Company co-founder of Microsoft Paul Allen’s Stratolaunch Systems Corporation first rolled out of the hangar the largest aircraft in the world.
On the development of the giant Stratolaunch worked the last six years.
The plane consists of two fuselages with a length of 72 meters each. Its wingspan – 385 feet (about 117 meters) – more than a football field.
Giant plane weighs about 500 pounds (228 tons), and is driven by six engines from Boeing 747s. Among other features stand out 28 the wheels of the chassis.
«This is an important step in the preparation of the aircraft for ground-based test runs of the engines and, of course, the first takeoff,» said Jean Floyd, CEO, Stratolaunch Systems Corporation.
According to the project developers, the Stratolaunch plane will be used to launch rockets into space from the air and from the ground launch platform.
«In the coming weeks and months we will actively engage in ground and flight testing in the aerospace center in the Mojave desert, California. This is the first of its kind aircraft, so we pay special attention to the safety of our pilots, crew and staff,» added Floyd.
