The largest cargo planes in the world

Ever since people learned how to design flying machines, they have been used to transport heavy and oversized cargo. In the history of aeronautics, many transport aircraft have been created, which impress with their huge size. In today's selection, we present to your attention the 11 largest cargo aircraft in the world.

11 PHOTOS

An-225 is currently the largest aircraft in the world, it has an extra large payload and can lift about 250 tons into the air. Initially, the An-225 was designed and built to carry components of the Energia launch vehicle and the Buran reusable spacecraft.

This transport aircraft is a modified version of the Boeing 747, it was built and used exclusively to transport parts of the Boeing 787 aircraft. The Dreamlifter's special feature is its unusual appearance.

The Super Guppy cargo plane was produced in five copies and today only one of them is used. It is owned by NASA and is operated to deliver bulky cargo and parts of spacecraft.

The An-124 is a heavy military transport aircraft for long-distance transportation, the largest in the world of all serial commercial cargo aircraft. It was designed primarily for the air transport of ICBM launchers, as well as for the transport of heavy military equipment. The carrying capacity of the An-124 is 120 tons. Aircraft maintenance can only be carried out in a special hangar built for the An-124 owner company from metal structures (similar principle http://ctcholding.kz/uslugi/bystrovozvodimye-zdaniya/iz-metallokonstruktsij/promyshlenennye-zdaniya).

American military transport aircraft, the second in terms of carrying capacity after the An-124. The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is capable of carrying six helicopters or two large tanks in its cargo hold. The total weight that the aircraft can carry is over 118 tons.

A jet cargo aircraft for the transport of bulky cargo, which was developed on the basis of the Airbus A300 series. The main purpose of creating the A300-600ST is to replace the Super Guppy transport aircraft. The name Beluga is due to the shape of the body, which resembles a beluga whale. The carrying capacity of the Beluga is 47 tons.

Soviet-made heavy transport aircraft, the largest turboprop aircraft in the world. Currently, the aircraft is used by the Russian Air Force and the Ukrainian cargo airline Antonov Airlines. The carrying capacity of the An-22 is 60 tons.

The C-17 Globemaster III is one of the US Air Force's most widely used military transport aircraft and is still in use today. The aircraft is designed to transport military equipment and troops, as well as to carry out tactical missions. The carrying capacity of the C-17 is more than 76 tons.

The A400M Atlas was designed and built as an international project for the air forces of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and several other countries. It is a four-engine turboprop aircraft with a carrying capacity of up to 37 tons.

A Japanese Air Self-Defense Force twin-engine military transport aircraft designed as a replacement for the Kawasaki C-1 and Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft. The carrying capacity of the C-1 is 37 and a half tons.