The largest aircraft in the world: top 10 flying giants

Aviation has long been part of our lives, air transportation, like airplanes, has already become something ordinary and familiar. However, there are aircraft that will impress anyone who sees them. These are the largest planes. Their apparent power, wingspan, size are amazing.

The brightest representatives

The largest aircraft in the world, of course, is not a combat vehicle, fighter or attack aircraft, but a transport one. Its task is to deliver by air a dimensional and heavy cargo, or a sufficiently large number of passengers. Among the dozens of giants there are both military aircraft and huge passenger liners. There are cars in the top that have remained only in history, but most of the places were occupied by modern aircraft successfully plowing the air spaces.

It is the largest aircraft built before World War II. It was made by Soviet aircraft builders. Its wingspan was 63 m, and the length of the ship was 33 m. The release of the ANT-20 was timed to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the literary career of the famous writer. Its crew was 20 people, and the largest number of passengers - 70 people. For the first time this passenger plane saw the sky on 06/17/1934 during a test flight.

The interior arrangement of the ship included not only the usual passenger seats, but also such delights as a library, laboratory, printing house, sleeping places inside the giant's wings. The aircraft was driven by 8 engines capable of accelerating it to 275 km / h and providing a flight over a distance of up to 1 thousand km. Its maximum takeoff weight was 53t.

Its main uses were:

• Passenger Transportation;
• propaganda flights;
• recreational flights.

The fate of the ANT-20, produced in a single copy, is tragic - in 1935 it crashed, killing all passengers and crew.

In terms of wingspan (98 m), this seaplane, made mostly of wood, still holds the record. This 136 ton colossus was adapted for the transfer over long distances of an entire army - 750 soldiers with full equipment. It owes its creation in the 40s to the eccentric tycoon Howard Hughes. The use of wood was caused by a shortage of aluminum. The seaplane made its first flight in 1947. Currently, its only copy has turned into a museum, which is visited by hundreds of thousands of people every year.

For the American army, this military aircraft has long become a living legend. For the first time, the "Stratosphere Fortress" of the US Air Force took off in 1952, but the aircraft is planned to be removed from service only in 2040. Initially, the B-52 was designed as a strategic nuclear bomber. Subsequently, it was modified, and it turned into a multifunctional aircraft. Its maximum takeoff weight is 220 tons, and its wingspan is 56.4 m.

This is one of the air combat vehicles made in Russia that made it to the list of the brightest representatives of military aviation. Currently, the Tu-160 or "White Swan" is considered the most powerful and largest supersonic aircraft. In addition, it is the largest bomber. It is the largest aircraft with variable wing geometry. This military giant has a record takeoff weight for this class of machines - 275 tons, and its wingspan is 55 m.

In total, 16 Tu-160s are in service with the Russian air force. The main armament of the White Swan is long-range cruise missiles with nuclear warheads. It is also possible to equip the machine with free-falling bombs. The maximum flight range without refueling is also impressive - almost 14 thousand km.

This is the largest passenger aircraft (serial), the capacity of this colossus is 853 passengers for cars with one class of service and 525 passengers for aircraft with three classes of service. Its largest take-off weight is 575 tons. This huge liner, 73 meters long, with a wingspan of about 80 meters, made its first flight in 2007.

In order to reduce the weight of an aircraft during its manufacture, parts made of composite materials are widely used. It is considered the most economical large liner, as it consumes 3 liters per 100 km per passenger. The Airbus A-380-800 is capable of non-stop flights up to 15,000 km long.

Before the advent of the Airbus A-380, it was the largest double-deck wide-body passenger airliner. The aircraft of its latest, longest modification 747-8 (76.3 m), capable of accommodating up to 581 passengers, is the longest passenger airliner in the world. 747 Boeings have been flying for 45 years.

The maximum takeoff weight of the Boeing 747-8 is 442 tons. For its size and shape, the aircraft was given the unofficial name Jumbo Jet. The flight range of an aircraft with a maximum load of about 14 thousand km. The wingspan of the giant is 68 m.

The An-22 Antey turboprop wide-body cargo aircraft is still the largest in its class, despite the fact that it made its first flight back in 1965. Its wingspan is 64 m, the maximum takeoff weight is 225 tons. The aircraft is designed to transport cargo (including airborne military equipment) with specialists accompanying it, the wounded, paratroopers, and soldiers.

Until the giants of Antonov Design Bureau appeared, the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy was the largest cargo aircraft. The military transport aircraft made its first flight in 1968. At present, the Americans are armed with 19 C-5M Super Galaxy transporters, by 2018 their number is expected to increase to 53. The wingspan of the aircraft is 67.9 m, and the length of the vessel is 75.5 m. Its maximum takeoff weight is 381 T.

The answer to the question of which aircraft was able to take the palm from the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy lies on the surface. Of course, this is a machine designed by a competitor on the world stage at the time. In 1982, the record of the Americans was broken by the brainchild of the Soviet military-industrial complex, the An-124 Ruslan. Its maximum takeoff weight is 392 tons, and its wingspan is 73 m. It is currently the largest military aircraft.

10. An-225 "Mriya" (Dream)

Today it is the largest transport aircraft and the largest aircraft in the world. The wingspan of the giant "Dream" is 88.4 m, and the length is 84 m. It was built to transport the Buran space shuttles at the end of the existence of the USSR. The maximum takeoff weight of this colossus is 640 tons, which is significantly higher than that of all previous TOP-10 models. True, only one operational copy of the An-225 is currently in operation, and then not for its intended purpose, but for commercial purposes.

Video about An-225:

As can be seen from the list of the largest aircraft, most of them appeared as a result of competition or confrontation between states. Probably in the future we are waiting for new flying monsters.