THE world's largest aircraft - measured by wingspan - took its first flight from Mojave Air and Space Port (MHV) achieving a speed of 189 miles per hour and reaching an altitude of 17,000 feet before returning 2
THE world's largest aircraft - measured by wingspan - took its first flight from Mojave Air and Space Port (MHV) achieving a speed of 189 miles per hour and reaching an altitude of 17,000 feet before returning 2.5 hours later, reports New York's Air Cargo World. The plane was designed by the Seattle-based aerospace company Stratolaunch, which was founded by the late business magnate Paul Allen in 2011. It is intended to be used as a 'launch pad in the sky' to enable 'airline-style access to space that is convenient, affordable and routine'.
The reinforced centre wing, which gives the aircraft its odd appearance, can support up to 500,000 pounds for multiple launch vehicles.
The six-engine Stratolaunch jet's wingspan stretches 385 feet - 25 feet longer than the length of a football field, dwarfing the Hughes H-4 Hercule, otherwise known as the 'Spruce Goose,' which has held the title of world's largest plane since it was built in 1947, and has a wingspan of 320 feet.
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