The longest passenger aircraft. The largest passenger and cargo aircraft in the world. Rating of the fastest planes in the world. Largest passenger aircraft

The history of aviation in its modern sense goes back more than 100 years, if you do not take into account the attempts of man to fly into the air since ancient times. During this time, aircraft manufacturing has evolved from the first prototypes of the Wright brothers and other enthusiastic inventors to heavy-duty, multi-ton giants capable of carrying tons of cargo and hundreds of passengers. This article is about the 10 largest aircraft in the world.

The largest passenger aircraft in the world

The Airbus A380 holds the lead among the largest civil aircraft for transporting passengers. This is the brainchild of the European company Airbus. It first flew into the air with passengers in 2005 after 10 years of development and experimentation by designers.

Fact. The cost of creating the giant was almost 12 billion euros.

This expensive, but the largest passenger aircraft has the following dimensions:

• height – 24.08 m;
• length – 72.75 m;
• wingspan - 79.75 m;
• weight – 280 t.

Additional Information. Despite its impressive dimensions, the Airbus A380 is very economical and even environmentally friendly in operation - only three liters of fuel are consumed to transport one passenger over a distance of 100 kilometers. It can cover a distance of more than 15,400 meters without refueling. And the less fuel is spent, the less emissions into the atmosphere. This result was achieved thanks to the ideal design of the wing and fuselage, as well as the special material from which they are made. These engineering solutions significantly reduced the overall weight of the vessel and improved its aerodynamics.

Today, double-decker Airbus A380s accommodate 525 passengers when divided into three classes and up to 853 people with a single-class cabin configuration. However, development and testing of improved versions of the aircraft are already underway, the capacity of which should exceed 1000 people.

The Airbus A380 unseated the Boeing 747, which had held its position as the largest aircraft since the 1970s. The A380 developers have found a way to reduce production costs by 15% compared to Boeing and increase capacity by 7%.

Second largest aircraft in the world

The already mentioned Boeing 747 (Jumbo Jet) ranks honorably second in size among passenger airliners. At the time of its creation in 1969, it was the largest, heaviest and most spacious aircraft, with a length of 70.6 m.

For 36 years it was produced in various modifications, however, maintaining their main characteristics: a wide fuselage and two floors for passengers. This design gives the Jumbo Jet a recognizable hump-like silhouette, as the upper deck is significantly shorter than the lower deck.

Interesting. In the late 1960s, it was believed that the future of passenger aviation belonged to supersonic light aircraft that would displace the clumsy heavyweights. Therefore, the 747 was designed with the ability to be converted into a freighter. Experts estimated the capacity of the market for spacious aircraft at no more than 400 units, but these forecasts did not come true, and in 1993 the company sold its thousandth Boeing 747. Only in our century, with the advent of the Airbus A380, demand began to fall.

In the 1970s There was a fuel crisis in the world; prices for jet fuel skyrocketed, as did ticket prices. Companies that have a Boeing 747 in their fleet are faced with its unprofitability; the plane often flies empty. However, on particularly busy routes and on intercontinental flights, the Jumbo Jet has been and remains a popular model.

The longest passenger plane in the world

This is a record holder from the latest history of aviation - the Boeing 747-8, which began production in 2008. It is a modification of the legendary Boeing 747, with significant modifications. The designers extended the fuselage as much as possible, redesigned the wing and worked on efficiency in operation.

The length of the Boeing 747-8 is 76.25 m, making it the longest passenger airliner in the world. However, it is also the heaviest US aircraft, its take-off weight is 447 tons, which is still considered a record in the entire history of aircraft manufacturing in America.

Characteristics:

• length – 76.25 m;
• height – 19.35 m;
• wingspan - 68.45 m.

In addition to cargo, this aircraft can accommodate up to 581 passengers.

The most "hardy" aircraft

For the successful operation of aircraft, in addition to capacity and payload capacity, it is important how far they can travel without refueling. Today, the record holder for long-distance flights is the Boeing 777, which is capable of flying half the circumference of the Earth at a time - 20,000 km. However, this is the maximum value of the flight length; in normal practice, the distance covered is 9000-17000 km.

Interesting. The Boeing 777E is the first modern airliner to be created using computer modeling instead of paper drawings. In the early 1990s. Such technologies have become a breakthrough in the aircraft industry, since 3D modeling makes it possible to eliminate errors in the joining of parts even at the design stage.

The Boeing 777 has different modifications depending on the fuselage length and range. 777-300ER is one of the most “hardy” and popular modifications. It is a large airliner with two turbofan engines. Maximum capacity – 550 people.

As a long-haul aircraft, the Boeing 777 can stay in the air for up to 18 hours without a break. However, there is a limitation on the duration of the crew’s work shift, so there are special places in the cabin for pilots and flight attendants to sleep and rest.

Leader in wing length

The Hughes H-4 Hercules entered the TOP 10 largest aircraft in the world due to its wing size. Despite the fact that this is the oldest aircraft described here, no one has yet been able to break its record: the span reaches 98 meters.

The plane took off for the first and last time in 1947; it has a sad history of creation. At the beginning of World War II, the American government commissioned the development of a military aircraft from Hughes Aircraft under the management of Howard Hughes. However, the search for a perfect solution took a long time. Hughes could not be satisfied with the result. In addition, there was a shortage of aluminum in the world. As a result, the war ended, but there was still no plane. Only two years after the end of hostilities, the Hughes H-4 Hercules made its first flight. Surprisingly, this device was made entirely of plywood and, in fact, was a flying boat.

Specifications:

• length – 66.45 m;
• height – 24.08 m;
• wingspan - 97.54 m;
• maximum take-off weight – 180 tons.

Interesting. This “boat” could transport 750 soldiers in full uniform to the battlefield. However, in reality, her flight was limited to two kilometers above Los Angeles. After which the plane remained in the personal property of G. Hughes, who until his death annually spent a lot of money on maintaining it in working condition. After the death of the designer, the giant was sent to a museum in California to attract tourists. The film The Aviator, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, is based on the life of engineer Howard Hughes.

Not long ago (May 31, 2017), the Hughes H-4 Hercules record for wingspan was surpassed: the Stratolaunch aircraft with a wingspan of 117 meters was presented to the world. However, it has not yet made a single flight, so Hughes’ brainchild is still the leader among the models in use.

The largest cargo plane in the world

This title belongs to the An-225, designed in the USSR at the Kiev Mechanical Development Plant, at the Design Bureau named after. O. K. Antonova. The Ukrainian name for the heavy-duty truck is “Mriya” (translated as “dream”). The first flight took place in 1988.

The impetus for the creation of Mriya was the Soviet space program Buran to develop a reusable transport spacecraft. To implement ambitious plans, an aircraft with an ultra-high payload capacity was required to participate in the cargo transportation of ship components. The designed aircraft had to lift at least 250 tons at a time and have attachments for transporting external cargo.

The designers took the An-124-100 (“Ruslan”) as a basis and changed some components and parts to obtain the necessary technical characteristics. This is how the largest transport aircraft An-225 appeared. Despite the fact that Mriya was created for very specific tasks, it has become a universal vessel in cargo aviation.

The cargo compartment is sealed and has the following dimensions:

• length – 43 m;
• height – 18.2 m;
• width – 6.4 m;
• wingspan - 88.4 m;
• weight – 250 tons.

The plane has space for 6 crew members and 88 people accompanying the cargo. The likelihood that the plane will fail during flight is extremely low - all important systems are duplicated 4 times.

While the Mriya was created in a single copy, the winding down of the Buran program also suspended the production of the heavyweight aircraft. It is known that the design bureau named after. Antonova continues to develop the second modification of the giant.

The largest military aircraft

The An-124 Ruslan, the prototype of the An-225, was at one time considered the largest aircraft in the world. Now it is the largest military aircraft with a huge payload. It has four turbojet engines, a wide fuselage and two decks. The lower one is for cargo, the upper one is for the crew (8 people) and accompanying people (up to 21 people). The volume of the cargo compartment is 1000 cubic meters. An-124 lifts 120 tons into the air.

Characteristics:

• length – 69.1 m;
• height – 21.08 m;
• wingspan - 73.3 m;
• weight – 178.4 tons;
• take-off weight - 392 tons.

"Ruslan" was also developed at the Design Bureau named after. O.K. Antonova, like “Mriya”. The purpose of its creation is to transport transcontinental ballistic missiles. However, the result of the work of Soviet designers exceeded expectations - the An-124 turned out to be a universal military aircraft that can transport large military equipment. "Ruslan" was mass-produced; a total of 56 copies were produced. In the early 2000s. There were attempts to resume its production by Ukraine and Russia, but due to the worsening political relations between the two countries, the project was curtailed.

The largest turboprop aircraft in the world

The An-22 was developed in the Soviet Union in the 1960s, at the height of the Cold War. It was codenamed “product 100”. As a result, five years later the world saw this gigantic “product” called AN-22 “Antey”. This is the first Soviet and Russian aircraft with a wide fuselage. It is still considered the largest aircraft with a turboprop engine. The diameter of the propellers is 62 cm, and the power of each of the four engines is 11227 kW.

Characteristics:

• length – 57.31 m;
• height – 12.53 m;
• wingspan – 64.40 m;
• weight – 119 kg;
• load capacity – 60 tons.

"Antey" is capable of transporting heavy and large military equipment over long distances and is used for airborne landings.

The heaviest combat aircraft in history

The Tu-160 is a representative of a completely different generation of military aircraft. It flies at supersonic speed and is a strategic bomber. So far this is the largest and most powerful aircraft in Russia and the world in the history of military aviation.

The Tu-160 concept was born in the 1970-1980s. as a response of Russian strategists to the military developments of the United States and NATO. The future aircraft was supposed to fly to the neighboring continent and overcome enemy air defenses at supersonic speed.

Characteristics:

• length – 54.1 m;
• the wing is variable sweep, so the span is different: 55.7/50.7/35.6 m;
• height – 13.1 m;
• weight – 110 t.
• maximum take-off weight – 275 tons.

Most Tu-160 missile carriers are named after prominent figures in Russian aviation. As of 2017, our country Russia has 16 aircraft in service. There are plans to completely modernize them.

The largest mass-produced cargo aircraft

The “Largest Aircraft” selection is completed by the American cargo aircraft Lockheed C-5 Galaxy. Today it is the largest model among mass-produced cargo carriers. Since 1968, the aircraft has been successfully operated by the US Army, and regular upgrades allow it to be considered modern and promising.

Characteristics:

• aircraft length - 75.54 m;
• aircraft height – 19.85 m;
• wingspan - 67.88 m;
• weight – 169.6 tons.
• maximum take-off weight – 379.6 tons.

The aircraft without refueling can fly over 4 thousand kilometers at an altitude of 10 km. The maximum developed speed is 920 km.

The largest aircraft are milestones in the history of aviation. They demonstrate how engineering thought developed, what path the designers saw before them. As history shows, the most outstanding achievements in aircraft manufacturing are associated with military operations.

The plane itself is already a genius of engineering. Making hundreds of tons of iron rise above the ground is a non-trivial task. Even the smallest details matter, it takes the highest precision and the hard work of hundreds of people to create even the simplest aircraft by modern standards.

The greater the challenge for aircraft designers to experiment with materials, sizes, and technologies in order to create aircraft that are lighter, more economical, and larger than their predecessors. This article will focus on the largest passenger aircraft. Now in the world there are two main players producing huge passenger aircraft - Boeing and Airbus.

The competition between them led to the creation of colossal machines. Among them, the recognized leader is the Airbus A380. The span of its huge wings reaches almost 80 m, and its length is 73 m. Read about it, as well as other flying giants, below.

Airbus-A380

• Wingspan - 79.75 m
• Length - 72.75 m
• Height - 24.08 m
• Weight - 280 t
• Takeoff weight, max. - 560 t
• Number of engines - 4
• Passenger capacity, max. - 853 people

Production of this aircraft began in 2005 and was put into operation in 2007. Since that time, it has officially taken first place among passenger aircraft not only in size, but also in capacity, as well as in many other parameters. For example, for aircraft of this category it is the most economical. Its fuel consumption is only 3 liters per passenger per 100 km.

Such a huge aircraft would not be able to take off if it were built from traditional materials - it would simply be too heavy, and the lifting force of the wings would not be enough to lift it off the ground. Therefore, the main challenge for engineers and designers was the task of reducing its mass as much as possible.

The solution to this problem was made possible through the use of the latest composite materials, some of which were specially developed for this aircraft. For example, the central and main part of the wing (which itself weighs 11 tons!) consists of 40 percent carbon fiber. Laser technology was used to weld structural elements, which significantly increased the reliability of connections and reduced the number of fasteners.

Among other things, the designers also took care of environmental friendliness. By reducing the amount of fuel consumed by 17% compared to the Boeing 747, they also achieved a reduction in CO2 emissions - they amount to 75 g per passenger per 1 km of travel.

Boeing 747

• Wingspan - 68.5 m
• Length - 76.3 m
• Height - 19.4 m
• Weight - 214.5 t
• Takeoff weight, max. - 442.2 t
• Number of engines - 4
• Passenger capacity, max. - 581 people
• Manufacturer - Boeing

The Boeing 747 held the lead among passenger aircraft for more than 36 years, from 1969 to 2005. The introduction of this aircraft into mass production in 1970 was a breakthrough because the construction of such a new model entailed a whole series of changes in the production process, technology, operational requirements and even in pilot training methods.

Initially, it was not planned to produce a large number of 747s, but when this model proved its reliability, many world airlines began to order it, because the volume of passenger traffic began to increase sharply, and it was profitable to maintain spacious aircraft. Currently, 1.5 thousand 747s fly in the world in companies such as British Airways, Korean Air, China Airlines. In Russia, the 747 is operated by the Rossiya company. She “inherited” five 747s from the collapsed Transaero company.

The 747 also holds significant records: in 1989, this particular aircraft, owned by the Australian Qantas Airways, made a direct flight to Sydney from the British capital, covering 18 thousand km in just over 20 hours. True, it was flying empty: without cargo or passengers. Another record is related to the number of passengers: in 1997, 1,112 people flew on it to Israel during the military Operation Solomon.

The 747 was also used to transport Space Shuttle spacecraft. For such transportation, space shuttles are mounted on the aircraft's back.

The most distinctive detail of the 747 is the “hump” on the fuselage. It was originally planned that the fuselage would be double-decker along its entire length, but this option had to be abandoned for technical reasons. Therefore, the second deck of this Boeing is short.

This superstructure was designed so that the bow of the ship could be modified into a cargo ramp, because the 747 was intended to be used primarily for cargo transportation.

There are 7 modifications of the Boeing 747, almost all of them have both passenger and cargo and cargo-passenger versions. It would not be a mistake to say that the 747 is one of the most common aircraft of this type in the world.

Airbus A340-600

• Wingspan - 63.45 m
• Length - 75.36 m
• Height - 17.22 m
• Weight - 177 t
• Takeoff weight, max. - 380 t
• Number of engines - 4
• Passenger capacity, max. - 419 people
• Manufacturer - Airbus S.A.S Concern

The Airbus S.A.S concern owns another giant aircraft. This is the Airbus A340-600, which, before the release of one of the Boeing 747 modifications, was the world's longest passenger aircraft.

Its commercial release began in 2002, but was stopped in 2011. Over 9 years, 97 aircraft of this modification were produced. 340-600 was created specifically for intercontinental flights. Its declared flight range is 14,600 km without refueling.

Boeing 777-300ER

• Wingspan - 64.8 m
• Length - 73.9 m
• Height - 18.7 m
• Weight - 166.9 t
• Takeoff weight, max. - 351.5 t
• Number of engines - 2
• Passenger capacity, max. - 365 people
• Manufacturer - Boeing

The letters ER in the name of the modification stand for Extended Range - increased range. It is capable of flying 14,690 km without refueling thanks to an increase in fuel reserve compared to the previous modification of the “three sevens”. This aircraft is the main competitor of the Airbus A340-600 and the best-selling 777 in the world. There are currently about 400 aircraft of this modification in operation around the world.

The aircraft of this model are powered by the world's most powerful turbofan jet engines, General Electric 90-115B, which provide a maximum thrust of 513 kN. The 300ER modification has reinforced structural elements compared to its predecessors: landing gear, tail, wings, as well as additional fuel tanks.

The giant double-deck Airbus A380 is the largest passenger aircraft in the history of world aviation, with a maximum capacity of 853 passengers in a single-class configuration. The first copy was delivered to the customer in 2007; to date, more than 110 vehicles have been built! Today I want to show the A380 assembly line at the Toulouse plant, the scale and size of what I saw is impressive... Well, for a big plane - big photos in the report!

Many spotters, and not only them, consider the plane aesthetically unattractive. I categorically disagree with this statement, moreover, I think it is especially beautiful and elegantly heavy. The A380 taking off slowly is beautiful!

Now let's go to the factory...

This is a diagram of the location of production facilities at a plant in the town of Balagnac near Toulouse, orange is the A380 assembly shops.

Each A380 aircraft consists of approximately 4 million individual components and 2.5 million parts, manufactured by 1,500 companies in 30 countries.

The main elements of the A380 fuselage cannot be transported by air, so they are transported by sea and river on specially adapted barges, and then twice a month by car - this is called "night convoy".

Especially for this aircraft, Airbus has developed a unique logistics system that involves sea, river, air and road transport. From the town of Lisle-Jourdain, approximately 30 km from Blagnac, at exactly 22:00, the night convoy begins moving at a speed of 15-20 km/h, so as not to interfere with traffic - six trailers on which all parts of the aircraft are placed depart in a two-hour way to the final point - the final assembly line in Blagnac.

Fuselage sections with a diameter of 7 meters are transported straight through the narrow streets of the town. But this is the only possible and most optimal point for delivery of aircraft elements to the plant.

At the first station, the fuselage sections are assembled and connected to each other.

Then the wings and vertical stabilizer are installed:

The wing area of ​​the A380 is 845 m2, which is 54% more than that of the Boeing 747-400!

And it's not just a tail... it's FIVE giraffes! :)

Preparation of engine pylons:

The aircraft is assembled, the passenger compartment and cockpit are installed at the following positions:

Each of the main landing gear can withstand a load of up to 260 tons, which is equivalent to the weight of 200 Golf cars

And finally, the last assembly station, where the installation of engines and passenger seats is carried out:

The A380 can be equipped with two types of engines: Rolls-Royce Trent 900 or Engine Alliance GP7000. Only two of the four engines are equipped with thrust reversers.
Reducing noise levels was an important design requirement for the A380, which was partly reflected in the design of the engines. Both engine types enable the aircraft to meet London Heathrow Airport noise limits QC/2 on departure and QC/0.5 on arrival.

The A380 is the most fuel-efficient aircraft in its category. This is the only long-haul airliner that consumes less than 3 liters of fuel to transport a passenger per 100 km (typical layout of 525 seats)

The total area of ​​the A380 cabin is 554 m2. Two full decks: the main deck is the widest passenger cabin in the world (6.5 m); the upper deck is a full-fledged cabin of a wide-body aircraft (5.8 m). The aircraft's air conditioning system is equipped with the most modern filters, which ensure uniform air supply to all parts of the aircraft. The air in the aircraft cabin (volume 1570 m3) is completely replaced every three minutes! The A380 has the quietest passenger cabin in the history of world aviation, I was personally convinced of this on the way from Frankfurt to Singapore.

This A380 will presumably be transferred to a private customer. And behind it, the A300B is the first aircraft produced by Airbus. This aircraft revolutionized civil aviation in the 70s, becoming the first wide-body twin-engine aircraft.

The circular structure on the right is the static engine testing area, with barriers around the circle limiting the distribution of the sound wave.

To date, more than 110 A380 aircraft have been produced; an average of 2.5 aircraft are produced and delivered to customers every month. The order backlog is another 160 aircraft! Currently, the A380 is in service with 20 airlines.
Here are some interesting statistics on B777/B747 replacement on some flights:

And the A380 occupancy rate is also not lower than 80%:

Emirates has the largest A380 fleet:

Five A380s were built for demonstration and testing purposes. The first A380, serial number MSN001 and registration F-WWOW, was unveiled at a ceremony in Toulouse on January 18, 2005, and first flew on April 27, 2005. Here is the very first A380:

The assembly shops of the Airbus plant can be visited by everyone! 2-3 hour tours are organized both in Hamburg and Toulouse, costing 10-15 euros. Pre-reservation is required (!), especially if it is important to get into a group with an English-speaking guide; read the links for additional and current conditions.

This list contains the world's 10 largest aircraft ever built. The rating includes both passenger aircraft and cargo and transport aircraft. There are more detailed materials about some of them, for example An Mriya, and we will talk about some of them for the first time. The list is presented in descending order.

Dornier Do X
The Dornier Do X was the largest, heaviest, and most powerful aircraft in the world when it was produced by the German company Dornier in 1929. Essentially, it is more of a passenger flying boat than a classic airplane.

Tupolev Ant-20
Tupolev Ant-20, or Maxim Gorky, was named after Maxim Gorky and dedicated to the 40th anniversary of his literary and social activities. The Ant-20 was the largest known aircraft to adopt the Junkers design philosophy, with corrugated sheet steel in many key airframe components.

Boeing 747 Dreamlifter
This larger version of the Boeing 747, called the Dreamlifter, is used exclusively to transport parts of the Boeing 787 aircraft to the company's assembly plants from suppliers in other parts of the world.

Boeing 747-8
The Boeing 747-8 is the largest version of the 747, as well as the largest commercial aircraft built in the United States and the longest passenger aircraft in the world. That's how many records this outstanding aircraft has.

Boeing 747
The original version of the Boeing 747 had two and a half times the passenger capacity of the Boeing 707, one of the commercial aviation giants of the 1960s.

Antonov AN-22
The Antonov 22 is a heavy military transport aircraft designed by the Antonov Design Bureau in Kharkov. The aircraft is powered by four turboprop air-breathing engines. The AN-22 became the first Soviet wide-body aircraft and remains the world's largest four-engine turboprop high-wing aircraft with a twin fin and tail cargo hatch to this day.

Antonov An-124
The Antonov 124 is a strategic aircraft for air cargo transport. One of the largest aircraft in the world was developed by the Antonov design bureau. The 124 is the second tallest cargo aircraft in the world after the Boeing 747-8F and the third heaviest cargo aircraft in the world.

Airbus A380
The double-deck Airbus A380 is a wide-body airliner with four engines. It is the largest passenger airliner in the world. Many airports have had to upgrade their runways to accommodate its size. The A380 made its maiden flight on 27 April 2005 and began commercial service in October 2007 with Singapore Airlines.

Airbus A340
Second on the list is the Airbus A340. It seats up to 375 passengers in standard versions and 440 in enlarged versions. Depending on the model, the A-340 can travel from 12,400 to 17,000 km on one fill.

The largest aircraft is An-225 Mriya
The An-225 Mriya is a strategic airlift cargo aircraft designed by Antonov Design Bureau in the 1980s. Mriya is translated from Ukrainian as Dream. The aircraft is powered by six turbofan engines and is the largest in the world, with a maximum take-off weight of 640 tons. Currently, only one version has been built, but a second Mriya is also being prepared for release.

The dimensions of the first aircraft with an engine were more than modest. Its length was 6.4 meters and its height was 2.7 meters. Flyer 1, designed and built back in 1903 by the Wright brothers, was capable of lifting only one person into the air. The wingspan of the first aircraft was just over 12 meters, and the wing area was 47 square meters. Of course, aviation has come a long way since then. Modern airliners amaze with their dimensions, power, and carrying capacity. The largest aircraft in the world are capable of carrying several hundred tons of cargo, and passenger giants carry more than 800 passengers per flight. Let's talk about the heavyweights of modern aviation.

Leader in wing length

Before moving on to the giants, let's remember the unique Hughes H-4 Hercules. It is he who has held the lead in wingspan for more than 70 years, and only the modern Airbus A380-800 has equaled it in height.

The aircraft has a complicated history. At the beginning of World War II, the US government ordered Hughes Aircraft to build an amphibious aircraft for cargo and passenger transportation. Yes, he had to not only fly, but also be able to swim. The main goal stated by the customer is to spend a minimum of strategic raw materials, that is, to make it not from metal, but from wood.

The "flying boat" was intended to be the largest aircraft in existence. But the search for an ideal solution dragged on, and the amphibious aircraft was built only two years after the end of the war. The device, which received the famous nickname “Spruce Goose,” was made entirely of plywood. It is estimated that the development and construction of the aircraft required $22 million from the US budget, and another $18 million was invested by company owner Howard Hughes.

The dimensions of the Hercules were seven times greater than those of any aircraft. The length was 66.45 meters, height - 24 meters, and wingspan - 97.5 meters. It weighed 136 tons, the carrying capacity was 59 tons. The flying boat was capable of carrying more than 700 soldiers.

According to the project, the aircraft could reach speeds of up to 378 km/h, gain an altitude of more than seven thousand meters and fly 5.6 thousand km. But it was never possible to test its extreme capabilities. The Hercules made its first and only experimental flight in November 1947 in Los Angeles Harbor. After making several passes around the harbor, the amphibious aircraft took off from the water and flew about two kilometers at an altitude of 21 meters and a speed of about 120 km/h. After a perfectly perfect landing, the Hercules returned to its hangar, where it was maintained in working order until 1976. Today you can see the wooden giant at the Oregon State Museum in the USA.

Passenger transportation record holders

Among the largest modern airliners in the passenger air transportation segment, two competing aircraft models stand out: the Boeing 747 and the Airbus A380. The first holds the palm in terms of length, the second has become the undisputed leader in capacity.

Leader in size

The longest passenger airliner today is the Boeing 747-8. It is also the largest commercial aircraft ever built in the United States.

The wide-body, double-deck Boeing 747-8 is almost a meter longer than the previous leader, the Airbus A340-600. The fuselage length is 76 meters, height - more than 19 meters. The wingspan of this giant is almost 68.5 meters.

The airliner was announced in 2005, and the first flight took place five years later. Its key differences from previous Boeing 747 models were the extended fuselage, new wing, engines and on-board systems. Significant improvements have led to it becoming the quietest and most economical airliner in the family. Boeing's calling card, the hump at the front of the hull, remains; this is where the upper deck is located.

The ship can accommodate up to 581 passengers. The airliner is capable of traveling up to 14.1 thousand kilometers at a speed of 917 km/h. The maximum speed of the Boeing 747-8 reaches 950 km/h, which makes it the leader among subsonic passenger airliners.

The Boeing 747-8 is available in three versions: cargo, passenger and presidential. Today, the longest aircraft in the world are used by Air China, Korean Air, Cathay Pacific Airways, UPS Airlines and others. It is he who holds the lead in orders for VIP versions of the aircraft, intended for flights of top officials of the state, statesmen and politicians.

Record holder for passenger capacity

For 37 years, the leadership in three parameters: size, weight and capacity was held by the passenger Boeing 747. Everything changed in 2005, when the Airbus A380 took off into the sky. Since then, it has held the lead in passenger capacity.

The aircraft can carry up to 853 passengers at a time, while the Boeing 747 can accommodate up to 600 people.

It took about ten years and 12 billion euros to develop the airliner. As stated by Airbus S.A.S, in order to recoup the project, 420 aircraft need to be sold. At the end of 2017, 317 aircraft were ordered, more than 220 of them are already operated by airlines.

The A380 made its first commercial flight in 2007 from Singapore to Sydney under the flag of Singapore Airlines. In honor of this event, passengers were treated to champagne and presented with memorable certificates.

The record holder’s dimensions are no less impressive: height 24 meters, length almost 73 meters, wingspan almost 80 meters. It weighs 280 tons, and can lift the same amount. The most difficult question, according to the developers, was how to make such a giant as light as possible. To solve the problem during construction, lightweight composite materials were used.

Despite its size, the A380 is the most economical among the giants, fuel consumption is 20% lower than the Boeing 747. It can travel up to 15.4 thousand kilometers without landing at a speed of 1020 km/h.

Heavyweights in the world of aviation

Let's move on to the largest and heaviest cargo aircraft. The line of leaders here has not changed since the 80s of the last century, when the An-225 entered the “pedestal”. Among the production versions of cargo models, its prototype, the An-124, holds the lead. Although American aircraft designers are already catching up with the leaders with their latest developments.

Record holder for cargo transportation

The An-225, called “Mriya” (“Dream”), is officially recognized as the most load-lifting aircraft in the world. The pinnacle of thought of Soviet designers set about 250 world records, many of which have not been surpassed to this day.

The An-225 was designed and built at the Antonov Design Bureau. The aircraft was intended to solve specific problems during the implementation of the Soviet space program "Buran". In particular, it was supposed to transport heavy components of the spacecraft and launch vehicle, and also be used as the first stage of the spacecraft launch system.

The designers took the An-124 as a basis, this gave it the qualities of a universal cargo aircraft. And fundamental improvements have made it possible to achieve record carrying capacity: Mriya can transport up to 250 tons over a distance of up to four thousand kilometers.

The An-225 made its first flight in 1988, and a year later the demonstration of its capabilities created a sensation at the Paris Air Exhibition.

The An-225 is amazing in size. Its length is 84 meters, its height is more than 18 meters (the height of a five-story building), and its wingspan exceeds 88 meters. The empty weight of the aircraft is 250 tons.

"Mriya" is capable of transporting super-heavy loads both in a sealed cabin and outside on the fuselage. The length of the cargo compartment is 43 meters, width - 6.4 meters, height - 4.4 meters. This area will freely accommodate 50 cars. The second deck accommodates 6 crew members and 88 passengers.

Today, “Mriya” exists in a single copy. The aircraft is used to transport cargo and carry out rescue operations. The second aircraft was planned for release, but remained in a half-assembled state. Due to the lack of a customer, the completion and modernization of the second An-225 is still in question.

Largest serial heavyweight

Of the mass-produced heavyweights, another development of the Design Bureau named after them is considered the most load-lifting in the world. Antonov An-124, or "Ruslan". Before the advent of the Airbus A380, its size was second only to the Boeing 747.

"Ruslan" was originally created for military purposes. With its help they planned to transport ballistic missile launch systems, heavy military equipment and military personnel. The first test of "Ruslan" took place in 1982. For three years it was used exclusively in the interests of the army. The heavyweight was capable of transporting up to 120 tons of cargo, up to 440 paratroopers or 880 soldiers with equipment.

Since 1985, Ruslan switched to servicing civil transportation, making the first “delivery” of a 152-ton mining dump truck from Vladivostok to Yakutia. Among the unusual “orders”, it is worth noting the delivery of 140 tons of equipment from the legendary Pink Floyd from London to Moscow, and the transportation of more than 50 tons of gold from the UAE to Switzerland. Michael Jackson also took advantage of the Ruslans' capabilities, transporting 310 tons of his cargo on three aircraft.

The An-124 is somewhat shorter in size than the Mriya (69 meters), but taller (21 meters). The wingspan exceeds 73 meters. The empty weight of the aircraft is 178 tons.

On the upper deck there are crew cabins (for 8 people) and two passenger cabins (7+21 people). The lower deck is a sealed cargo compartment that is shorter in length than the An-225 and is 36.5 meters.

Production of Ruslans was stopped in 2004. A total of 55 aircraft of this model were produced. Afterwards, some of them were modernized: the fuselage and wing were updated, some systems and units were replaced, and the carrying capacity was increased.

“Ruslans” can transport cargo up to 120 tons over a distance of 4.8 thousand kilometers. If the load is three times lighter, the flight range will be up to 12 thousand kilometers. The maximum speed that the liner can reach is 865 km/h.

Western analogue of An-124

The closest competitor to the Russian serial heavyweight is the American military transport aircraft Lockheed C-5 Galaxy. It is the third largest air transportation giant in the world in terms of cargo capacity after Mriya and Ruslan.

The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy made its first flight in 1968. Quite soon it became the main means of transporting military forces and equipment to places of military operations. In total, several modifications of the aircraft were produced. The latest - C-5M Super Galaxy - is capable of transporting almost 130 tons of cargo (for comparison, this is how much 150 Volkswagen Beetle cars weigh in total).

The height of the hull here is almost 20 meters, the length is 75.5 meters, and the wingspan is 67.9 meters.

The size of the aircraft is no less impressive than its capabilities. The length of the aircraft is 75.5 meters, height - almost 20 meters, wingspan - just under 68 meters. The cargo compartment, 37 meters long and 5.8 meters in diameter, can accommodate 270 soldiers and another 118 tons of payload. On the upper deck there is a crew cabin for five people and seats for passengers. The flight range with maximum load is 5.5 thousand kilometers at a speed of up to 888 km/h.

Promising giant

Aircraft designers never tire of competing to produce giants. Thus, in 2011, the largest twin-fuselage transport aircraft, the Stratolaunch Model 351, developed by Scaled Composites, was announced and six years later presented. The new “titan”, with a wingspan of 117 meters, surpasses both “Mriya” and even the famous “Hercules”.

The length of the aircraft is more than 72 meters with a height of 15 meters. According to the project, it will be able to lift up to 250 tons of cargo on an external sling. The Stratolaunch Model 351 is intended to be a platform for air-launched missiles.

The aircraft is currently undergoing the necessary testing. Its commissioning is planned for 2019.