World's Largest Aircraft Could Fly in Early 2015

The Wright Brothers flew their first flight in a 21 ft. airplane over the Outer Banks of North Carolina. About 14 of their planes could fit inside the world's newest, largest aircraft, the Airlander, a 300 ft. zeppelin-shaped, helium-filled vessel.

The U.S. government originally funded the development of the voluminous aircraft, but scraped plans due to budget cuts. The aircraft — built in England — made one flight in Lakehurst, N.J., at McGuire Air Force Base in August 2012.

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Hybrid Air Vehicles, a British company, brought the plane back and is reviving the Airlander project. H.A.V. had the plane's parts shipped in 40 huge crate-size boxes to its headquarters in Cardington, England, where zeppelin planes flew the British skies nearly a century ago.

The aircraft can carry a load of 2,700 lbs. for up to 21 days. On shorter flights, it could carry up to 5 tons, according to the BBC. The bubbly ship has three rounded points in the front and propellers on each side. H.A.V intends to fly it again in early 2015 with hopes of making it available for passenger and cargo flights.

If it flies again, the airship would be 24 feet longer than the world's largest plane, the Antonov Mriya, a Russian-Ukrainian cargo plane.

Perhaps more impressive: the Wright Brothers' flight only went 120 ft., or 160 ft. shorter than the length of the Airlander project.