White Knight 2, a.k.a. VMS Eve

**rickstef** · #1 12-07-2009, 11:29 AM

Hi all,

Not sure if you read any of the aviation news today, but Rutan and Branson are at it again.

This time the first pictures and flight of VMS Eve, or as some of us know it, White Knight 2

Here are some pictures

Maybe this whets the appetite of Doctor Zarkov, Roger Currell or Martin Saenger.

Rick

Zathros · #2 12-07-2009, 12:05 PM

It realy is awesome. Rutan is a really nice person which makes it that much better. I met him once at an airs show. He would never remember me out of the throngs of people who wanted to say hi to him but he shook my hand as if I was real, and said Hi, like he was real. It felt real. I lived in a town where there were many celebs for a while, some really have a stick up theirs, but then again, Rutan is a different kind of celeb. He didn't bounce a ball or hit one to fame. He used his mind. He's the kind of person you admire like Neil Armstrong, John Glenn, Buzz Aldrin, Chuck Yeager. I have always counted these guys as my kind of heroes, and companies like Virgin Atlantic that back him up.

**airdave** · #3 12-07-2009, 12:41 PM

thats what I always envisioned about Branson...he seems like down to earth sort of guy with a very friendly attitude.
(but then again, I would be pretty friendly with that much money!!)

I really liked the paint scheme on the first spacecraft,
I hope they use the stars again.

so is this the final idea?...a six passenger craft?

**Wyvern** · #4 12-07-2009, 02:23 PM

Hope one of our talented designers is cooking this up!

Wyvern

**SCEtoAUX** · #5 12-07-2009, 02:38 PM

I built the Space Ship 1 model that Currell offered many years ago, before the first flight. Came out real good. The way he came up with closing the cylinders and joining the sections was purty neet

.

This new stuff from Rutan looks good.

**marksolo** · #6 12-07-2009, 08:54 PM

Never met Rutan but I did some work for a FAA contractor that certified SpaceShipOne's first flight. At the time I recall VA had only about 40 employees. Pretty amazing feat for a civilian compnay (Shame on you NASA!)

It is good to hear that space travel for (rich) civilians is finally a reality.

The $200,000.00 price tag though is still unreal for most people :D

**Willja67** · #7 12-07-2009, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marksolo

It is good to hear that space travel for (rich) civilians is finally a reality.

The $200,000.00 price tag though is still unreal for most people :D

Well I think the Russians were offering trips for a couple million so the price has come down exponentially.

**marksolo** · #8 12-08-2009, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Well I think the Russians were offering trips for a couple million so the price has come down exponentially.

That is true, however, if you calculate the time you spend in Zero G/per dollar amount, you actually get more bang for the buck if you go with the Russians :D

But if you value comfort and reliability, I would go with Virgin Atlantic

**Dyna-Soar** · #9 12-08-2009, 01:58 PM

I think I rememberr seeing Jaybats working on this a while back. I haven't heard anything from him in a long time.

**Sakrison** · #10 12-08-2009, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rickstef

Not sure if you read any of the aviation news today, but Rutan and Branson are at it again.

This time the first pictures and flight of VMS Eve, or as some of us know it, White Knight 2

Am I reading the correct date (7 Dec 09) on your post? VMA Eve flew into Oshkosh in July 2009 and was at the EAA fly-in for several days, doing fly-bys. As a staff writer for EAA's AirVenture Today newspaper, I got inside White Knight 2 with the Make-A-Wish Foundation kids. Here are a few of my photos (Copyright 2009, EAA).

That is one weird bird! But ya gotta love that logo.
--David