WhiteKnightTwo second flight with vortex generators added

By Rob Coppinger

To counter a fishtail issue Virgin Galactic’s twin fuselage carrier aircraft WhiteKnightTwo (WK2) is suspected to have, vortex generators are pictured here added to its vertical stabilisers prior to its second flight.

Taking off from Mojave air and spaceport’s runway 30 on 5 February the WK2 returned to testing with a 1.5h flight with a Beech Starship chase plane.

The aircraft did a low pass and then a touch-and-go before finally touching down. This second flight took place about seven weeks after its maiden flight on 21 December 2008.