Facebook has carried out the first full-scale test flight of Aquila, a high-altitude solar-powered unmanned aircraft designed to provide Internet access to remote regions. The company had flown a one-fifth scale version of the airplane for several months. The full-sized craft has the wingspan of a Boeing 737 but reportedly weighs less than 900 pounds fully laden, thanks to the carbon fiber materials used in its construction. The goal of last week's test flight was to verify Facebook's operational models and the overall aircraft design.Aquila Test Flight Carries Facebook's Internet Ambitions Aloft
Facebook has carried out the first full-scale test flight of Aquila, a high-altitude solar-powered unmanned aircraft designed to provide Internet access to remote regions. The company had flown a one-fifth scale version of the airplane for several months. The full-sized craft has the wingspan of a Boeing 737 but reportedly weighs less than 900 pounds fully laden, thanks to the carbon fiber materials used in its construction. The goal of last week's test flight was to verify Facebook's operational models and the overall aircraft design.
