Big Ten: The world's largest military aircraft. The world's largest airplanes

Not really yet long history 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 similar 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 I 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 date, and, ironically, 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

The large Martin JRM Mars transport seaplane 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. Being one of the main means of delivery of 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.

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 everything is lighter, everything is more economical, everything is 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 plane could not 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 nose 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 largest aircraft in the world is the An-225. They built the plane in Ukraine and use it to transport huge amounts of cargo. The An-225 is also called a military transport aircraft. The height of this aircraft is 24.1 meters, the length is also amazing - 73 meters. The wingspan is 88.4 meters. The weight of the aircraft is 250 thousand kg, and it can take off with a total weight of 600,000 kg. It was built back in 1988. The plane is equipped with six engines. There is only one An-225 in the whole world, which belongs to Antonov Airlines. Construction of the second An-225 is also underway, but it is not completely finished.

The Hughes H-4 Hercules, or as it is also called the NK-1 Goose, is the second largest aircraft. This wooden plane was built back in 1947, the project was developed by Hughes Aircraft, from America. As conceived, the aircraft was designed to transport 750 soldiers, plus their equipment. To this day, the aircraft's wingspan is the largest in the world - 98 meters. The length of the aircraft is 66.45 meters, height - 24 meters, maximum take-off weight is 180,000 kg. The maximum speed of the aircraft is 351 miles per hour, and the distance that the aircraft could cover is 5,634 kilometers. About $13 million was allocated for its production. Nowadays, the plane is located in an exhibit museum in the state of Oregon, which is located in the northwestern United States.

The Airbus A380 is a passenger aircraft capable of carrying up to 525 people. It was created by the company "Airbus S.A.S", the height of this aircraft is 24 meters, length - 73 meters, wingspan - 79.75 meters. The maximum flight range without refueling is 15,400 km. The maximum take-off weight is 560,000 kg, and the weight of the aircraft itself is 280,000 kg. This aircraft is currently the largest passenger airliner in the world. It is also the most economical in terms of fuel combustion, for 1 passenger - 3 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers. The entire development of the A380 construction program cost about 12 billion euros.

The An-124 or Ruslan is one of the largest cargo-lifting aircraft in the world. Its main and initial purpose when created was: transportation of intercontinental ballistic missile launchers, transportation of paratroopers, and heavy military equipment. The An-124 was used in military operations in Afghanistan in 1987, a total of 56 aircraft were involved. A film was also made about this plane called “Ruslan, who united the world.” The An-124 is currently in service with the Russian Air Force and is also used for NATO military transport in areas Central Asia, Afghanistan, Persian Gulf. The length of the aircraft is 69.1 meters, the wingspan is 73.3 meters, the height is 21.1 meters, the weight is 173,000 kg.

We continue to consider the most large planes in the world. Fifth on the list is an aircraft called the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy. It is one of the American heavy-duty military transport aircraft. Until 1982 - the largest production cargo aircraft in the world. Capable of carrying up to 270 soldiers on board, 118,300 kg of additional weight. Maximum take-off weight - 348,300 kg, maximum speed - 920 km/h, flight range - 5,600 km, maximum climbed altitude - 10,100 meters.

The Boeing 777-300ER is a large passenger aircraft that can fly a record distance of 21,601 km without refueling. Used for long-haul airlines. It was developed in 1990, had a test flight in 1994, and began operating in 1995. Can accommodate from 305 to 550 passengers. It is also the world's largest twin-engine jet by passenger plane. The engines that are installed on it are also record holders; they are the largest and most powerful in the history of aviation.

The Airbus A340 is a four-engine passenger aircraft developed by Airbus S.A.S. To date, about 389 of these aircraft have been ordered. The development program began back in 1987. The A340 is a new four-engine aircraft designed for intercontinental flights. Previously, all aircraft below the A340 class had two engines, and were forced to remain at a minimum distance from the emergency airfield in case of breakdown. They had to spend more fuel, and it was inconvenient. In 1991, a significant error was noticed, the wing of the A330 and A340 was no different, and this was a problem, since the A330 used only two engines, while the A340 used four. The length of the aircraft is 75.3 meters, height - 17.3 meters, wingspan - 63.5 meters, maximum flight with passengers without refueling is 14,600 km.

At the time of its creation, the Boeing 747 was the largest, heaviest and most spacious passenger aircraft in the world, and it held the record for 37 years until the A380 appeared. The plane has two decks where passengers are seated - upper and lower. The top one is much smaller than the bottom one. The record set by one of the Boeings is a flight from London to Sydney, which is 18,000 kilometers and took 20 hours and 9 minutes from takeoff and landing. Also, the Boeing 747 is one of the most common aircraft in the world. From the inception of the aircraft until September 2010, 1,527 units were ordered. Its length is 70.6 meters, wingspan is 64.4 meters, maximum take-off weight is 412,770 kg, height is 19.4 meters.

It is the ninth largest of all aircraft in the world. Boeing 777-200ER is nothing more than a modification of the Boeing 777. Compared to the Boeing 777, the Boeing 777 200ER class has increased its take-off weight and fuel capacity. Designed for international transport, it holds the record for an emergency flight on one engine - 177 minutes, with 255 passengers on board. The first purchase was made by British Airways in 1997. As of September 2010, 415 of these aircraft were sold.

Lasts the list of the most large aircraft in the world - Airbus A330-300. It was designed to replace the A300 aircraft. This aircraft can carry up to 295 passengers. The maximum flight distance is 10,800 km. The plane can also be used as a cargo carrier; its volume is equal to that of a Boeing 747. The plane has two engines, so it is forced to fly close to emergency airfields, spending a lot of fuel.

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 equipped with two General Electric gas turbine engines, which are the most powerful engines in their 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. On the base passenger plane A cargo modification has also been created. 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. IN this moment 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. Aircraft option for civil aviation 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.

Reason for creation of this aircraft served by the location of Airbus factories in several places and the need to transport individual parts of Airbus aircraft. A total of 5 copies have been created and they all work on 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 Boeing aircraft 787. Before this, 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

A short story military aviation There are 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. aircraft. 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. Capacity increases over time passenger airliners, their flight range, military aircraft are faced with increasingly complex tasks, from transport to combat. One way or another, aircraft manufacturing will remain one of the most high-tech industries.

There are many aircraft models in the world, varying in size, technical specifications, 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 world's heaviest and largest aircraft, 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 for transporting parts of other Airbus aircraft, including 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 in the world among passenger aircraft. 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. On the market passenger air transportation became the main competitor of the Boeing 747. 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, took place in 1965 transport aircraft, showed excellent flight qualities and the ability to transport live over long distances military force and technology. 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.

It might be useful to read: