The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word OUTFLEW
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
O
U
T
F
L
E
W
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Did better than in plane" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case did better than in plane = outflew.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does OUTFLEW mean?
OUTFLEW verb- To fly better, faster, or further than.