Must be awesome to be filthy rich. But good on him! While he's building a plane, Gates is building a toilet.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology...2016/ar-BBlnzSm



ps from reading the article, is Rutan not part of Virgin any longer?

Regarding Burt Rutan / Scaled Composites
Scaled Composites

I know all about Scaled Composites, but thought the other rich guy (Virgin) bought them out for his sub-orbital venture.
Guess not.

The aerospace industry is getting pretty interesting lately.

NorthGrum bought Scaled awhile back, before Rutan died.

Virgin bought into the Spaceship Two/White Knight Two program, but the rest of Scaled is still NG's "skunk works" for the most part.




The Jedi Master

Are you using NG's "skunk works" to describe their black projects since Lockheed is the official Skunk Works?


Wheels

It's become a term like Xerox or Kleenex or Bandaid, where one company's name is used for all companies.

Boeing's is called "Phantom Works", but it's the same thing. Small division with more latitude and permission to fail.



The Jedi Master

Thought it was something along those lines. Thanks for clarifying.


Wheels

.


Rutan died????

Thanks for the history lesson though! Aerospace firms growing ike a young Silicon Valley.

Hmmm. I could've sworn I heard he did, but now I see he's still alive.

He did retire in 2011, maybe that's when I thought I heard he died, but apparently he's still tinkering on an amphibious bird.





The Jedi Master

Virgin was uneasy when Scaled had an explosion with their unstable fuel / oxidizer.

When their spaceship crashed, killing the test pilot (who bumped a release lever for wings, and should not have), Virgin pulled out, afaik.

Virgin is still very much in the game with Scaled, they've not pulled support / left the partnership.