It flies! History's biggest plane takes to the skies
On 13 April 2019, Stratolaunch Systems Corporation successfully completed the first flight of the world’s largest all-composite aircraft, the “Stratolaunch”. With a dual fuselage design and a wingspan greater than the length of a football field (117 m), the aircraft took off from the Mojave air and space port (MHV) in California (USA).
Achieving a maximum speed of 304 km per hour, the plane flew for 2.5 hours at altitudes up to 5,100 m. As part of the initial flight, the pilots evaluated aircraft performance and handling qualities before landing successfully back at MHV.
The Stratolaunch is a mobile launch platform that aims to enable airline-style access to space that is convenient, affordable and routine. The reinforced centre wing can support multiple launch vehicles, weighing up 227 t. (ah)