http://www.popularmechanics.com/technol ... ne-6705761The official name of the mammoth aircraft is Model 351, but it already has a nickname: the Roc, after the mythological bird big enough to carry away elephants for dinner.
The record-breaking plane, which will have six engines and twin fuselages, is being built to carry a rocket to 30,000 feet. From there, the rocket will drop from the plane and blast into space. The first payloads will consist of satellites and other cargo, but the program's backers say the rocket will eventually carry passengers. The Roc will be a flying launchpad—government and private-sector customers welcome.
Incredibly, the project has been in development for more than eight years under total secrecy. Then, this past December, billionaire Paul Allen announced his Stratolaunch project to the world at a press conference in Seattle. When the space shuttle fleet was retired in 2011, the United States lost its only way to get astronauts off the planet. Stratolaunch is the latest private-sector initiative to try to fill that void. "For the first time since John Glenn, America cannot fly its own astronauts into space," Allen said in Seattle. "Stratolaunch will build an air-launch system to give us orbital access to space with greater safety, flexibility, and cost effectiveness, both for cargo and manned missions."
Read more: Say Hello to Stratolaunch, the World's Largest Plane - Popular Mechanics
No pics yet. I seem to remember a rumor about Paul Allen and Rutan being up to something some months ago. Found via Insty.