The world’s largest airplane, Stratolaunch, is inching closer to its first flight. During a highspeed taxi test yesterday, the team brought the aircraft to 118 knots, lifting the nose off the ground before aborting the takeoff. In a video shared on Facebook (above) the massive airplane looked stable, though the slowdown and stop phase on the 12,503-foot runway at the Mojave Air and Space Port in California was not shown. The first taxi test for the Stratolaunch was conducted a little more than one year ago.
Stratolaunch Nears First Flight
The world’s largest airplane, Stratolaunch, is inching closer to its first flight, as a test crew conducts a high speed taxi.
Key Takeaways:
- Stratolaunch, the world's largest airplane, successfully completed a high-speed taxi test, reaching 118 knots and lifting its nose, indicating it is nearing its first flight.
- The aircraft is designed to launch spacecraft by carrying payloads up to 500,000 pounds and releasing them at 35,000 feet.
- It features a unique design with two fuselages and a massive 385-foot wing, requiring two pilots and a flight engineer to operate.
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