The Spark is a delta-winged rocketplane with a tricycle undercarriage, powered by a single XLR11 rocket engine in the tail. Designed by NathanKell for supersonic and high-altitude research. it is capable of taking off under its own power but most effective when carried to altitude by a Clydesdale transport.

Table of Contents Images Flights Mission 3 Mission 3A Mission 3B Mission 3C

The Spark in the hangar

Clydesdale carrying a Spark

The Spark rocketplane was carried aloft by a Clydesdale to attempt supersonic and high-altitude flight records.

First Spark-Clydesdale mission to reach Mach 4 (~1200 m/s) and 50km altitude. While the mission was technically a success, a ramp strike during landing destroyed the craft and left pilot Erica Winkler hospitalized, so it is considered a failure.

Second Spark-Clydesdale flight, second failure during landing. A not well defined error in the continuity of space and time made the central tank of the Spark hit the ground before the landing gear, and the craft was destroyed.

The Universe decided that this was not canon and thus never actually happened.

A simulation was run of a final Spark-Clydesdale flight, it was higly successful and more importantly it proved the Spark's capability to land. Still, after a lengthy summit, the GFL team concluded there was no point in flying the Spark for real again, so Mission 3C was scrubbed.