No, this isn't a science fiction movie. Vulcan Aerospace will be releasing the world's biggest airplane in 2016. Its name? The Stratolaunch Carrier Aircraft.
If reports from Architectural Digest are to be believed, Vulcan Aerospace will be releasing the world's biggest airplane next year. Called the Stratolaunch Carrier Aircraft, the airplane will be a twin-fuselage aircraft with 28 wheels and will have a wingspan measurement of 380 feet, almost 120 feet bigger than the Airbus A380, which is currently the biggest passenger aircraft used by major airlines.
The new model was in development since 2011, with the first aircraft starting the construction in early 2015 in California's Mojave Air and Space Port.
The project was initiated by Paul Allen, one of Microsoft's co-founders, as a tool for research. It will be the basis for a new series of models of spacecraft. The Stratolaunch will be different from other passenger crafts with its launch mechanism, which echoes the way conventional jets take off.
It is hoped that the Stratolaunch will be the first step to even more extensive space research, exploration and development, due to the aircraft's low fuel usage. In fact, one trip's fuel usage is equal to a Boeing 747's 2000-mile trip, a one-way trip between Moscow, Russia and Rome, Italy. It will weigh 544,311 kilograms and its speed will be able to go up to 530 miles per hour.
The aircraft will make use of six 747-class engines and will weigh 6,124 kilograms. The plane will also be able to orbit between 112 miles and 1,243 miles from the Earth's surface.
According to The Daily Mail, Allen says that the company Vulcan Aerospace will "shift how the world conceptualizes space travel" through its lower costs and on-demand availability.
Vulcan says that construction is 40 percent complete and targets 2016 for the test flights. Launch sites being considered are the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Wallops Island, and the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.