The largest aircraft in the world. Passenger aircraft, which are the largest: dimensions and capacity. The fastest planes in the world

In the old days, a person could only look into the heavenly expanses and dream of rising to them. Nowadays, thanks to modern technologies that have made it possible to invent airplanes, a seemingly impossible dream has become a reality. Since the invention of the first aircraft model, the human mind has been trying to create more advanced and high-tech models, which is why real air giants appear.

The largest aircraft in Russia and the world is the Airbus A380. Its design provides for the presence of two decks, and the dimensions of the liner are as follows:

The height reaches 24 m.
80 m – wingspan.
73 m is the length of the air giant.

The aircraft can accommodate 555 people, while the charter model can accommodate up to 853 passengers. Without a forced landing, air transport can cover approximately 15.5 thousand km, while it consumes fuel very economically, 3.5 liters per 100 km. After the creation of the Airbus A380, the Boeing 747 was removed from the podium, which for more than 30 years confidently held its leadership position as the most great view air transport.

Boeing 747

The largest passenger aircraft in Russia, which has held the championship for more than 30 years, is the Boeing 747, the services of which continue to be used by our compatriots. It is this type of air vehicle was the first to cover a huge distance without a change on the London-Sydney route. The airliner spent 20.5 hours in the sky, during which time it was able to cover a distance of 18.5 thousand km.

An-225 "Mriya"

An-225 or Mriya

The largest Russian aircraft, for transporting large loads, was created in the late 80s of the last century by Ukrainian scientists (as part of the USSR). The design of this giant provides for a turbojet six-engine high-wing aircraft, in a two-keel design. The wings of the air giant resemble the outline of an arrow.

When developing the airliner, a program called “Buran” was involved, according to which the Soviet government needed the strongest air transport capable of transporting the heaviest loads. The main cargo for transporting the new powerful aircraft was launch vehicles. They had to be transported from the Soviet cosmodrome to the places where the rockets were being assembled. To do this, engineers needed to create an aerial giant that could easily transport more than 200 tons of cargo. As a result, the An-225 was created.

Characteristics of the cargo giant:

6.6 m – width of air transport;
4.6 m – height of the airliner;
44 m is the length of the vessel.

For those who accompany cargo on board the An-225 there are 88 seats. The crew cabin is designed for 6 crew members. Each control system is equipped with quadruple redundancy.

The height of the aircraft reaches 18.5 meters, that is, equal to the height of a house of five floors.

The size of air transport is so large that for landing it needs a runway whose length will be at least 2500 meters. The chassis of the famous airliner is the largest in the world, the number of wheels is 32. This number of wheels allows it to easily withstand a significant weight of 650 tons, which is exactly how much a loaded aircraft weighs. To make braking more convenient, pilots can switch the aircraft's engines to reverse thrust.

To facilitate the loading process, it is possible to press the front part of the vessel to the ground using high-power jacks. This process makes it easy to load the heaviest cargo that needs to be transported on board.

Currently, there is only one analogue of such an airliner in the world. According to the plans of engineers, in the near future, the creation of a similar model. According to some reports, the development of the “twin brother” An-25 is progressing successfully, with approximately 75% of the work already completed.

An-124 "Ruslan"

"Ruslan" or An-124

The largest aircraft, Ruslan, was created a little earlier than the An-225. Air transport was created for the purpose of transporting ballistic and intercontinental missiles. But after the transport was created, the result surprised even the creators. The roomy “Ruslan” began to be used for other purposes, for example, for transporting both combat and landing equipment. The cost of one such aircraft is equal to 300 million dollars.

The air giant first saw the sky at the end of 1982, and was put into operation by the end of 1987.

Airliner characteristics:

69.5 m – its length;
21.5 m – height of the vessel;
73.5 m – span of one wing;
174 tons – weight of unloaded transport;
866 km/h – speed;
The flight lasts 14,500 km.

The design of the airliner is made as a high-wing aircraft, the wings of the aircraft are swept, with a single-fin tail. The aircraft design has 2 decks. The first has a main and interchangeable cabin for crew members, and a cabin for those accompanying the cargo, designed for 21 people. The cargo is transported on the second deck, the volume of which is 1060 cubic meters. m.

To make the loading or loading process easier and more convenient, the aircraft has a special system that helps tilt the cabin in the desired direction. The presence of 24 wheels allows the air giant to land on a dirt road, if necessary.

On the Ruslan, engineers installed 4 turbojet engines, the thrust of each is equal to 23,450 kg/cm. Such power allows you to lift cargo weighing up to 155 tons into the sky.

The aircraft has:

automatic EDSU system;
automated helm control;
four-channel hydraulic complex;
a reliable system for life support for crew members and power supply.

To control the air giant, 35 modern computer systems are used. The largest Russian aircraft, the Ruslan, was able to regain the USSR's leading position in the creation of heavy air transport. It set 21 world records in 1985 for transporting heavy loads over long distances.

In contact with

Since man was able to invent the airplane and take to the air, this industry has developed incredibly quickly. Now the biggest passenger Boeing can accommodate almost a thousand people, which just a few decades ago seemed simply impossible.

Dimensions and capacity of the largest passenger Boeing

The largest passenger Boeing is the Boeing 747. This aircraft has held its honorary title for several decades. The American aircraft began to operate in 1970, and since then it has been considered the largest and largest aircraft for transporting passengers.

The Boeing 747 lost its honorary title only in 2005, when the Airbus A380 aircraft was put into operation.

The capacity of the largest Boeing aircraft is about seven hundred people, depending on the modification of the aircraft. Due to the enormous popularity of this aircraft, Boeing hastened to release as many models as possible, distributing them throughout the world. In total, about 1,500 of these giants were produced, each of which was in operation for several years.

Despite its enormous size, the Boeing 747 is an example of the highest quality aircraft and complete thoughtful design. The length of the aircraft itself was initially 70.6 meters, and the wingspan was 59.6 meters. Now the length of the aircraft has increased to 76 meters. Such a giant could reach speeds of up to 955 kilometers per hour, which in 1970 seemed unthinkable.

Because Boeing is constantly modifying its most famous model, the maximum speed of the modern Boeing 747 is 988 kilometers per hour.

Other large passenger aircraft peace

Currently, the largest passenger aircraft is the Airbus A380. The aircraft received its honorary status only in 2005, displacing the previous leader, the Boeing 747.

The Airobus A380 has a capacity of 852 passengers, which seems like an incredible number. The passengers themselves are located on two decks in the highest class cabins. Great Britain, Italy and France took part in the production of this aircraft. Another large aircraft from Airbus is the A340-600. This liner can accommodate a little less than 700 passengers, but is capable of flying more than 14 thousand kilometers without additional refueling.

Boeing is also proud of the 777-300 ER. This model can accommodate up to 550 passengers. At the same time, the aircraft is an absolute record holder in terms of flight duration without additional refueling. The plane can fly 21 thousand kilometers non-stop, which is unattainable for any other air transport model.

The impressive dimensions of the largest aircraft in the world speak only of the ambition of modern aircraft designers. Most likely, humanity will not stop there, and many more huge Boeings will appear in the world, striking not only with the quality of their equipment, but also with their incredible, hitherto incomprehensible dimensions.

The three largest aircraft in the world and their stories

People are always attracted by some kind of record - record-breaking aircraft always receive great attention

The Airbus A380 is a wide-body, double-deck jet passenger aircraft created by Airbus S.A.S. (formerly Airbus Industrie) is the largest production airliner in the world.

The height of the aircraft is 24.08 meters, length is 72.75 (80.65) meters, wingspan is 79.75 meters. The A380 can fly non-stop over distances of up to 15,400 km. Capacity - 525 passengers in three classes; 853 passengers in single-class configuration.

There is also a cargo modification of the A380F with the ability to transport cargo up to 150 tons over a distance of up to 10,370 km.

The development of the Airbus A380 took about 10 years, the cost of the entire program was about 12 billion euros. Airbus says it needs to sell 420 planes to recoup its costs, although some analysts estimate the figure could be much higher.

According to the developers, the most difficult part in creating the A380 was the problem of reducing its weight. It was solved through the widespread use of composite materials both in structural structural elements and in auxiliary units, interiors, etc.

To reduce the weight of the aircraft, advanced technologies and improved aluminum alloys were also used. Thus, the 11-ton center section consists of 40% of its mass from carbon fiber reinforced plastic. The fuselage top and side panels are made from Glare hybrid material. Laser welding of stringers and skin was used on the lower fuselage panels, which significantly reduced the number of fasteners.

Airbus claims that the Airbus A380 burns 17% less fuel per passenger than “the current largest aircraft” (presumably referring to the Boeing 747). The less fuel is burned, the lower the carbon dioxide emissions. For an airplane, CO2 emissions per passenger are only 75 grams per kilometer traveled. This is almost half the carbon dioxide emissions limit set by the European Union for cars produced in 2008.

The first A320 aircraft sold was delivered to the customer on October 15, 2007 after a long acceptance testing phase and entered service on October 25, 2007, making a commercial flight between Singapore and Sydney. Two months later, Singapore Airlines President Chew Chong Seng said the Airbus A380 was performing better than expected and was consuming 20% less fuel per passenger than the company's existing Boeing 747-400s.

The aircraft's upper and lower decks are connected by two staircases at the bow and tail, wide enough to accommodate two passengers shoulder to shoulder. In the 555-passenger configuration, the A380 has 33% more passenger seats than the Boeing 747–400 in its standard three-class configuration, but the cabin has 50% more space and volume, resulting in more space per passenger.

The maximum certified capacity of the aircraft is 853 passengers when configured with a single economy class. The announced configurations have a number of passenger seats from 450 (for Qantas Airways) to 644 (for Emirates Airline, with two comfort classes).

Hughes H-4 Hercules (eng. Hughes H-4 Hercules) is a transport wooden flying boat developed by the American company Hughes Aircraft under the leadership of Howard Hughes. This 136-ton aircraft, originally designated the NK-1 and informally nicknamed the Spruce Goose, was the largest flying boat ever built, and its wingspan remains a record to this day. - 98 meters. It was designed to transport 750 soldiers when fully equipped.

At the beginning of World War II, the US government allocated $13 million to Hughes to produce a prototype of a flying ship, but the aircraft was not ready by the end of hostilities, which was explained by a shortage of aluminum, as well as Hughes’s stubbornness in creating a flawless machine.

Specifications

Crew: 3 people
Length: 66.45 m
Wingspan: 97.54 m
Height: 24.08 m
Fuselage height: 9.1 m
Wing area: 1061.88 m²
Maximum take-off weight: 180 tons
Payload weight: up to 59,000 kg
Fuel capacity: 52,996 l
Engines: 8× air-cooled Pratt&Whitney R-4360-4A 3000 hp each. With. (2240 kW) each
Propellers: 8× four-blade Hamilton Standard, 5.23 m diameter

Flight characteristics

Top speed: 351 mph (565.11 km/h)
Cruising speed: 250 mph (407.98 km/h)
Flight range: 5634 km
Service ceiling: 7165 m.

Despite its nickname, the plane is built almost entirely from birch, or more precisely from birch plywood glued to a pattern.

The Hercules aircraft, piloted by Howard Hughes himself, made its first and only flight on November 2, 1947, when it rose to a height of 21 meters and covered approximately two kilometers in a straight line over Los Angeles Harbor.

After a long period of storage (Hughes maintained the aircraft in operational condition until his death in 1976, spending up to $1 million a year on this), the aircraft was sent to a museum in Long Beach, California.

The plane is visited by about 300,000 tourists annually. The biography of the aircraft's creator, Howard Hughes, and the aircraft's testing are shown in Martin Scorsese's film "The Aviator."

It is currently on display at the Evergreen International Aviation Museum in McMinnville, Oregon, where it was moved in 1993.

This machine was designed and built in a very short time: the first drawings began to be created in 1985, and in 1988 the transport aircraft was already built. The reason for such a short deadline can be quite easily explained: the fact is that the Mriya was created on the basis of well-developed components and assemblies of the An-124 Ruslan. For example, the fuselage of the Mriya has the same transverse dimensions as the An-124, but is longer; the span and area of the wings have increased. The wing has the same structure as the Ruslan, but additional sections have been added to it. The An-225 now has two additional engines. The aircraft's landing gear is similar to that of the Ruslan, but it has seven instead of five struts. The cargo compartment has been changed quite seriously. Initially, two aircraft were laid down, but only one An-225 was completed. The second copy of the unique aircraft is approximately 70% complete and can be completed at any time, subject to proper funding. To complete its construction, an amount of 100-120 million dollars is needed.

On February 1, 1989, the aircraft was shown to the general public, and in May of the same year, the An-225 made a non-stop flight from Baikonur to Kyiv, carrying a Buran weighing sixty tons on its back. That same month, the An-225 delivered the Buran spacecraft to the Paris Air Show and created a real sensation there. In total, the aircraft holds 240 world records, including the transportation of the heaviest cargo (253 tons), the heaviest monolithic cargo (188 tons) and the longest cargo.

The An-225 Mriya aircraft was originally created for the needs of the Soviet space industry. In those years, the Soviet Union was building Buran, its first reusable spacecraft, an analogue of the American shuttle. To implement this project it was necessary transport system, with which it was possible to transport large loads. It was for these purposes that “Mriya” was conceived. In addition to the components and assemblies of the spacecraft itself, it was necessary to deliver parts of the Energia rocket, which were also colossal in size. All this was delivered from the production site to the final assembly points. The units and components of Energia and Buran were manufactured in the central regions of the USSR, and final assembly took place in Kazakhstan, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. In addition, the An-225 was initially designed so that in the future it could transport the finished Buran spacecraft. The An-225 could also transport large cargo for the needs of the national economy, for example, equipment for the mining, oil and gas industries.

In addition to participating in the Soviet space program, the aircraft was to be used to transport oversized cargo over long distances. The An-225 Mriya will carry out this work today.

The general functions and tasks of the machine can be described as follows:

transportation of general purpose cargo (large, heavy) with a total weight of up to 250 tons;
intracontinental non-stop transportation of cargo weighing 180−200 tons;
intercontinental transportation of goods weighing up to 150 tons;
transportation of heavy bulky cargo on an external sling with a total weight of up to 200 tons;
use of aircraft for air launch of spacecraft.

The unique aircraft was given other, even more ambitious tasks, and they were also related to space. The An-225 Mriya aircraft was supposed to become a kind of flying cosmodrome, a platform from which spaceships and rockets would be launched into orbit. "Mriya", according to the designers, was supposed to be the first stage for the launch of reusable spacecraft of the "Buran" type. Therefore, initially the designers were faced with the task of making an aircraft with a payload capacity of at least 250 tons.

The Soviet shuttle was supposed to launch from the “back” of the plane. This method of launching vehicles into low-Earth orbit has many serious advantages. Firstly, there is no need to build very expensive ground-based launch complexes, and secondly, launching a rocket or ship from an airplane seriously saves fuel and allows you to increase the payload of the spacecraft. In some cases, this may make it possible to completely abandon the first stage of the rocket.

Various air launch options are currently being developed. They are working especially actively in this direction in the United States, and there are also Russian developments.

Alas, with the collapse Soviet Union, the “air launch” project with the participation of the An-225 was practically buried. This aircraft was an active participant in the Energia-Buran program. The An-225 carried out fourteen flights with Buran on the top of the fuselage, and hundreds of tons of various cargo were transported as part of this program.

After 1991, funding for the Energia-Buran program ceased, and the An-225 was left without work. Only in 2000 did the modernization of the machine begin for use for commercial purposes. The An-225 Mriya aircraft has unique technical characteristics, huge carrying capacity and can transport large cargo on its fuselage - all this makes the aircraft very popular for commercial transportation.

Since that time, the An-225 has performed many flights and transported hundreds of tons of various cargo. Some transport operations can be safely called unique and have no analogues in the history of aviation. The aircraft took part in humanitarian operations several times. After destructive tsunami he delivered electric generators to Samoa, transported construction equipment to earthquake-ravaged Haiti, and helped eliminate the consequences of the earthquake in Japan.

In 2009, the An-225 aircraft was modernized and its service life was extended.

The An-225 Mriya aircraft is designed according to the classical design, with high-raised, slightly swept wings. The cabin is located in the front of the aircraft, the cargo hatch is also located in the nose of the vehicle. The aircraft is made according to a two-fin design. This decision is related to the need to transport cargo on the fuselage of the aircraft. The An-225 airframe has very high aerodynamic properties; the lift-to-drag ratio of this aircraft is 19, which is an excellent indicator not only for transport aircraft, but also for passenger aircraft. This, in turn, significantly improved the aircraft's performance and reduced fuel consumption.

Almost the entire internal space of the fuselage is occupied by the cargo compartment. Compared to the An-124, it has become 10% larger (by seven meters). At the same time, the wing span increased by only 20%, two more engines were added, and the aircraft’s carrying capacity increased by one and a half times. During the construction of the An-225, drawings, components and assemblies of the An-124 were actively used, thanks to which the aircraft was able to be created in such a short time. Here are the main differences between the An-225 and the An-124 “Ruslan”:

new center section;
fuselage length increased;
the single-fin tail was replaced with a double-fin;
lack of a tail cargo hatch;
the number of main landing gear struts has been increased from five to seven;
external cargo fastening and pressurization system;
two additional D-18T engines were installed.

Unlike the Ruslan, the Mriya has only one cargo hatch, which is located in the bow of the aircraft. Like its predecessor, Mriya can change the ground clearance and angle of the fuselage, which is extremely convenient during loading and unloading operations. The chassis has three supports: a front two-post and two main ones, each of which consists of seven posts. Moreover, all racks are independent of each other and are produced separately.

To take off without cargo, the plane needs a runway 2400 meters long, with cargo - 3500 meters.

The An-225 has six D-18T engines suspended under the wings, as well as two auxiliary power units located inside the fuselage.

The cargo compartment is sealed and equipped with all the necessary equipment for loading operations. Inside the fuselage, the An-225 can transport up to sixteen standard aviation containers (each weighing ten tons), fifty passenger cars, or any cargo weighing up to two hundred tons (turbines, especially large cargo vehicles, generators). On top of the fuselage there are special fastenings for transporting large cargo.D

Technical characteristics of An-225 "Mriya"

Wingspan, m 88.4

Length, m 84.0

Height, m 18.2

Weight, kg

Empty 250000

Maximum takeoff 600000

Fuel weight 300000

Engine 6*TRDD D-18T

Specific fuel consumption, kg/kgsh 0.57-0.63

Cruising speed, km/h 850

Practical range, km 15600

Range, km 4500

Practical ceiling, m 11000

Crew of six people

The history of aviation begins at the end of the eighteenth century - after all, it was at the junction of eras that the English designer developed the project aircraft. Modern airliners bear little resemblance to their predecessors. Leaders today aviation industry compete to release giants. The largest aircraft in the world, the An-225 Mriya, amazes with its size and carrying capacity. Let's study the rating of the largest airliners in more detail.

Let's start with brief description leader of the list among boards civil aviation, which specialize in passenger flights. Today, the first place in this area is held by the invention of the European company Airbus - the A380 board. The ship was developed over 10 years, and in 2005 this giant successfully completed its first voyage.

With a fuselage length of 72.75 m, a wing spread of 79.75 m and a body height of 24 meters, this aircraft is capable of lifting up to 853 people into the air.

A distinctive characteristic of the model is its economical fuel consumption - the flight range of this airliner is 15,400 kilometers. It is noteworthy that in order to achieve this goal, engineers ordered a batch of machines specially created for the model. After all, a reduction in fuel consumption can only be achieved with an ideally adjusted shape of the wing and fuselage. Actual aviation fuel consumption here is 855 liters per 100 km when fully loaded.

Note that the Airbus A380 800 replaced the thirty-five-year-old leader in this area -. Moreover, the current record holder is capable of transporting 7% more passengers while reducing the cost of producing the aircraft within 15%. However, it took the designers about 2,000,000,000 euros to create the first model.

The aircraft was first put into operation by Singapore Airlines. The vessel successfully completed its first intercontinental voyage from Singapore to Sydney, which had an excellent effect on customers. In addition, such a model transports up to 150 tons of cargo over a distance of up to 10,370 kilometers. Note that the empty aircraft weighs 280 tons, and the maximum take-off weight on board reaches 560 tons.

Leaders in size

The world's longest aircraft for passenger transportation is the predecessor of the aircraft described above, the Boeing 747 aircraft. This is a wide-body, double-deck airliner, whose body length reaches 76.3 meters with a side height of 19.4 m and a wingspan of 68 and a half meters.

Such a successful project was launched in the early seventies of the last century by an American company. And until the Airbus A380, the aircraft remained the largest passenger airliner in the world.

At the time the model appeared, the project to create this aircraft had become so expensive that the company had to take out loans. However, all the costs were fully paid off - and today these ships are in demand and popular. Business card there was a “hump” in the front part of the hull - that’s where the designers placed the upper side deck. The aircraft also remains the leader in speed characteristics in its class among subsonic passenger airliners. The speed of this board reaches 910–950 km/h.

Heavyweights in the world of aviation

Now let's determine the largest cargo aircraft in the world - the photos presented in the article will help readers see the true scale of this equipment. Let us describe the characteristics of global leaders in more detail.

Record holder for cargo transportation

The most load-lifting aircraft in the world - developed by the Antonov Design Bureau, model An-225 Mriya. The airliner successfully passed flight tests back in 1988, and from 1989 to the present time it has been operated in the field of cargo transportation. The hull length of this vessel reaches 84 meters, and the wing spread is 88.4 m. According to these parameters, the modification is second only to the Hughes H-4, which was designed back in 1947.

The empty weight of the An-225 aircraft is 250 tons, and the take-off weight of the airliner reaches 640 tons.

In 2004, the modification was included in the Guinness Book of Records, as it leads in 240 parameters at once. It is noteworthy that the aircraft was designed on the basis of a project by another giant, which was the world's largest cargo aircraft, the An-124 Ruslan. Moreover, to this day only a single copy of the heavyweight “Mriya” has been constructed. True, even one airliner is actively used for commercial purposes and rescue operations.

Although at the end of 2016, an agreement between Ukraine and China was signed on the joint release of the second updated experimental model and further cooperation in this industry.

The An-255 is designed to carry up to 88 passengers who accompany the cargo and six crew members. Initially, the aircraft was planned to be used for the space industry, so the Mriya project is a universal technology. It is a record holder for weight and carrying capacity, a leader in the transportation of mono cargo and large equipment.

Largest serial heavyweight

The largest cargo aircraft in Russia, which was mass-produced and in use today, is the . It is on the basis of the design of this airliner from the OKB im. Antonov and developed "Mriya". Concerning "Ruslana", the first such board appeared in 1982. Initially, the function of the equipment was to transport intercontinental and ballistic missiles, but today the ship is used as a military transport aircraft.

An-124 "Ruslan" is slightly inferior to "Mriya" in size and payload capacity

Since 1987, the modification has been actively used by the Russian Air Force and the Ukrainian Antonov Airlines. Throughout the history of the production of such airliners, the world has seen 55 Ruslan models. The vessel has a length of 69.1 meters. Moreover, its height is 24.5 m, and its wingspan is 73.3 m. The efficiency of the airliner allows it to fly 4,800 km when fully loaded, and the maximum flight range here is 11,600 meters.

The vessel's cruising speed is 800–850 km/h with a maximum permissible acceleration of 865 km/h. The empty weight of the airliner is 178.4 tons, and the maximum take-off weight of this modification is 392,000 kilograms.

The design features of the vessel allow loading through the bow compartment

There are two decks on board the equipment. The upper tier of the liner is designed to carry 21 passengers accompanying the cargo, stationary and interchangeable cabins for the crew. The lower deck of the vessel is a sealed cargo compartment with a capacity of 1,060 m³. If we talk about the records of this model, in 1985 the aircraft became a leader in 21 positions for transporting cargo over long distances. Over the entire period of operation, 4 such aircraft were lost.

Western analogue of An-124

If we consider popular Western projects that compete with Ruslan, here aviators call the airliner Lockheed C-5 Galaxy. This modification occupied a leading position in the world until the appearance of the An-124 project in 1982. However, similar airliners are still successfully used by the US Air Force today. Moreover, the manufacturing company produced 131 units of such equipment.

The third largest heavyweight in the world is the American model Lockheed C-5 Galaxy

The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is a military transport aircraft that has increased payload capabilities and ranks third in the world ranking of aviation heavyweights. After all, an empty airliner that weighs 169.643 tons has a maximum take-off weight of 379,657 kilograms. At the same time, the dimensions of the aircraft are very impressive. The height of the hull here is 19.85 m, the length is 75.54 m, and the wingspan is 67.88 m.

The transport is capable of transporting 270 soldiers and 118,387 kg of cargo simultaneously over a distance of 5,526 km. Moreover, the maximum practical flight range of this model is 10,895 m.

This is a modification of a double-deck side, the power plant of which is provided by four engines. The cruising speed that the ship is capable of reaching reaches 888 km/h. Here, on the upper tier of the aircraft, there is a crew cabin for 5 people and seats for passengers. The lower sector of the airliner is designed for transporting cargo. The length of this deck is 36.91 m and the width is 5.79 meters.

Leader in wing length

Since the current record holder "Mriya" was unable to break the world aviation record for wingspan, we will describe the characteristics of the aircraft that holds this position. Model Hughes H-4 is a wooden structure developed for the American military in 1947. The only copy of this modification can be seen in the Oregon State Museum. Moreover, since its inception, aircraft have been used only once in history, conducting an experimental flight.

Today, the only example of the Hughes H-4 airboat is in the Oregon State Museum.

The dimensions of the airliner are impressive - the body length is 66.45 m and the height is 24.08 meters. Moreover, the record wingspan here is 97.54 m. The ship was intended to transport military personnel and is designed to transport 750 soldiers in full gear and three pilots. The maximum take-off weight of the giant is limited to 180 tons, and the useful weight that the board is capable of lifting is 59,000 kg.

The design of this airboat appeared at the beginning of the Second World War, but the designer never managed to bring the equipment to readiness by the deadline. It took $13,000,000 to develop and manufacture the aircraft, and storing the aircraft cost the designer $1,000,000 annually.

As you can see, aviators are constantly competing to produce the best aircraft that can perform universal missions. In the near future, the release of the modernized giant “Mriya” is expected. Perhaps this modification will break a personal record and become the largest airliner in the history of aviation. Details about the classification of flight equipment are available here.

Airbus A380 - the largest passenger aircraft in the world
The cabin of this giant can accommodate up to 853 passengers.
Among passenger aircraft, the longest airliner remains the Boeing 747
AN-225 "Mriya" - world record holder for dimensions
With a maximum take-off weight of 640 tons, the Mriya becomes the world's heaviest lifting airliner.

The not yet very long history of aviation is replete with episodes when different countries, V different time and for various reasons, gigantomania became a military fashion, leading to the construction of huge flying machines. This material presents 10 such aircraft built over the past three quarters of a century.

1. Junkers Ju 390

This aircraft was built in Germany on the basis of the four-engine Junkers Ju 290 in 1943 and was intended for use as a heavy transport, maritime patrol aircraft, and strategic bomber. The Germans planned to build 26 such aircraft, with which, in theory, it was possible to bomb even the territory of the United States, but in reality they were able to build only two machines. The aircraft's wingspan was 50.3 meters, its length was 34.2 meters, and its flight range was up to 9,700 kilometers.

2. AntonovAn-225 "Mriya"»

The An-225 Mriya aircraft was developed by the Antonov design bureau in the 1980s. It is the longest (84 meters) and heaviest (maximum take-off weight 640 tons) aircraft ever built. "Mriya" was originally created to transport the reusable spacecraft "Buran", as well as various large-sized components of the launch vehicle from the production site to the launch site, and was produced in a single copy (the second copy is approximately 70% ready since Soviet times at the plant "Antonov"). After the completion of the Energia-Buran program, the An-225 was mothballed for eight years. In the early 2000s, the aircraft was restored by Ukrainian companies, and currently it performs commercial cargo transportation.

3. MesserschmittMe 323 "Gigant"

The German Messerschmitt Me 323 was the largest production land aircraft of World War II. In total, just over 200 of them were built. It was designed and built in preparation for the planned invasion of Great Britain. Initially it was created as a heavy glider Me 321, but in 1941 it was decided to build a version of this glider with a motor. With a payload capacity of up to 23 tons, this aircraft with fabric and plywood skins was used by the Germans mainly to supply troops in North Africa, although he also met on the Eastern Front.

4. Blohm & Voss BV 238

This German flying boat with a wingspan of 60.17 meters made its first flight in March 1944 and was built in a single copy. The Blohm & Voss BV 238 was the largest aircraft built to that date, and, ironically, became the largest aircraft destroyed during World War II. The aircraft was based on Lake Schalsee in northern Germany and was sunk in September 1944 as a result of an attack by a group of American P-51 Mustang fighters. According to another version, it was destroyed by British Hawker Typhoon in May 1945.

5. MartinJ.R.M.Mars

Big transport seaplane Martin The JRM Mars was built in limited numbers (1 prototype and 6 production) for the US Navy during World War II. It was created as a “flying dreadnought” - a long-range patrol aircraft. After the war, the four surviving Mars, written off for scrap in 1959, were bought by Canadian timber merchants and converted into flying tankers for fighting forest fires. After 2012, there is still one Martin JRM Mars in service.

6. Convair B-36 Peacemaker

XB-36 prototype (right) next to a B-29 Superfortress

The B-36 Peacemaker is an American intercontinental bomber, the largest combat aircraft in the history of aviation in terms of wingspan (70.1 meters). The first flight took place in August 1946. A total of 384 aircraft were built.

7. ConvairXC-99

XC-99 - American prototype of a heavy cargo plane, built using parts from the B-36 bomber. Built in a single copy, it made its first flight on November 24, 1947, and in 1949 it entered service with the US Air Force. During the Korean War, the XC-99 made intercontinental flights in the interests of the US Army. The last flight was performed on March 19, 1957.

8. Boeing B-52 Stratofortress

The B-52 intercontinental strategic bomber made its first flight in April 1952 and replaced the Convair B-36. As one of the main delivery vehicles for American nuclear weapons, the B-52 participated in several military conflicts, during which only conventional weapons were used from its board. The US Air Force plans to operate the B-52 until at least the 2040s. The aircraft's wingspan is 56.39 meters.