Didn’t Blow Off: How The Porsche Cayenne Kept Pace Under The World’s Largest Aircraft

Stratolaunch and Porsche have successfully completed a precision driving test to see if the Cayenne Turbo Electric—the most powerful production Porsche ever—could keep up with the massive Stratolaunch “Roc,” the world’s largest aircraft by wingspan.

The “Roc” is an airborne launch pad used by a hypersonic flight-testing firm to launch rocket-powered aircraft. Powered by six Boeing 747 engines, the “Roc” features a 385-foot (117 m) twin-fuselage wingspan and generates 340,500 pounds of thrust.

During a precision test at the Mojave Air and Space Port, racing driver Patrick Long drove a Cayenne Turbo Electric directly between the twin fuselages of the Stratolaunch “Roc” aircraft. He successfully completed the maneuver both as the aircraft accelerated for takeoff and during its landing.

While Stratolaunch’s aircraft generates intense jet blast and turbulence during takeoff and landing, the Cayenne Turbo Electric was able to drive safely in a calm pocket of air just behind the trailing edge of the landing gear.

During the test, the 1,139-hp Cayenne Turbo Electric was cleared to drive directly beneath the center of the wing, matching speeds and staying within the narrowly defined zone of calm airflow. Porsche notes that this was not a drag race down a runway, but a test of precision.

“I was using minimal power and holding the car exactly where it needed to be and I knew I had the performance to maintain my position no matter what,” Patrick Long said while reflecting on the experiment.

In total, the active aerodynamic-equipped Cayenne Turbo Electric completed two takeoffs and two landings beneath the Stratolaunch Roc. It emerged unscathed, proving its stability during the precision test through the exceptional skill of both pilots and the Porsche driver.

“It was an awesome feeling – the sound from those six engines was overwhelming and I could feel the turbulence bouncing off the car, but it remained rock solid, even after Roc took off and the engines were pointed down at me and the Cayenne,” Long explained.

• See Also : All-new Rezvani Dune Is A 800-HP Off-Road Monster Based On Lamborghini Huracán, Only 7 Will Be Built