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Inside the world's largest plane, which has a wingspan longer than a football field and will debut in 2019https://www.businessinsider.in/inside-the-worlds-largest-plane-which-has-a-wingspan-longer-than-a-football-field-and-will-debut-in-2019/stratolaunch-systems-is-owned-by-paul-allen-who-cofounded-microsoft-/slidelist/63102751.cms2018-02-28T03:02:11+05:30

Inside the world's largest plane, which has a wingspan longer than a football field and will debut in 2019

Feb 28, 2018, 03:02 IST

Stratolaunch Systems is owned by Paul Allen, who cofounded Microsoft.

Allen's goal for the company and its namesake aircraft is to "provide convenient, reliable, and routine access to low-Earth orbit."

It would do so by launching rockets toward space from mid-air, which the company hopes will be less expensive than current, commercial space launch options.

That would be particularly useful for companies who want to send satellites into space.

Its 385-foot wingspan makes it wider than a football field, and the larges airplane by wingspan.

The aircraft is 238 feet long, 50 feet tall, and has six high-bypass-ratio turbofan engines.

It weighs 500,000 pounds and needs 28 wheels between its two fuselages.

The aircraft needs to perform a series of tests before it can take flight.

The company most recently performed a runway test where the aircraft reached a maximum speed of 46 mph.

The Stratolaunch's first flight is scheduled for 2019.

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