Stratolaunch Flies World's Largest Plane for the First Time

Stratolaunch, the private launch company founded by the late billionaire Paul Allen, has just flown the world's largest aircraft for the first time. 

The massive airplane, which has a wingspan bigger than a football field and is designed to launch rockets from the air, took off on its maiden test flight from the Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, California, this morning (April 13). 

The huge airplane, named Roc, took off at 6:58 a.m. PDT (9:58 a.m. EDT; 1358 GMT) and stayed aloft for 2.5 hours, Stratolaunch representatives said in the statement. Roc reached a peak altitude of 17,000 feet (5,180 m) and a top speed of 189 mph (304 km/h), they added.

The flight, which allowed pilots to evaluate Roc's performance and handling, ended with a touchdown back at Mojave Air and Space Port.