The most powerful cargo aircraft. The largest Russian aircraft. Near term, or domestic developments

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 aircraft 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 at specialized air shows more than once, 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.

Surprisingly, these huge monsters are flying in the sky. They weigh hundreds of tons, cost hundreds of millions of dollars, and are almost as long as a football stadium.

The An-225 Mriya (translated from Ukrainian as “dream”) is the heaviest cargo-lifting aircraft ever taken into the air. The maximum take-off weight of the aircraft is 640 tons. The reason for the construction of the An-225 was the need to create an aviation transport system for the Soviet Buran reusable spacecraft project. The plane exists in a single copy.

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.

"Mriya" and small cars.

Dornier Do X is a German passenger flying boat manufactured by Dornier. Intended for operation on long-distance passenger airlines. The first flight took place in 1929. On October 20, the aircraft took off from Lake Constance with 169 passengers on board during a 40-minute demonstration flight. This record remained unsurpassed in the first half of the 20th century.

Length - 40.05 m, wingspan - 48.0 m, number of passengers - 160.

The Dornier Do X's cockpit had no engine controls. Instead, as on large seagoing vessels of the time, the pilot transmitted (by telephone) the command to increase or decrease power to the flight engineer located in a separate cabin.

The flight engineer controls twelve aircraft engines:

This is the largest aircraft with a single propeller, the largest propeller in history. Four connected 260-horsepower Mercedes D.IVa engines drove a huge propeller mounted in the nose.

Looking only at photographs, it is completely impossible to understand the gigantic dimensions of the R.II 55/17 (For some reason, there are no photographs of people standing near the aircraft that give a sense of scale.

The R.II could carry a maximum payload of 7000 kg with a total flight weight of 15000 kg... The upper wing span was 42.16 m, the length was 20.32 m. It made its first flight in January 1919.

Soviet propaganda, multi-seat passenger, 8-engine aircraft, the largest aircraft of its time with a land landing gear. Built at the aviation plant in Voronezh. It made its first flight on June 17, 1934. Length - 33 meters.

In 1934, the plane set two world records, lifting loads weighing 10,000 kg and 15,000 kg to a height of 5,000 m. In 1935, during a demonstration flight, the plane crashed into the holiday village of Sokol. 49 people died

After the crash of the ANT-20, it was decided to build an improved backup, the ANT-20 bis, but neither it nor the ANT-20 were ever put into production.

This is a transport wooden flying boat, which received the unofficial nickname Spruce Goose (“Goldfinch, Dude,” literally “Spruce Goose”).

Weight is 130 tons, and its wingspan remains a record to this day - 98 meters (Mriya's is 88.4 m). It was designed to transport 750 soldiers when fully equipped.

It is currently on display at the Evergreen International Aviation Museum in McMinnville, Oregon, where it was moved in 1993. The plane is visited by about 300,000 tourists annually.

The Bristol Brabazon is an experimental British passenger aircraft built in 1949. The largest aircraft ever built in the UK.

Length - 54m, wingspan - 70m.

By 1952, it became clear that the upper end of the air travel market would never pay for an aircraft built only for first class service. Even in “general” class, each Brabazon passenger had 6 cubic meters of internal volume, in first class - 8 cubic meters; the plane literally “carried” these cubic meters of fuselage. In March 1952, the government refused to support the completion of the second, turboprop model, and in 1953 both vehicles were sent for scrap.

The world's first long-range, double-deck, wide-body passenger aircraft. The first flight took place on February 9, 1969. At the time of its inception, the Boeing 747 was the largest, heaviest and most spacious passenger airliner, remaining so for 36 years until the introduction of the A380, which first flew in 2005.

The Boeing 747-400 consists of 6 million parts (half of which are fasteners) produced in 33 different countries. During Operation Solomon (Israel's military operation to transport Ethiopian Jews to Israel), a world record was set for the number of passengers transported in one flight by one aircraft - on May 24, 1991, a Boeing 747 of El Al airlines transported 1,122 passengers to Israel. Moreover, two babies were born during the flight.

The new Boeing 747-8 is a new generation of the famous Boeing 747 series with a stretched fuselage, redesigned wing and improved economic efficiency. The 747-8 is the largest commercial aircraft built in the United States, as well as the longest passenger aircraft in the world.

Length - 76.3 m, wingspan - 68.5 m.

This is a heavy long-range transport aircraft developed by the Design Bureau named after. O. K. Antonova. It was created primarily for air transportation of mobile launchers of intercontinental ballistic missiles. The prototype aircraft made its first flight on December 24, 1982 in Kyiv. The aircraft entered service with the USSR military transport aviation in January 1987; a total of 56 aircraft were built.

Load capacity - 120 tons, length - 69.1 m, wingspan - 73.3 m. In October 1997, a record was set for the weight of transported commercial cargo. A chemical reactor weighing 125 tons was delivered from Paris to Doha, and the total weight of the cargo with special equipment was 140 tons.

Repair and modernization of An-124 Ruslan aircraft is now carried out at the aircraft manufacturing plant in Ulyanovsk.

It was built in 1966. It was the largest aircraft in the world before the An-225, which received the name “Caspian monster” from foreign intelligence services. Length - 92 m, wingspan - 37.6 m, maximum take-off weight - 544,000 kg.

The largest production passenger airliner in the world, surpassing the capacity of the Boeing 747, which can only carry up to 525 passengers (the Boeing 747 was the largest passenger airliner for 36 years). Its length is 73 meters, wingspan is 79.75 meters, maximum take-off weight is 560 tons (the weight of the aircraft itself is 280 tons).

Start of production - 2004. The first aircraft sold was delivered to the customer on October 15, 2007.

Beriev Be-2500 “Neptune” is an ambitious project of a super-heavy amphibious transport aircraft, developed at the Taganrog TANTK named after. G. M. Berieva. Is the largest aircraft ever conceived. Length - 115.5 m, wingspan - 125.5 m, take-off weight - 2.5 million kg, maximum payload - up to 1 million kg.

The project remained a project, and in the state program “Development of the Aviation Industry for 2013-2025” adopted at the end of 2012, there is no mention of the aircraft.

LZ 129 "Hindenburg" is a rigid airship built in 1936 in Germany. It was the largest airship in the world created up to that time.

The Hindenburg first flew at Friedrichafen on March 4, 1936. On May 6, 1937, while completing another transatlantic flight, the Hindenburg, filled with flammable hydrogen, caught fire and crashed, killing 35 of the 97 people on board, as well as one member of the ground crew. The crash of the Hindenburg effectively marked the end of the commercial use of airships for transport purposes.

Since there are no limits to human imagination and ingenuity, more and more new and modern aircraft models are appearing. They are becoming better, more economical, safer, and of course, more massive.

Airbus A380

This aircraft has two decks and is the largest for carrying passengers.

The height of the aircraft is 24 meters, the wingspan is 80 meters, and the length is 73 meters.

The aircraft carries up to 555 passengers, in a single-class modification - 853 passengers.

This aircraft is capable of covering 15,000 kilometers non-stop, while at the same time being very economical. The creation of the Airbus A380 took 10 years at a project cost of 12 billion euros. The first commercial flight took place in October 2007. Then 455 passengers boarded the flight from Singapore to Sydney.

During construction, the main sections of the airliner are transported by ground and surface transport, although some parts are transported by An-124 aircraft.

This model was created as an alternative to what was previously considered the largest for 35 years. But Airbus moved its “colleague” from its place of honor due to its efficiency not only in fuel, but also in cost.

The developers also achieved a reduction in the weight of the aircraft. The highlight of the design is that 40% of the Airbus A380 body is graphite (wings and fuselage). The cost of the aircraft itself is about 390 million euros.

This airliner is the leader in flight range. It is capable of flying more than 21,000 km without refueling. Operation began in 1995. The aircraft can carry from 300 to 550 people in the cabin. The 777-300 ER is powered by two General Electric gas turbine engines, the most powerful engines in its class.

It has a maximum speed of 965 km/h with an impressive weight of 250 tons. One of the main distinguishing features is efficiency. A cargo modification was also created on the basis of the passenger aircraft. The symbol "ER" stands for Extended Range.

A modification of the well-known 747 appeared in 2005. The body has become longer, and at the same time the aircraft has become more economical. This model is the leader in the number of special orders for billionaires and top government officials. It is used by 19 heads of state. The 747-8 version is the largest commercial aircraft in the world. The first owner of the commercial model 747-8 is the German company Lufthansa.

Officially, this is the longest plane in the world!

Hughes H-4 Hercules

This huge car is one of the record holders for the number of passengers (750), but is now a museum. The plane was created under the leadership of the famous millionaire Howard Hughes, and was made of wood. The creator of Hercules himself maintained the aircraft in working condition until his death. In 1993, the plane found its permanent home in Oregon, and is visited annually by more than 300 thousand tourists.

The Hercules was designed as a wooden flying boat weighing 136 tons. At the same time, the aircraft was the widest aircraft until May 2017 - its wingspan was 98 meters.

The most spacious of Russian airliners, accommodates 435 passengers. Currently used only by the transport company "Russia" as VIP transport and Cubana, including for the President of Cuba. It has a modification 96-300PU (control point) - like the aircraft of the President of the Russian Federation. Now, based on the IL-96M, the IL-96-400 has been created, with the same capacity as its predecessor.

Unfortunately, mass production of this model never took place, despite the fact that it was designed by Western and domestic specialists.

This airliner has proven itself well over long distances since 2002. Its capacity is 380 passengers in three classes, 419 in two classes. Flight range – 14,800 km. Initially developed as an alternative to early Boeing models. Although the number of passengers the aircraft is identical to Boeing's 747 model, the luggage compartment is twice as large as that of its competitor. Serial production ceased in 2011.

Cargo aircraft

- the most load-lifting aircraft in the world. The aircraft was created at the Design Bureau named after. Antonov. The basis for the creation of "Mriya" was.

The development of Mriya was closely related to the Buran program. It was with the help of the An-225 that parts for the shuttle and subsequently the ship itself were transported. Since the dimensions of the launch vehicle blocks and the Buran itself were larger than the cargo compartment of the Mriya, the An-225 was provided with external fastenings for such cargo.

There is one copy, but joint Ukrainian-Chinese construction of another Mriya is underway.

The aircraft's original mission was to transport ballistic missiles. But the result was impressive. The An-124 began to be used to transport military equipment. The civil aviation version of the aircraft can operate at any latitude and transport many types of cargo, including large cargo.

The cost of one copy is $300 million, which is more than many passenger airliners.

The aircraft was developed in the USA for military transportation back in 1968. Capable of transporting up to 345 soldiers or several units of military equipment.

It was the most load-carrying aircraft until the appearance of the An-124 in 1982.

The reason for the creation of this aircraft was the location of Airbus factories in several places and the need to transport individual parts of Airbus airliners. A total of 5 copies were created and they all work for Airbus. Currently, a similar device based on the A340 is being developed to transport parts of the Airbus A380.

The name comes from the beluga whale, whose shape resembles a flying machine.

This aircraft is designed to transport parts of the Boeing 787 aircraft. Previously, individual spare parts were transported by sea, which was extremely inconvenient. Thus, supplies from Japan of wings for the 787 Dreamliner were reduced from 30 days to 8 hours. Only 4 copies have been released so far.

Military aircraft

The short history of military aviation includes many cases when gigantomania came into fashion. The result was the construction of huge flying machines. Some representatives of the largest military aircraft will be described below.

The German aircraft from World War II was the heaviest land aircraft at that time. Widely used in North Africa to supply troops. Load capacity is 23 tons. Unlike the predecessor Me.321, which flew only one way and was subsequently blown up by the crew, the Me.323 was equipped with engines and landing gear.

The aircraft became the basis for many engineering solutions that are still used in military aviation. It can and should be called the first military transport aircraft.

The aircraft was created in 1943 in Germany. The basis for its creation was the Ju 290. Created to perform many tasks, including as a strategic bomber that could even bomb US territory. The Germans planned to build 26 aircraft, but in fact only two were built.

The aircraft had a unique flight range for its time - 9,700 km, which allowed the Germans to seriously think about bombing the territory of the United States.

The plane was created in the USA, like a flying boat. The Navy used it as an ocean patrol aircraft. A total of 5 devices of this type were created. In terms of wingspan, the JRM Mars is the largest production seaplane in history (the H-4 Hercules was produced in only one copy).

The last of the aircraft of this type is still in operation as a firefighting aircraft.

The aircraft was created by Boeing in 1941 to counter enemy Japan. Entered mass production in 1943. The B-29 embodied all the latest engineering solutions of the time and was a model for the current military aircraft industry. He became widely known after the use of atomic weapons in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.

To establish military balance, by order of I.V. Stalin, an analogue of the B-29 was created, an unlicensed copy of the Tu-4.

Initially, the B-52 was created as an intercontinental strategic bomber, but, being a means of delivering nuclear weapons, it was used in military conflicts only for training. Having an altitude ceiling of up to 15,000 m, it was capable of delivering two thermonuclear bombs to any point in the USSR.

The B-52 saw active use in many military conflicts, most notably in Vietnam from 1965 to 1973.

The US military plans to operate B-52 aircraft well into the 2040s with appropriate upgrades.

The legendary Soviet strategic bomber, which still remains in service with the Russian Air Force. This is the world's only turboprop missile carrier. There are still 60 vehicles of this type in service, capable of carrying X-101 missiles, which, with a range of 5,500 km, allow the Tu-95 to completely calmly attack targets without detecting itself on enemy air defense systems. Despite the fact that many of the modern strategic bombers are powered by jet engines, the Tu-95 is not obsolete, on the contrary, this is its advantage, since some satellites track bombers using jet exhaust.

Various test aircraft were created on the basis of the Tu-95, such as the passenger Tu-114 and reconnaissance Tu-126.

Video about the Tu-95 - one of the best bombers of our time.

A supersonic missile carrier with variable sweep wings was developed at the Tupolev Design Bureau in the 70-80s. Many prefixes “most” can be applied to an airplane. Tu-160 is the largest military aircraft, which also has the largest maximum take-off weight. The Russian Air Force includes 16 Tu-160 aircraft based in Engels, Saratov region.

In 2017, a decision was made to completely modernize the Tu-160.

The history of aircraft construction, both military and civilian, does not go back very long, however, during this time a huge leap has been made in the technologies used. Over time, the capacity of passenger airliners and their flight range increase, and military aircraft are assigned increasingly complex tasks, from transport to combat. One way or another, aircraft manufacturing will remain one of the most high-tech industries.

We will look at those airliners that occupy the first 5 places in the ranking of the largest aircraft in terms of size. Each of these aircraft became famous for one or another position.

This review article with a brief description of each position and photographs will provide an opportunity to obtain reliable information on the issue that interests you. If you have any other information or would like to express your opinion, please do so in the comments box located at the bottom of the page.
The site administration welcomes both positive and objective negative criticism.

TOP 5 largest aircraft in the world

1st place - An-225

Let's start our story with a review of the largest aircraft in every sense, which exists in a single copy in the world. The production of the airliner was so financially expensive that the aircraft plant was forced to stop its production.

An-225 is a joint Russian-Ukrainian brainchild, called Mriya. The aircraft was produced in 1988 as a cargo ship, which later became a military transport aircraft.

The An-225 has the most unimaginable parameters even for a large aircraft:

height just over 24 m;
length - 73 m;
First of all, the wingspan is amazing, which is almost 88.5 m;
a vessel weighing 250,000 kg is capable of flying with a maximum take-off weight of 600,000 kg.

There is information that production of the world's second An-225 has begun, but due to lack of funds, the air monster is only no more than 70% ready.

2nd place - Airbus A-380

The largest passenger aircraft is the Airbus A-380. This model of the airliner gained fame thanks to its ownership by one of the richest people in the world - the Arabian oligarch Al Waleed bin Talal.

Unlike the An-225, the Airbus A-380 is a serial aircraft that has been actively put into production since 2005.

Interesting article:
The most expensive plane in the world
how much does it cost and who is the owner of the most luxurious airliner? What is the difference between the most expensive aircraft and a regular one and what makes up the price of a luxury personal vehicle?

The liner is available in two modifications:

single-class configuration that can accommodate up to 850 passengers;
three-class configuration, where 525 people can spend their time in the most comfortable way during the flight.

The large Airbus has impressive parameters:

liner length - 73 m;
vessel height - 24.1 m;
the wingspan of the A-380 is almost 80 m;
an aircraft weighing 280,000 kg can easily fly with a maximum take-off weight of 560,000 kg.

The aircraft has only one drawback: when taking to the skies and traveling around the world, it can cover a distance of no more than 15,400 km without refueling.

3rd place - Boeing 777-300ER

The next representative of the largest airliners in the world cannot be ignored. The Boeing 777-300ER was developed in 1990 and only entered service in 1995. The liner is capable of carrying up to 550 passengers at a time.

The aircraft is used by airlines for longer flights, because the Boeing 777-300ER has a record - the ability to fly the longest without refueling. The aircraft is capable of flying a distance of 21,600 km without additional landings.

Technical characteristics of the Boeing 777-300ER:

the largest and very powerful engines are installed;
length - 74 m;

can accommodate the following number of passengers:
- modification with 3 classes - 368 people;
- configuration with 2 classes - 451 people;
- board with 1st class - 550 people.

The wingspan is about 65 m.

4th place - Airbus A340-600

In 4th place is the longest passenger airliner, Airbus A340-600. The first flight of the large aircraft was made in 2001 and since then the Airbus A340-600 has been among the aircraft of a considerable number of air carriers around the world.

Two possible modifications of the aircraft allow passengers to be transferred anywhere in the world:

2-class configuration - 419 passengers;
3-class - 380 people.

The Airbus A340-600 boasts a spacious cargo compartment with impressive volumes and the ability to fly up to 14,600 km without refueling.

The technical characteristics of the aircraft include the following:

length - a little more than 75m;
wingspan is about 64 m;
height is slightly less than 17.5 m.

5th place - Boeing 747

In fifth, but no less honorable place, is the Boeing 747, which for almost 40 years was considered the largest and most spacious passenger aircraft. But since the Airbus A380 appeared in the world, its leading position has fallen sharply. In 2005, the Boeing 747 lost its lead.

The largest modification is the Boeing 747-400. A distinctive feature of the liner is the presence on board of two decks to accommodate passengers. The decks have different sizes, the upper one is much smaller than the lower one. This is the first double-deck aircraft in the world capable of flying long distances.
We can say with confidence that the Boeing 747 is the most common aircraft among air carriers. Large airlines actively use it for flights. One of these Boeings holds a record: a distance of 18,000 km (London-Sydney) was covered in just 20 hours and 9 minutes, including the time of takeoff and landing.

Interesting information about the aircraft:

length about 71 m;
width almost 64.5 m;
height as much as 19.4 m;
number of passengers:
- modification with 3 classes - 416 people;
- 2-class configuration - 524 people.

On a note:
First class on an airplane
What makes first class on board an airliner luxurious and as comfortable as possible? Why do we so rarely hear from our friends about first category flights?

Economy class on the plane
Why are flights in the economy zone attractive for the vast majority of tourists? What inconveniences can flying in such an area cause? How can you most comfortably spend time in the most accessible class?

Business class on the plane
Is it worth paying extra for flights in the business zone? The main differences between business and economy class. Which category of tourists should be given preference when purchasing air tickets in the category with business services?

There are many aircraft models in the world, different in size, technical characteristics, purpose and other parameters; some can carry thousands of kilograms of payload, others only for one pilot.

Some of the aircraft presented below were significantly ahead of their time of construction and their colossal size led to their virtual inaccessibility for everyday use.

1. An-225 “Mriya”

The most load-bearing and largest aircraft in the world, the An-225, began to be developed in the Soviet Union in 1984, and the first experimental flight took place in 1988. Currently, there is only one copy of the aircraft, named "Mriya", operated by Antonov Airlines.

The cargo compartment of the An-225 can accommodate 50 passenger cars or cargo with a total weight of 250 tons. The fuselage length is 84 meters with a wingspan of just over 88 m. The aircraft can reach a maximum speed of 850 km/h, while the flight range is limited to 15.4 thousand kilometers.

2. Airbus A300-600ST “Beluga”

The Airbus A300-600ST cargo aircraft, which first flew in 1994, was produced in the amount of five copies. The aircraft is designed to transport cargo with large dimensions. The aircraft is 56 meters long and has a wingspan of just under 45 m.

With the vessel's own weight of 86 tons, it can lift up to 47 tons of payload. The speed of the Airbus A300-600ST reaches 750 km/h. The flight range does not exceed 4632 km when transporting 20 tons of cargo. Currently used to transport parts of other Airbus aircraft, including the A380.

3. Boeing 747-8I

Construction of the Boeing 747-8I passenger aircraft began in 2008, with the first flight tests taking place in 2009-2010. The aircraft became the longest passenger aircraft in the world. The length of its fuselage is 76.4 m, with a wingspan of 68.5 m. The aircraft can carry up to 605 passengers at a time. The maximum speed during flights reaches 102 km/h. Take-off weight is 448 tons. The maximum flight distance of the aircraft does not exceed 14.1 thousand kilometers.

4. Airbus A-380-800

The Airbus A-380-800 airliner, which made its first experimental flight in 2007, can carry 853 passengers. In the passenger air transportation market, the Boeing 747 has become the main competitor. With a maximum take-off weight of 575 tons, it has a length of just over 73 m, with a wingspan of 79.75 m. The cruising speed of the aircraft reaches 900 km/h, and the flight range is 15. 2 thousand km. In total, during operation in 2017, 215 aircraft were delivered to customers, with 317 units ordered.

5. An-124 “Ruslan”

Developed by Soviet aircraft designers, the An-124 made its first flight in 1982 and was adopted into service in the USSR in 1987. A total of 56 vehicles were produced. With a maximum take-off weight of 392 tons, the aircraft's flight range is 16,500 km. Maximum speed is 865 km/h. The wingspan reaches 73.3 m with a fuselage length of just over 69 meters. In 2006, a project was launched to restore the production of aircraft of this model, but it remained unrealized, despite interest from the Russian Ministry of Defense.

6. Lockheed C-5 Galaxy

The American C-5 Galaxy aircraft first took to the skies in 1968. Over the entire period, 131 units were produced. In terms of carrying capacity, this is the third cargo aircraft, while both of its predecessors were presented by the OKB im. Antonov. Representing the aircraft for military transport purposes, it can carry up to 345 passengers or up to 210 tons of payload. The wingspan is almost 68 m, the fuselage length is 75.53 m. The maximum flight range is 11.7 thousand kilometers, at a speed of 922 km/h. A new modified version of the C-5M Super Galaxy is currently being produced.

7. Boeing B-52 Stratofortress

The Boeing B-52 entered service with the US Air Force in 1955. The aircraft is an ultra-long-range strategic aircraft with a maximum take-off weight of 220 tons. When there is no load, it is capable of covering a maximum distance of 16.2 thousand km. Over the entire history, 744 units were produced. The length of the aircraft is 48.5 m with a wingspan of 56.4 m. In flight, it can reach a maximum speed of 1047 km/h. The most common modification is the Boeing B-52H. Repeatedly used during nuclear tests.

8. An-22 “Antey”

The first flight of the An-22, a turboprop transport aircraft, took place in 1965, demonstrating excellent flight performance and capabilities for transporting military personnel and equipment over long distances. In just ten years of the project's existence, 68 units were created. The flight range was 8,500 kilometers, the maximum speed was 650 km/h. The length of the aircraft is 57.31 m, the wingspan is 64.4 m. The An-22 is in service with the Russian Defense Ministry. There were several modifications during production, including an amphibious aircraft and a nuclear-powered low-altitude aircraft.

9. Hughes H-4 Hercules

The Hughes H-4 Hercules seaplane, developed in 1946, also had impressive dimensions; it made its only experimental flight in 1947. It was assumed that the aircraft would carry out regular passenger transportation, accommodating up to 750 people. His wingspan until 2017, with an indicator of 97.54 m, was considered a record. The fuselage length was 66.45 meters. A distinctive feature of the aircraft was that its first model was made of wood. Conceived as a transatlantic seaplane, it never made it across the Atlantic.

10. ANT-20 “Maxim Gorky”

The Soviet passenger aircraft ANT-20 was built in 1934. As conceived by aircraft designers, it was developed as a propaganda aircraft. A total of two copies were built.

The wingspan was 63 meters, the fuselage length reached 33 meters. Without load, the aircraft's weight was 28.5 tons, the maximum cargo weight was 23.5 tons. The flight range was calculated at 1000-1200 kilometers. Cruising speed reached 275 km/h.