World's largest plane flies over 2,000 meters high

The flying vehicle, a combination of plane, helicopter and balloon, reached twice its previous altitude in the second phase of testing.

Airlander 10 is considered the largest aircraft in the world, weighing 20 tons. Photo: HAV.

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The Airlander 10, the world's largest aircraft, made its sixth test flight early yesterday morning, according to New Atlas. This test flight is especially significant because it is the first flight in the second phase of testing, marking the Airlander 10's ability to fly higher, faster and farther than before.

Developed by the British company Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV), the Airlander 10 is powered by four 325-horsepower supercharged diesel engines, using aerodynamic lift like a conventional fixed-wing aircraft to take off and relying on helium to hover while in the air. The aircraft can carry up to 10,000 kg, stay in the air for 5 days with a crew and does not need a separate runway.

During the new test flight, called Airworthiness Release 2a (AWR2a), the aircraft was allowed to fly up to 2,134 m at a speed of 93 km/h and 139 km from the airport. The Airlander 10 was also allowed to perform aerial demonstrations.

To prepare for higher speeds, a drag-reducing appendage was fitted between the cockpit and under the nose of the aircraft. "We are very excited to begin the next round of testing. Our engineering team have been working extremely hard and we can't wait to unveil the Airlander across the UK in the coming months," said Steve McGlennan, chairman of HAV.

Previously, the 92-meter-long Airlander 10 flew to an altitude of 1,158 meters during a four-hour test on June 13, according to Mirror. This was the fourth test flight and also the highest flight of the flying vehicle nicknamed "Flying Bum", after fixing problems in previous test flights.

According to TPO