley Corp., 1974.
395:Scaled Composites Stratolaunch
349:35,000 ft (11,000 m)
1:
1671:(2020 documentary miniseries)
1442:Inflatable Antenna Experiment
1668:Challenger: The Final Flight
1569:Space Shuttle design process
1411:Shuttle Ejection Escape Suit
1406:Extravehicular Mobility Unit
201:NASA Langley Research Center
1591:International Space Station
1375:Journalist in Space Project
1322:Orbiter Processing Facility
586:Jenkins, Dennis R. (2001).
224:Space Shuttle external tank
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1709:Space Shuttle Mission 2007
1249:Approach and Landing Tests
978:Orbital Maneuvering System
412:Boeing B-52 Stratofortress
216:Boeing B-52 Stratofortress
137:Boeing B-52 Stratofortress
108:Boeing B-52 Stratofortress
1644:Columbia: The Tragic Loss
1421:Advanced Crew Escape Suit
1344:Shuttle Training Aircraft
1205:Shuttle Training Aircraft
1200:Shuttle Mission Simulator
1195:Rendezvous pitch maneuver
1085:Remote Controlled Orbiter
1080:Extended Duration Orbiter
988:Thermal protection system
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557:Cargo Aircraft, volume 64
173:White Sands Missile Range
35:
26:
21:
1452:Shuttle pallet satellite
1380:Teacher in Space Project
1332:Shuttle Carrier Aircraft
1312:Mobile Launcher Platform
1138:Shuttle Landing Facility
993:Booster separation motor
848:Shuttle Carrier Aircraft
429:Shuttle Carrier Aircraft
316:Pratt & Whitney JT9D
287:450 ft (140 m)
260:Shuttle Carrier Aircraft
254:for a conversion of the
212:Pratt & Whitney JT9D
179:, to the launch site at
1660:The Challenger Disaster
983:Reaction control system
646:Turbo-Three Corporation
278:General characteristics
248:United States Air Force
133:Turbo-Three Corporation
68:Turbo-Three Corporation
44:Outsized cargo aircraft
1755:Twin-fuselage aircraft
1128:Space Launch Complex 6
169:Edwards Air Force Base
1775:Space Shuttle program
1688:Space Shuttle Project
1675:Space Shuttle America
1586:Payload Assist Module
1243:(engine test article)
921:Space Shuttle program
320:high-bypass turbofans
220:Space Shuttle Orbiter
143:chose to develop the
1581:Inertial Upper Stage
1457:Wake Shield Facility
1437:Freestar experiments
963:Solid Rocket Booster
390:Antonov An-225 Mriya
239:Lockheed Corporation
181:Kennedy Space Center
1530:Space Launch System
1302:Crawler-transporter
1143:Abort landing sites
406:Related development
400:C-5 Shuttle Carrier
306:Max takeoff weight:
191:, developer of the
1760:High-wing aircraft
1655:(2010 documentary)
1647:(2004 documentary)
1639:(1994 documentary)
1623:(1985 documentary)
1620:The Dream Is Alive
1615:(1982 documentary)
1317:NASA recovery ship
1307:Mate-Demate Device
382:Spaceflight portal
92:Primary user
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335:Cruise speed:
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177:Easter Island
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125:Space Shuttle
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117:Conroy Virtus
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64:Manufacturer
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1552:Independence
1551:
1278:
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1231:
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1156:and training
1046:
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1025:
1018:
1011:
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833:An-225 Mriya
723:
645:
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589:
579:Bibliography
569:Lowther 2012
564:
552:
545:Lowther 2012
526:Jenkins 2001
503:Lowther 2012
498:
486:. Retrieved
477:
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417:
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298:Aspect ratio
296:
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273:Lowther 2012
270:
269:
232:
205:
158:
116:
114:
1663:(2013 film)
1631:(1990 film)
1467:Derivatives
1430:Experiments
1399:Space suits
1385:Shuttle-Mir
1235:(simulator)
1222:Inspiration
1190:Abort modes
973:Main engine
812:Super Guppy
719:Turbo-Three
328:Performance
312:Powerplant:
235:wind tunnel
197:Super Guppy
1739:Categories
1628:Challenger
1601:Retirement
1390:Hitchhiker
1266:Challenger
1232:Pathfinder
1154:Operations
1026:Challenger
1012:Enterprise
951:Components
838:Mini Guppy
817:Skymonster
790:In service
699:Skymonster
437:References
291:Wing area:
243:C-5 Galaxy
145:Boeing 747
1596:Criticism
1495:Shuttle-C
1258:Disasters
1185:Rollbacks
1047:Endeavour
1033:Discovery
704:Stolifter
285:Wingspan:
271:Data from
87:Canceled
74:Designer
1750:Quadjets
1544:Replicas
1281:disaster
1279:Columbia
1268:disaster
1225:(design)
1168:canceled
1163:Missions
1090:Spacehab
1072:Canadarm
1064:Spacelab
1040:Atlantis
1019:Columbia
1003:Orbiters
802:BelugaXL
692:Aircraft
686:aircraft
618:Horizons
611:"Virtus"
488:April 1,
354:See also
165:re-entry
161:turbofan
121:American
1695:Shuttle
1562:Related
1525:Liberty
1490:Jupiter
1358:Special
1349:STS-3xx
1337:flights
1295:Support
1214:Testing
1057:Add-ons
958:Orbiter
862:Unbuilt
826:Retired
453:. 1974.
155:History
147:–based
131:of the
84:Status
22:Virtus
1652:Hubble
1480:Magnum
1285:report
1272:report
879:An-325
869:Virtus
797:Beluga
733:People
724:Virtus
598:
341:Range:
252:Boeing
226:, the
171:, the
1535:OmegA
1504:Ares
1241:MPTA
1175:Crews
1104:Sites
1075:(CSA)
1067:(ESA)
642:(PDF)
614:(PDF)
41:Role
874:RC-1
853:VM-T
596:ISBN
490:2023
318:-3A
314:4 Ă—
208:US$
195:and
141:NASA
115:The
96:NASA
256:747
183:at
1741::
1513:IV
644:.
622:37
620:.
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533:^
510:^
480:.
476:.
459:^
1518:V
1508:I
1287:)
1283:(
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1270:(
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1166:(
1121:B
1116:A
913:e
906:t
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774:e
767:t
760:v
676:e
669:t
662:v
648:.
604:.
492:.
302:9
300::
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