| Virtus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Artist's concept of the Virtus | |
| Role | Outsized cargo aircraft |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Turbo-Three Corporation |
| Designer | John M. Conroy |
| Status | Canceled |
| Primary user | NASA |
| Developed from | Boeing B-52 Stratofortress |
The Conroy Virtus was a proposed American large transport aircraft intended to carry the Space Shuttle. Designed, beginning in 1974, by John M. Conroy of the Turbo-Three Corporation, it was to incorporate a pair of Boeing B-52 Stratofortress fuselages to form a new craft using existing parts for cost-savings.[1][2] While the project was seriously considered, it proved impractically large and NASA chose to develop the Boeing 747–based Shuttle Carrier from surplus commercial aircraft instead.
- ^ "Feasibility Study to Consider an Aircraft for the Air Launch and Air Transportation of the Space Shuttle Orbiter". 1974.
- ^ "Space Shuttle Orders Giant Plane Developed". newspapers.com. The Modesto Bee. February 13, 1974. p. A17. Retrieved April 1, 2023.