http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/12/06/319822/whiteknighttwo-first-
flight-spaceshiptwo-roll-out-dates-tipped.html
http://0rz.tw/945ea
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◆ From: 220.133.220.118
DATE:06/12/08
SOURCE:Flight International
WhiteKnightTwo first flight, SpaceShipTwo roll-out dates tipped
By Rob Coppinger
WhiteKnightTwo's first flight could be by 15 December and April 2009 is
SpaceShipTwo's likely roll-out date, according to sources within the Virgin
Galactic programme.
Flightglobal.com has also learned that aircraft integration issues with WK2's
four Pratt & Whitney Canada PW308A engines held up the maiden flight that had
been planned for mid-2008. That first take-off is expected to take place this
month.
At the 4th Appleton space conference on 4 December at the UK's Rutherford
Appleton Laboratory, Virgin Galactic president Will Whitehorn declined to
confirm a date for the planned first take-off, but told Flight: "Very soon,
it will fly very soon. There was one day there was a hop down the runway, it
was over Thanksgiving."
He added that the US Federal Aviation Administration had already given
authorisation for the flight. The FAA was unavailable to confirm that.
Whitehorn denied that the roll-out of SS2 was set for April, but informed
sources have told Flight that the second-quarter date, later than originally
planned, was because the spaceline decided it wanted the spacecraft to be
unveiled attached to the WK2.