Claudia signs world's longest plane for Virgin
The world's longest passenger plane has made its first official flight after being given the seal of approval by Claudia Schiffer.
She signed the side of the giant plane before it took off, scribbling out its original name, Cloud Nine, and renaming it Claudia Nine.
As well as Ms Schiffer's signature the plane also has the legend "Mine's Bigger Than Yours" written on its side.
Virgin is the first airline to fly the new Airbus although several others have ordered it. The carrier hopes the new planes will lure passengers back to air travel after the September 11 terror attacks.
Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson was by her side as she named his airline's newest aircraft, the Airbus 340-600, at Heathrow Airport before it made a private flight to the Farnborough Air Show.
At 247ft (75.3 metres) long the new plane is 16ft (4.8 metres) longer than any other commercial plane and almost as long as a football pitch.
It boasts a bar and beauty therapy area in its first class cabin, and the world's most advanced in-flight entertainment system.
Passengers can choose from up to 300 hours of videos and television programmes, a 45-CD personal juke box, audio books or 15 different computer games.
A state-of-the-art lighting system can create "mood effects" in the first class cabin, where up to six people can sit at the chrome and glass bar during flights, and calming blue lights have been installed in all the toilets.
The planes will begin flying from Heathrow to New York, Tokyo and Hong Kong this year, and to Johannesburg next year.
