World’s largest plane poised to take off in coming months

Built by California-based Scaled Composites, the twin-fuselage aircraft uses six 747 jet engines and is designed to carry rockets up to high altitude and launch them to space from there.

Updated: April 27, 2018 8:18PM

The world’s largest plane is set to take flight within the next few months after successfully conducting three more taxi tests. A brainchild of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, Stratolaunch is the world’s largest aircraft by wingspan and largest all-composite plane ever built.

Built by California-based Scaled Composites, the twin-fuselage aircraft uses six 747 jet engines and is designed to carry rockets up to high altitude and launch them to space from there.

Seen as an alternative to conventional rocket launches, the giant carrier aircraft could provide an affordable and efficient way to place satellites in orbit.

So far, the aircraft has been through two taxi tests at the Mojave Air and Space Port in California. If three more tests go smoothly, Stratolaunch will move forward with plans to fly the giant aircraft for the first time this summer.