LONDON, March 12 (UPI) -- U.S. pilot Steve Fossett has begun testing in California the jet plane in which he hopes to fly non-stop around the world without refueling.
Fossett is putting his aircraft, called the Virgin GlobalFlyer, through a series of shakedown flights ahead of his record bid later this year, the BBC Online reported Friday.
The manufacturer, Scaled Composites, said initial tests indicate the aircraft has excellent handling capabilities.
The single-engined plane has a wingspan of 114 feet and will fly at speeds exceeding 285 miles per hour.
Only one other aircraft has flown non-stop around the globe -- a distance of about 25,000 miles -- without refueling, the Voyager aircraft in 1986.
Voyager was a propeller-driven craft and carried two individuals. The Virgin GlobalFlyer is powered by a single turbofan jet engine and has room for only one pilot.
