The largest American aircraft. The largest Russian aircraft
Today, not a single person can imagine life without the existence of airplanes, but previously people could only dream of flying in the sky. Thanks to the colossal work done by scientists and design engineers from different parts of the planet, the world became acquainted with the first aircraft. And on October 25, 2007 it went into operation Airbus A380- the largest passenger aircraft in the world, photos of which to some extent reflect the real size of the giant.
We will not dwell on one model, but will introduce you to other airliners capable of carrying a considerable number of passengers on board.
Introduced in 2005, the Airbus A380-800 passenger aircraft supplanted the Boeing 747, the leading air giant for 36 years.
Technical specifications:
- Vessel length: 73 m
- Passenger capacity: 525 people
- Wingspan: 79.75 m
- Wing area: 845 sq. m
- Height: 24.09 m
- Weight: 280 tons
- Maximum speed: 1020 km/h
- Takeoff length: 2050 meters
Airbus took one decade and 12 billion euros to develop. The maximum distance covered by the aircraft without in-flight refueling is 15,400 km. In terms of the amount of fuel consumed, the Airbus A380-800 is much more economical compared to other aircraft of its class.
It was possible to reduce fuel consumption thanks to the correctly designed shape of the wing and fuselage. To achieve such precision, milling machines used in aircraft production were specially developed in Japan. For 100 kilometers, three passengers consume 3 liters of fuel.
Despite the larger capacity of the Airbus compared to the Boeing 747, its production is 15 percent cheaper. For the first time, the air giant began to be operated by the national airline of Singapore, Singapore Airlines, serving the Singapore-Sydney route.
“Boeing 747-8”
In 2005, the American corporation The Boeing Company introduced another modification of the passenger aircraft - the Boeing 747-8. The main differences from previous airliners are the elongated hull and efficiency. By changing the deviation of the wing in plan from perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft and reducing its thickness, manufacturers managed to improve the quality of aerodynamics. Thanks to this wing shape, fuel consumption has decreased.
“Boeing 747-8”
This modification was preferred by the governments of 19 states, using the aircraft for flights of the country's top leaders.
At 76.25 meters long, the Boeing 747-8 is the largest commercial aircraft built in the United States. In addition, the Boeing 747-8 is the leader in orders for VIP versions, which are intended for government politicians.
The largest passenger aircraft in history is the Hughes H-4 Hercules. The giant received this title in 1947. Compared to the existing flying “machines” of that period, the Hughes H-4 Hercules stood out with its 98-meter distance between the edges of the wings, due to which this modification was considered the most wide-body.
A total of 2 aircraft of this type were produced; today only one remains. The Hughes H-4 Hercules, with a capacity of 750 passengers, was brought to the Long Beach Museum in 1993, where it remains today. More people have never been transported on any plane in one flight.
The Boeing 777-300ER passenger aircraft, designed in 1990, can fly 20,000 km without in-flight refueling. The test flight took place in 1994.
The Boeing 777-300ER is the first passenger aircraft to be designed using virtual computer assembly rather than paper drawings. Thanks to new computer technologies, or rather the program for creating three-dimensional models CATIA, it was possible to avoid typical connection errors not during production, but at the design stage.
The airliner is equipped with powerful turbojet engines with a high bypass ratio and is equipped with additional tanks for storing fuel. The introduction of this modification reduced fuel consumption by 1.4 percent. 305-550 passengers can fly on board the liner at a time.
The largest airliner produced in Russia is the Il-96M with a capacity of 435 passengers. Its design was carried out by domestic and Western companies. The aircraft model was exhibited more than once at specialized air shows, but mass production was never started. In 2009, the plane was destroyed due to physical wear and tear.
The aircraft, 63.7 m long and with a capacity of 400 people, holds the absolute world record for flight with one working engine. In 2003, in March, after one of the engines failed, the airliner flew for 2 hours and 57 minutes with 255 passengers. Despite the appearance of modifications of improved quality, the Boeing 777-200 EP remains in demand as before. There are more than 400 aircraft of this modification in the world.
The Airbus A340-600 is one of the long-haul airliners. On one fill, it is capable of covering a distance of 14,800 kilometers. The Airbus A340-600 has been in operation on international and intercontinental routes since 2002. The aircraft, which is 75 meters long and has a wingspan of 63.5 meters, has a capacity of 380 people.
A total of 97 Airbus A340-600 models were assembled. In 2011, serial production of the aircraft ceased.
The wingspan of the Russian Ruslan aircraft reaches 73 meters with a length of 69 meters. The main difference of the flying machine is the colossal cargo compartment with a volume of 1050 cubic meters. meters. The aircraft with a cruising speed of 850 km/h was used for cargo transportation (carrying capacity - 120 tons); if necessary, it could transport military personnel. The flight life of the An-124 model does not exceed 45 years.
The military model of the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is also worthy of competing for the title of largest passenger aircraft. The liner was used both for transporting people and cargo. On board the aircraft, 270 military personnel can simultaneously fly; in addition, if necessary, the aircraft can be equipped with 75 additional passenger seats. Thanks to its impressive dimensions (vessel length - 75.5 meters, width - 68 meters), the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy was classified as a giant aircraft.
Without refueling, the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy covers a distance of 5,600 kilometers at a speed of 920 km/h. The maximum height to which the giant rose is 10,100 meters.
60 years passed from the moment the first passenger was taken on board until the advent of spacious airliners. And today we can no longer be surprised by huge airplanes with excellent flight characteristics, nor by transcontinental flights, nor by long hours of travel on airliners.
The aircraft was designed in the USSR and built in 1988 at the Kiev Mechanical Plant.
"Mriya" set a world record for take-off weight and carrying capacity. On March 22, 1989, the An-225 flew with a load of 156.3 tons, thereby simultaneously breaking 110 world aviation records, which is a record in itself.
Since the start of operation, the aircraft has flown 3,740 hours. If we assume that the average flight speed (taking into account take-off, climb, cruising, descent, approach) is about 500 km/h, then we can calculate the approximate value of the kilometers traveled: 500 x 3740 = 1,870,000 km (more than 46 revolutions around the Earth along the equator).
The scale of the An-225 is amazing: the length of the aircraft is 84 meters, the height is 18 meters (like a 6-story 4-entrance house)
A visual comparison of the Mriya and the passenger Boeing 747.
If we take the largest of the Boeing 747-800 as a basis, then the length of the An-225 will be 8 meters longer, and the wingspan will be 20 meters longer.
Compared to the Airbus A380, the Mriya is 11 meters longer, and its wingspan is almost 9 meters longer.
It happens that the airport does not have adequate parking for such a large aircraft, and it is parked directly on the runway.
Of course, we are talking about an alternate runway, if the airport has one.
The wingspan is 88.4 meters and the area is 905 m²
The only aircraft superior to the An-225 in terms of wingspan is the Hughes H-4 Hercules, which belongs to the class of flying boats. The ship took off only once, in 1947. The history of this aircraft was reflected in the film "The Aviator"
Since the Buran spacecraft itself and the blocks of the Energia launch vehicle had dimensions exceeding the dimensions of the Mriya’s cargo compartment, the new aircraft provided for securing cargo from the outside. In addition, it was planned that the aircraft would be used as the first stage for the launch of a spacecraft.
The formation of a wake from a large cargo attached to the top of the aircraft required the installation of a double-finned tail unit to avoid aerodynamic shading.
The aircraft is equipped with 6 D-18T engines.
At takeoff mode, each engine develops a thrust of 23.4 tons (or 230 kN), i.e. the total thrust of all 6 engines is 140.5 tons (1380 kN)
It can be assumed that each engine develops about 12,500 horsepower at takeoff!
The D-18T engines of the An-225 aircraft are the same as those on the An-124 Ruslan.
The height of such an engine is 3 m, width 2.8 m, and weight more than 4 tons.
The starting system is air, with electrical automatic control. The auxiliary power unit, consisting of two TA-12 turbo units installed in the left and right fairings of the chassis, provides autonomous power to all systems and engine starting.
The mass of fuel in the tanks is 365 tons, it is placed in 13 wing caisson tanks.
The aircraft can remain in the air for 18 hours and cover a distance of over 15,000 km.
The refueling time for such a vehicle ranges from half an hour to a day and a half, and the number of tankers depends on their capacity (from 5 to 50 tons), i.e. from 7 to 70 tankers.
The aircraft's fuel consumption is 15.9 tons/h (in cruising mode)
When fully loaded, the aircraft can remain in the sky without refueling for no more than 2 hours.
The chassis includes a two-post nose and 14-post main (7 posts on each side) supports.
Each stand has two wheels. Total 32 wheels.
Wheels require replacement every 90 landings.
Tires for Mriya are produced at the Yaroslavl Tire Plant. The price of one tire is about $1000.
On the bow strut there are wheels measuring 1120 x 450 mm, and on the main strut there are wheels measuring 1270 x 510 mm.
The pressure inside is 12 atmospheres.
Since 2001, the An-225 has been performing commercial cargo transportation as part of Antonov Airlines.
Dimensions of the cargo compartment: length - 43 m, width - 6.4 m, height - 4.4 m.
The cargo cabin of the aircraft is sealed, which allows the transportation of various types of cargo. Inside the cabin you can place 16 standard containers, up to 80 cars and even heavy-duty BelAZ dump trucks. There is enough space here to fit the entire body of a Boeing 737.
Access to the cargo compartment is through the nose of the aircraft, which folds up.
The process of opening/closing the cargo compartment ramp takes no more than 10 minutes.
To unfold the ramp, the aircraft performs the so-called “elephant bow.”
The nose landing gear tilts forward, and the weight of the aircraft is transferred to auxiliary supports, which are installed under the front threshold of the cargo compartment.
Auxiliary support.
Control panel for the aircraft's "squat" system.
This loading method has a number of advantages compared to the Boeing 747 (which is loaded through a compartment in the side of the fuselage.
"Mriya" is a record holder for the weight of cargo transported: commercial - 247 tons (which is four times more than the maximum payload of a Boeing 747), commercial monocargo - 187.6 tons, and an absolute record for carrying capacity - 253.8 tons. On June 10, 2010, the longest cargo in the history of air transportation was transported - two windmill blades, each 42.1 m long.
To ensure a safe flight, the center of gravity of an aircraft with cargo must be within certain limits along its length. The load master performs loading in strict accordance with the instructions, after which the co-pilot checks the correct placement of the cargo and reports this to the crew commander, who makes a decision on the possibility of carrying out the flight and is responsible for this.
The aircraft is equipped with an on-board loading complex consisting of four lifting mechanisms, each with a lifting capacity of 5 tons.
In addition, two floor winches are provided for loading non-self-propelled wheeled vehicles and cargo on the loading ramp.
This time, the An-225 was chartered by the French engineering company Alstom to transport 170 tons of cargo from Zurich, Switzerland to Bahrain with refueling in Athens and Cairo.
This is a turbine rotor, a turbogenerator for producing electricity and components.
Flight manager Vadim Nikolaevich Deniskov.
To tow the An-225 aircraft, it is impossible to use the carrier of aircraft from other companies, so the carrier is transported on board the aircraft.
And since the aircraft is not equipped with a rear cargo hatch and the towing carrier is unloaded and loaded through the front cargo hatch, which requires a full cycle of squatting of the aircraft onto the front support, as a result, at least 30 minutes are lost and the resource of the aircraft structure and squatting system is unjustifiably consumed.
Technician-foreman for aircraft maintenance.
To ensure turns when the aircraft moves on the ground, the last four rows of the main support struts are made orientable.
Aircraft maintenance technician: specialization: hydraulic system and landing gear.
The heavy weight of the aircraft causes the landing gear to leave marks on the asphalt.
Ladder and hatch to the cockpit.
The passenger compartment is divided into 2 parts: in the front there is the aircraft crew, and in the rear there are accompanying and maintenance personnel.
The cabins are sealed separately - they are separated by a wing.
The rear part of the accompanying cabin is intended for eating, working with technical documentation and holding conferences.
The aircraft has 18 seats for rest of crew members and members of the engineering and technical team - 6 seats in the front cabin and 12 in the rear.
Staircase and hatch to the attendant cabin at the rear of the aircraft.
Technical compartment located at the rear of the cockpit.
On the shelves you can see the blocks that ensure the operation of various aircraft systems, and the pipelines of the pressurization and air conditioning system and the anti-icing system. All aircraft systems are highly automated and require minimal crew intervention during operation. Their work is supported by 34 on-board computers.
Wall of the front center section spar. It is installed (from top to bottom): the slats transmission and air bleed pipelines from the engines.
In front of it are stationary cylinders of the fire protection system with the fire extinguishing agent "Freon".
Stickers are souvenirs from numerous visitors on the panel on the plane's emergency escape hatch flap.
The farthest point from the base airport that the plane managed to visit was the island of Tahiti, part of French Polynesia.
The distance along the shortest arc of the globe is about 16,400 km.
Rynda An-225
Vladimir Vladimirovich Mason mentioned in the engraving is an aircraft operation engineer who worked at Mriya for many years.
The aircraft commander (PIC) is Vladimir Yurievich Mosin.
To become an An-225 commander, you must have at least 5 years of experience flying an An-124 aircraft as a commander.
Weight and alignment control is simplified by installing a load-measuring system on the chassis.
The aircraft crew consists of 6 people:
aircraft commander, co-pilot, navigator, senior flight engineer, aviation equipment flight engineer, flight radio operator.
ORES
To reduce efforts on the throttles and increase the accuracy of setting engine operating modes, a remote engine control system is provided. In this case, the pilot makes a relatively small effort to use cables to move the lever of an electromechanical device mounted on the engine, which reproduces this movement on the fuel regulator lever with the necessary force and accuracy. For the convenience of joint control during takeoff and landing, the throttle levers of the outermost engines (RUD1 and RUD6) are linked, respectively, with RUD2 and RUD5.
The helm of the largest aircraft in the world.
Aircraft control is booster i.e. The control surfaces are deflected solely with the help of hydraulic steering actuators, if they fail, it is impossible to control the aircraft manually (with an increase in the required effort). Therefore, quadruple redundancy was applied. The mechanical part of the control system (from the steering wheel and pedals to hydraulic steering actuators) consists of rigid rods and cables.
The total length of these cables is: the aileron control system in the fuselage - about 30 meters, in each console (left, right) of the wing - approximately 35 meters; elevator and rudder control systems - about 65 meters each.
When the plane is empty, 2400 m of runway is enough for takeoff and landing.
Takeoff with maximum weight - 3500 m, landing with maximum weight - 3300 m.
At the executive start, the engines begin to warm up, which takes about 10 minutes.
This prevents engine surge during takeoff and ensures maximum takeoff thrust. Of course, this requirement leads to the fact that: takeoff is carried out during a period of minimal airport congestion, or the plane waits a long time for its turn to take off, missing scheduled flights.
The takeoff and landing speed depends on the takeoff and landing weight of the aircraft and ranges from 240 km/h to 280 km/h.
The climb is carried out at a speed of 560 km/h, with a vertical speed of 8 m/s.
At an altitude of 7100 meters, the speed increases to 675 km/h with further continuation of the climb to the flight level.
Cruising speed of An-225 - 850 km/h
When calculating cruising speed, the weight of the aircraft and the flight range that the aircraft must cover are taken into account.
Dmitry Viktorovich Antonov - senior captain.
The middle panel of the pilots' instrument panel.
Backup instruments: attitude indicator and altitude indicator. Fuel lever position indicator (FLU), engine thrust indicator (ET). Indicators of deviation of control surfaces and take-off and landing devices (slats, flaps, spoilers).
Senior flight engineer's instrument panel.
In the lower left corner there is a side panel with controls for the hydraulic complex and a chassis position alarm. Top left panel of the aircraft fire protection system. At the top right is a panel with controls and control devices: starting the APU, the supercharging and air conditioning system, the anti-icing system and the signal panel block. At the bottom is a panel with controls and controls for the fuel supply system, engine operation control and the on-board automated control system (BASK) of all aircraft parameters.
Senior onboard engineer - Polishchuk Alexander Nikolaevich.
Instrument panel for monitoring engine operation.
On the left, at the top is a vertical indicator of the position of the fuel levers. Large round instruments are speed indicators for the high-pressure compressor and engine fan. Small round instruments are indicators of oil temperature at the engine inlet. The block of vertical instruments at the bottom - indicators of the amount of oil in the engine oil tanks.
Aeronautical engineer's dashboard.
Controls and monitoring devices for the aircraft's power supply system and oxygen system are located here.
Navigator - Anatoly Binyatovich Abdullaev.
Flight over the territory of Greece.
Navigator-instructor - Yaroslav Ivanovich Koshitsky.
Flight operator - Gennady Yurievich Antipov.
The ICAO call sign for the An-225 on the flight from Zurich to Athens was ADB-3038.
On-board engineer - Yuri Anatolyevich Mindar.
Athens airport runway.
Landing at night on Mriya is carried out instrumentally, i.e. using instruments, from the leveling height and visually before touching down. According to the crew, one of the most difficult landings is in Kabul, which is associated with high altitude and many obstacles. The approach begins at a speed of 340 km/h to an altitude of 200 meters, then the speed is gradually reduced.
Landing is carried out at a speed of 295 km/h with fully extended mechanization. It is allowed to touch the runway at a vertical speed of 6 m/s. After touching the runway, reverse thrust is immediately switched to engines 2 to 5, while engines 1 and 6 are left at idle. The landing gear is braked at a speed of 140-150 km/h until the aircraft comes to a complete stop.
The aircraft's service life is 8,000 flight hours, 2,000 takeoffs and landings, 25 calendar years.
The aircraft can still fly until December 21, 2013 (25 years since the start of its operation), after which a thorough study of its technical condition will be carried out and the necessary work will be carried out to ensure an extension of the calendar service life to 45 years.
Due to the high cost of transportation on the An-225, orders appear only for very long and very heavy cargo, when transportation by land is not possible. Flights are random: from 2-3 per month to 1-2 per year. From time to time there is talk about building a second copy of the An-225 aircraft, but this requires an appropriate order and appropriate funding. To complete the construction, an amount of approximately $90 million is required, and taking into account testing, it increases to $120 million.
This is perhaps one of the most beautiful and impressive aircraft in the world.
Thanks to Antonov Airlines for their help in organizing the photography!
Special thanks to Vadim Nikolaevich Deniskov for his help in writing the text for the post!
For any questions regarding the use of photographs, please email.
An – 225
AN-225 aircraftToday, it is the largest cargo transport aircraft in the world, both in size and in terms of payload capacity.
The history of the creation of the An-225 aircraft
The space program at Baikonur in 1970-1980 required the creation of an air transport vehicle for transporting structures of significant mass and size. Initially, the task of transporting part of the space objects was solved by the VM-T Atlant aircraft, but it could take on board cargo weighing up to 50 tons. Projects for modifications of this aircraft were created, but the maximum payload was 200 tons.
At the end of the 70s, the design bureau named after. Antonov (Ukraine) was tasked with developing a fundamentally new aircraft with the highest possible payload.
The An-124 transport aircraft was taken as the basis. The design bureau managed to create a unique aircraft with a payload capacity of 250 tons.
On December 21, 1988, the AN-225 aircraft made its first flight. It was shown to the world community at the Le Bourget air show in 1989.
In 1980, construction began on the second An-225 aircraft, but was stopped in 1994.
Currently, this is the only vehicle that can carry out transcontinental transportation of large cargo.
Photo of the 2nd unfinished AN-225 aircraft:
According to statements in the press by the head of the Design Bureau named after. Antonov, about $300,000,000 is needed to complete the construction of the second AN-225 aircraft
Purpose of the An-225 aircraft
The main purpose of the aircraft was to deliver space shuttles to altitudes of up to 11,000 meters, thereby replacing the first booster stages. The mass of the shuttle (Buran) was calculated to be up to 60. The shuttle was fixed above the aircraft on the fuselage. It must be said that this is why the plane’s keel is double. For this purpose, the Buran space shuttle and a number of Energia booster components were created. The aircraft is currently used to transport large and bulky cargo by air in various parts of the world.
Aircraft technical characteristics:
Year of manufacture 1988
- load capacity 225 t.
- wingspan 88.4 meters
- aircraft length 84 meters
- height 18.1 meters
- cruising speed 800 km/h
- maximum speed 850 km/h
- flight range 15,400 km.
- flight range with maximum load 4500 km.
- practical ceiling 10,000 m.
- empty weight of the aircraft is 250 tons.
- maximum take-off weight 640 tons.
- fuel tank capacity 300 tons.
- crew 7 people
The cargo compartment has the following dimensions: length 43 meters, width 6.4 meters, height 4.4 meters.
The cargo compartment is sealed.
Above the cargo compartment, there is a passenger cabin that can accommodate 70 people.
In 2000, the An-225 aircraft was modernized and navigation equipment was installed that met international safety standards.
The list of maximum size aircraft includes both military cargo transport and aircraft capable of carrying more than five hundred passengers. The leaders among them are the Airbus A380 and Boeing 747.
What models are on the list of the largest aircraft?
The list of the world's largest aircraft includes such giants as the An-225 and Airbus A380, Boeing 747 and An-22, ANT-20 and Airbus A340-600. All of them at one time became leaders in length or passenger capacity.The listed aircraft were created in different countries of the world, some of them are transport and cargo, some are created only for transporting passengers. The need for high-capacity aircraft is growing from year to year, which is associated with people’s desire to travel, get to know new countries, and discover new continents.
Hughes H-4 Hercules
Today, the aircraft with the largest wingspan is the Hughes H-4 Hercules. It was built in 1947 from wood. It was assumed that it would be capable of transporting at least seven hundred and fifty troops with full equipment. 
The height of this wooden giant is twenty-four meters, length is sixty-six meters and forty-five centimeters, with a wingspan of ninety-eight meters. Today the Hughes H-4 Hercules is located in Oregon and is a museum exhibit.
An-225
There is only one An-225 aircraft in the world. Its second name is “Mriya”. In the eighties, it was created in Ukraine for air transportation and is a cargo aircraft. Its maximum take-off weight is six hundred and forty tons. 
The dimensions of the Mriya are also striking. With a height of twenty-four meters, ten centimeters and a length of seventy-three meters, its wingspan is almost eighty-eight and a half meters. It is known that construction of a second such aircraft is underway.
Airbus A380
The leader among passenger aircraft in terms of capacity is the airliner called Airbus A380. Its creator is Airbus S.A.S. Passengers on this plane are accommodated on two decks. 
Being the largest among commercially produced airliners, this one is also the most economical in terms of fuel combustion. For a hundred kilometers of travel, fuel consumption for each passenger is only three liters.
An-124
The An-124 aircraft, also called “Ruslan”, is one of the largest cargo-lifting aircraft in the world. This giant is used as a military aircraft. The length of "Ruslan" is sixty-nine meters ten centimeters, the height is slightly more than twenty-one meters with a wingspan of seventy-three meters thirty centimeters.Lockheed C-5 Galaxy
Until 1982, the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy was considered the largest among mass-produced transport and cargo aircraft. It is used today by the US Army and is capable of transporting at least two hundred and seventy soldiers. 
This aircraft gains altitude up to ten kilometers and can cover a distance of five thousand six hundred kilometers without refueling. The maximum speed that the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy can reach is nine hundred and twenty kilometers.
Boeing 777-300ER
The record holder for the ability to fly without refueling is the Boeing 777-300ER, which can fly a distance of twenty-one thousand six hundred one kilometers. This passenger airliner was developed in 1990, and four years later it made its first test flight, and operation began in 1995.Among twin-engine jet passenger aircraft, the Boeing 777-300ER remains the largest. It can accommodate from three hundred five to five hundred fifty people on board.
Airbus A340-600
A large four-engine passenger aircraft is called the Airbus A340-600. It was created for intercontinental flights and could fly without additional refueling over a distance of fourteen thousand six hundred kilometers. 
The height of the liner is seventeen meters and thirty centimeters, the length is seventy-five meters and thirty centimeters, and the wingspan is sixty-three and a half meters.
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 was considered the largest, most spacious and heaviest passenger airliner at the time of its creation. It held this record for thirty-seven years until it was overtaken by the Airbus A380. 
The Boeing 747 is also the record holder for the most common aircraft in the world. It is known that more than one and a half thousand such airliners were produced.
The largest passenger plane in the world
As you know, the most comfortable and fastest way to travel is by plane. For this reason, many modifications of passenger aircraft have been created. The largest among them for a long time remained the passenger Boeing 747, released in 1969. Initially, its capacity was four hundred and fifty-two passengers, and after modification it increased to five hundred and sixty-eight. 
In 2005, a new super-capacious large aircraft appeared - the Airbus A380. Surprisingly, its capacity is eight hundred and fifty-two passengers. They are located on two decks. The wingspan of this four-engine airliner is nearly eighty meters, height is twenty-four meters, and length is seventy-three meters. The weight of this “giant” is also surprising - without passengers it weighs almost two hundred and seventy-seven tons and is capable of flying fifteen thousand two hundred kilometers without stopping to refuel.
And the largest cargo plane is called An-225 Mriya. It was made in the USSR. .
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There are about a thousand different aircraft models in the world today. They differ not only in their optional purpose, but also in size. In addition to light single-engine aircraft that are designed for one pilot, there are also real world record-breaking giants. So check out the list below.
1. An-225
We give the first place to the largest Russian-Ukrainian project in the world. He also acquired the name Mriya. The wingspan of such a giant is more than 88 meters. But its length at this time exceeds 73 meters. All over the world today there is only one single aircraft of this production. Undoubtedly, he occupied and occupies first place in all ratings.
2. Hughes H-4 Hercules
But silver goes to the aircraft whose wingspan is 98 meters. Thanks to this, it is considered the most wide-body project. It is worth noting the fact that it was built back in 1947. Moreover, the material used was exclusively wood, or rather spruce. Because of this, the project was called the Spruce Goose. In the world, only two seaplane models were built. But in our time, only one of them could survive.
3. Airbus A380
This airliner occupies third place in the rating. It is considered the largest passenger aircraft in the world. Due to its enormous size, the project can accommodate 525 people. The length of the aircraft is 73 meters, and the wingspan is 80 meters. Despite these facts, the flight range of the aerial structure is limited to only 15.4 thousand kilometers.
4. An-124
Among pilots, the plane is referred to as Ruslan. In Russia, this is one of the few projects that is used. If we talk about the main purpose of its creation, it was the transportation of large loads. At the same time, the version of transporting ballistic missiles was considered. The military transport aircraft has a wingspan of more than 73 meters and a length of more than 69 meters.
5. Lockheed C-5 Galaxy
In the middle of our list of the biggest and best aircraft you can see the American military transport model. Its size can truly impress almost anyone. From the tip of the tail, the length is more than 75.5 meters. But as for the width, it is slightly less than 68 meters. The design is capable of carrying up to 270 soldiers, or about 75 passengers, if the necessary seats are installed on board the aircraft.
6. Boeing 777-300ER
The sixth place in the ranking goes to the passenger airliner that everyone has heard of. The structure is ready to accommodate up to 550 passengers. As for the aircraft’s parameters, the length is about 74 meters and the width is 64.8 meters. But the flight range without additional refueling is also impressive, as it is more than 21.6 thousand kilometers.
7. Airbus A340-600
The passenger airliner also makes it onto our list of the world's largest aircraft. The design, with a flight range of up to 14,600 kilometers, is capable of carrying 380 passengers. If we talk about the size of the airliner, then they cannot leave you indifferent. The length of the aircraft is more than 75 meters and the width is about 63.5 meters.
8. Boeing 747
This airliner is considered one of the most recognizable in the world, as well as the most beautiful giants of civil aviation. The plane was able to hold the record for the number of passengers carried on board for almost 40 years. The length of the aircraft is 70.6 meters and the width is 64.4 meters. It must also be said that the giant aircraft also holds another interesting record - the structure covered the distance from London to Sydney in only 20 hours and 9 minutes. And this, in turn, is equal to 18 thousand kilometers.
9.777-200ER
In all fairness, this aircraft model ranks ninth in the ranking. If we compare it with the base model of the Boeing 777, then in this modification of the design the useful take-off weight was increased, as well as the amount of fuel in the aircraft tanks. Its length is 63.7 meters and its width is almost 61 meters.
10. Airbus A330-300
And the last place remains with the airliner from Airbus. If we talk about the main purpose of its creation, then it is a high-quality replacement of the already obsolete Airbus A300. Back then it had a high fuel consumption and the plane was not capable of carrying many people. But if we talk about the new model, then it is ready to take 295 passengers on board. The length of the airliner is less than 59 meters and the width is more than 63 meters. That is why the model falls into the class of wide-body aircraft.
Video: Top 10: The largest plane in the world
