The world's biggest airplane by wingspan has just completed its second successful flight.
Developed by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, the dual-fuselage aircraft nicknamed "The Roc" is powered by six Boeing 747 engines, Space.com reported Friday.
Allen didn't live to see the giant aircraft's first test flight in 2019.
The Roc, named after the giant bird of Arabian and Persian mythology, is built by Stratolaunch, the aerospace company founded by Allen.
On Thursday, the Stratolaunch behemoth engaged in hypersonic mode and took to the skies for the first time in two years.
"Today's flight, at first review, has appeared extremely successful," The Verge quoted Stratolaunch chief operating officer Zachary Krevor as saying.
Roc's test flight was to determine how the aircraft handles cabin pressurization, test safety features and new avionics upgrades since its last test flight.
"We accomplished all test points as desired, we have not seen anything anomalous, and we are very pleased with the condition of the aircraft upon landing," Krevor said.
The giant plane, which has a wingspan of 385 feet, took off from Mojave Air and Space Port in southeastern California at 10:28 a.m. EDT. Roc climbed as high as 14,000 feet and flew at a max speed of 199 miles per hour for three hours and 14 minutes.
"We are airborne!" Stratolaunch said in a tweet.
Roc's official name is "Scaled Composites Model 351 Stratolaunch." It beat the previous wingspan record-holder, the Hughes H-4 Hercules, also known as the 'Spruce Goose' by 65 feet, according to Simple Flying.
Stratolaunch describes the carrier plane as "a revolutionary launchpad for hypersonic and aerospace vehicles." It is designed to carry launch vehicles that can travel at hypersonic speeds.
David Millman, Stratolaunch chief technology officer, said the company is looking to develop three hypersonic vehicles.
Overall, the concept behind the collosal flying machine was to provide a fast, reliable and cost-effective air-launch system for small satellites.
