The world’s biggest airplane has made its first successful test flight in the United States. The huge six-engine aircraft, called Stratolaunch, took its first-ever flight last weekend over the Mojave Desert in California. The company said the flight lasted two-and-a-half hours. Officials reported the plane reached a top speed of 304 kilometers per hour and reached a height of more than 5,100 meters. Stratolaunch has the largest wingspan of any aircraft in the world. It measures 117 meters from one end to the other. Jean Floyd, the CEO of Stratolaunch Systems, said in a statement the aircraft made “a fantastic first flight” and landed with no problems. Test pilot Evan Thomas also reported a successful test during a briefing with reporters. “The flight itself was smooth, which is exactly what you want the first flight to be. And for the most part, the airplane flew as predicted, which is again exactly what we want.”
