World's largest plane is ready for takeoff

The largest aircraft ever built is now edging closer to completion, the a privately owned company launch spacecraft's Paul Allen, has invited journalists to get first look at 'Stratolaunch'.

The world's biggest plane is set to take off early next year in its first ever test flight. The aircraft, named the Stratolaunch Carrier, is currently under construction at Mojave Air and Spaceport in California, and will eventually have a a wingspan of 385 feet (117 m). (Picture from: http://adf.ly/1crcNI)

With the giant wingspan of 117 m and six engines, the aircraft is taking a new approach in this private space race, with the launch of satellites and spacecraft into orbit from a height. The aircraft will be bigger than the Howard Hughes' H-4 Hercules made in 1947, and an Antonov An-225 Soviet era cargo plane as the current world's largest aircraft.

The idea is for the Stratolaunch Carrier is to act as a giant air pad in the sky, allowing payloads to reach space faster and at a lower cost than existing technologies. (Picture from: http://adf.ly/1crcNI)

Stratolaunch Systems is part of Vulcan Aerospace company owned by Paul Allen, cofounder of Microsoft. The company's vision is different from Elon Musk's SpaceX, Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin, and Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic.

Reporters got their first look at the Stratolaunch plane, which is currently being constructed at a hanger in the US. The private behind the venture say construction of the plane is 76 per cent complete. (Picture from: http://adf.ly/1crcNI)

Stratolaunch Systems is the ability to position the giant plane so that the satellite can be directly delivered to a very precise orbit and do it quickly, without problems scheduling a variety of launch and weather related delays, as explained by Chuck Beames, whose oversees the space business of Paul Allen as quoted of the Daily Mail on Monday, June 20, 2016.

The Stratolaunch carrier aircraft's 385 feet (117 m) wingspan compares to 320 feet for H-4 Hercules and 225 feet for Boeing 747-8. (Picture from: http://adf.ly/1crcNI)

Instead as satellites, the Stratolaunch aircraft could launch Dream Chaser spacecraft. It can act as a mini-shuttle to achieve the goal of low-Earth orbit and carry back the astronauts or cargo to the runway in 24 hours.

Stratolaunch is a twin bodied aircraft that combines engine, landing gear, avionics and other parts of a Boeing 747 jet couples with the frame, wing and skin are made of lightweight composite. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | DAILY MAIL]

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