The world’s largest aircraft soared into the sky to prove that its 117-meter wingspan did not prevent it from traveling and set a new record by flying for 6 hours.
Roc, Stratolaunch’s test platform for hypersonic aircraft and now the world’s largest aircraft, completed a six-hour flight over California’s Mojave Desert and landed at the airport.
Powered by six engines and essentially the size of two commercial airplanes attached to a wing, the Roc is a test platform for Stratolaunch’s technology, the Talon hypersonic vehicle. Talon is said to be used for the design of next-generation hypersonic aircraft and missiles.
This final flight was Roc’s ninth flight and its first since October 2022.
“A comprehensive assessment of release conditions will provide data to mitigate risks and ensure a clean and safe release of the Talon-A during future testing,” CEO and President Zachary Krevor told Space.com. “We are excited for what awaits us this year.”
While the Antonov-225 “Mriya”, tragically destroyed in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, is technically the largest aircraft ever built (taking into account the overall dimensions of the aircraft, including weight and fuselage length), Roc, named after the legendary bird of prey from Middle Eastern mythology, When it comes to wingspan, it absolutely beats its rivals. Roc has a wingspan of 117 metres.
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