The largest cargo planes in the world
Ukrainian plane "Mriya" An - 225
It is the largest in the world and the only flying copy of the An-22 model.
The huge transport aircraft can carry up to 250 tons of cargo, four times the maximum payload of a Boeing 747. There is enough space inside the An-225 to fit the entire body of the Boeing-737. It also surpasses the world's largest passenger aircraft A380-800 in various indicators: If the latter has four engines, a wingspan of 80 meters, and a takeoff weight of 560 tons, then the giant An-225 has six engines, a wingspan of 88 meters, and the starting weight is 600 tons. The largest aircraft in the world also has a record number of wheels - as many as 32! The machine was commissioned in 1988. Plans to get another plane into the air never came to fruition. Its construction began in the 1990s, but was never completed. Several attempts were made to revive it, but in 2012 the project was put on hold, as the number of orders for transportation dropped sharply due to the financial crisis. The second copy of the An-225 is still in the hangar.
The construction of the first An-225 began in Kyiv at the time of " cold war»between the US and the USSR, when both superpowers invested huge amounts of money in the development of new weapons and vehicles.
History of the giant
The aircraft was intended to transport military goods, as well as components of Soviet missiles and spaceship"Buran" in Baikonur. In December 1988, the giant made its first flight. But soon the Soviet Union collapsed, and with it the dreams of the military about creating a whole series of huge transporters collapsed. After the fall of the Iron Curtain, worldwide disarmament began, and the need for such machines disappeared. We also had to save money on space flights. In 1994, funding for the Energia-Buran space program ceased, and the aircraft was mothballed. The engines were removed and installed on a smaller model - An-124. And only seven years later the huge machine was airworthy again. Later it was planned to develop a project for a larger version of the aircraft - An-325 with eight engines, but the idea was not implemented. On the basis of Antonov, projects of aerospace systems around the world are being developed.
An-225 is not only the largest, but also the heaviest aircraft in the world How does he fly
The six super-powerful D-18T engines installed on it consume three tons of kerosene per hour. Despite the huge weight, a three-kilometer runway is enough to disperse the Mriya. total area wings, each of which is almost 90 m wide, is equal to the area of a football field. The speed of the giant is 805 km/h. It can stay in the air for 18 hours and cover a distance of over 15,000 km. However, when fully loaded, an aircraft in the world is only capable of flying from 2,500 to 3,000 km. Its tanks can hold 300 tons of fuel.
The maximum payload of the machine is 250 tons, which corresponds, for example, to the weight of more than 200 cows. What can fit in the cargo hold
The giant aircraft is operated by a crew of six. It is serviced by 11 technicians. In 2009, Mriya delivered a 190-tonne generator intended for a gas turbine power plant from the German city of Khan to Yerevan (Armenia). This achievement is recorded in the Guinness Book of Records. Transportation of goods that do not fit in the cargo compartment of the AN-225 takes place according to the "hookepak" system, that is, they are attached from above. In the passenger version, Ukrainian designers planned to make three decks with seats for 800 passengers.
Video of one of the largest aircraft in the world
Every flight is a big event
A huge car is used to transport special cargo. Much more often, transportation is carried out by a smaller aircraft - An-124. Mriya is usually remembered when it is necessary to transport a large cargo in its entirety. When a giant flies to its destination, it is always a special event. Journalists and crowds of curious people gather at the airport. This was the case, for example, in June 2013, when the Mriya landed for the first time at the airport in the Swiss city of Basel.
These planes were also once champions.
1. Dornier Do X (1929). It was the largest, fastest and after the First World War. Designed by the German company Dornier. In 1933, Germany abandoned the use of these machines, as they were considered insufficiently economical and safe, and also unsuitable for military purposes. After that, only two copies were built, which went to Italy. German designers planned to create a new, improved model, the Dornier Do 20, based on the Do X, but this project was not implemented due to World War II.
2. Tupolev ANT-20 "Maxim Gorky" (1934) 1930s giant with eight engines and a wingspan almost like a modern Boeing 747. It was built in Voronezh and was intended primarily for agitation. It was equipped with a film installation, a photo lab, printing press etc. Additionally, the car could transport up to 72 passengers.
The largest machine with turboprop engines, which is still the most commonly used. It flies at high subsonic speeds. - "hump", in which the cockpit is located above the main passenger deck. For transport models, it is somewhat shorter.
It used to be the most powerful transport aircraft. When it lands at foreign airports, it probably arouses no less interest than the Mriya. The wingspan is 64 meters, and the weight without load is 114 tons.
Prior to the advent of the A-380, it was the second largest mass-produced aircraft. So far, it remains the largest military aircraft in the world. It is called the "younger brother" of the An-225. The An-124 made its first flight abroad in 1985. It was presented to the public at the Paris Air Show. The machine is highly valued by both Russian military aviation and commercial organizations for the transportation of goods. The upper deck can accommodate 88 passengers.
This list contains 10 of the largest aircraft ever built in the world. The rating includes both passenger aircraft and cargo and transport liners. 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. German company Dornier in 1929. In fact, this is more of a passenger flying boat than a classic aircraft.
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 follow the Junkers design philosophy, with corrugated sheet steel in many key body components.
Boeing 747 Dreamlifter
This enlarged version of the Boeing 747, called the Dreamlifter, is used exclusively to transport Boeing 787 aircraft parts 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 Kharkiv. The aircraft is powered by four turboprop air-jet 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 date.
Antonov An-124
Antonov 124 is a strategic air cargo aircraft. 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 Airbus A380 Double Deck is a wide-body airliner with four engines. It is the largest passenger airliner in the world. Many airports have had to modernize their landing strips to adjust them to its dimensions. The A380 made its maiden flight on 27 April 2005 and entered commercial service in October 2007 with Singapore Airlines.
Airbus A340
Second on the list is the Airbus A340. It can accommodate up to 375 passengers per standard options and 440 in an enlarged version. Depending on the model, the A-340 can cover from 12,400 to 17,000 km on one gas station.
The largest aircraft - An-225 Mriya
The An-225 Mriya is a strategic airlift cargo aircraft designed by the Antonov Design Bureau in the 1980s. Mriya translates from Ukrainian language like a dream. The aircraft is powered by six turbofan engines and is the largest in the world, with a maximum takeoff weight of 640 tons. At present, only one version of it has been built, but the second Mriya is also being prepared for release.
“The desire to fly is an idea handed down to us by our ancestors, who, in their grueling off-road journeys in prehistoric times, looked with envy at birds soaring freely in space, at full speed, without any obstacles on the endless road of air,” once Wilbur Wright said.
Could the Wright brothers have imagined back in 1903 what their idea of controlled flight in the air would turn into? Now you will not surprise anyone with supersonic aircraft and winged colossi capable of transporting not only people, but also heavy equipment.
Well, even if we cannot fly like birds, but if we wish, we can fly on one of largest aircraft in the world. Choose which of these giants you like the most.
Role: multipurpose aircraft.
Developer: Design Bureau Tupolev, USSR.
This aircraft, created at the Voronezh Aviation Plant in 1934, became the largest aircraft of its time. Its wing span reached 63 meters, and the maximum takeoff weight was 42,000 kg. The ANT-20 was served by a staff of 5 people, and the aircraft could take 48 passengers on board.
When the "dad" of the Little Prince Antoine de Saint-Exupery arrived in the USSR, he flew the ANT-20. But the life of this model was short-lived. In 1935, during a demonstration flight, the aircraft took off along with the I-5 fighter, which was supposed to demonstrate the difference in size for newsreel. During the performance of aerobatics, the I-5 entered the "Nesterov loop", lost speed and crashed down onto the ANT-20 from above. That, in turn, began to fall apart in the sky and fell on the holiday village of Sokol.
As a result of this accident, 49 people died. A memorial has been preserved at the Novodevichy Cemetery, crowned with a huge granite bas-relief of a crashed plane.
Role: transport aircraft.
Developer: Boeing.
An aircraft unsurpassed in terms of the spaciousness of the fuselage. The volume of its transport compartment is 1840 cubic meters. It is used purely for the transport of parts of the Boeing 787, which are designed by third-party suppliers. A total of 4 Dreamlifters were put into operation.
The Boeing 747 LCF looks unpretentious, for which it has even been compared to the Wienermobile, a bun-shaped car used to promote and advertise Oscar Mayer products in the United States. And the head of Boeing, Scott Carson, jokingly apologized to Joe Sutter, the head of the Boeing 747 development team, for what he did to his plane.
Role: passenger airliner.
Developer: Boeing.
Boeing knows how to develop aircraft that set records. Here 747-8 became the longest passenger aircraft in the world. Its length is 76.4 meters.
The Boeing 747-8 is a new generation of the Boeing 747 series (eighth on our list). It features a lengthened fuselage, improved wing, and greater economic efficiency.
Role: passenger airliner.
Developer: Boeing.
Once upon a time, when asked what was the largest aircraft in the world in terms of passenger capacity, the designers of the double-deck Boeing 747 proudly answered: “Ours”! Depending on the modification, the aircraft can accommodate up to 624 passengers on board. But then the Airbus A380 appeared and pushed the Boeing 747 off the pedestal of the most spacious aircraft.
If you watched "Casino Royale" with Daniel Craig as James Bond, then you may remember the SkyFleet S570 liner, which the terrorists wanted to blow up. The Boeing 747-236B, which was built in 1980 and flew until 2002, acted as this airliner. A worthy end to a career.
And the Boeing 747 is also associated with one of the largest air crashes in the world. It happened in 1977 on the island of Tenerife. In fog, two Boeing 747s collided with each other on the runway, killing 583 people.
Role: transport aircraft.
Developer: OKB im. O.K.Antonova.
This winged machine, named "Antaeus" in honor of the invincible giant from ancient Greek myths, is still the world's largest turboprop aircraft.
Transportation of goods during the war in Afghanistan and during the liquidation of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, transportation of refugees and military personnel from countries of Eastern Europe and neighboring countries - this is not a complete "track record" of the An-22. And in one of the passenger flights organized during the air bridge between Egypt and the Soviet Union in 1972, Antey set a record by taking almost 700 people on board. This is a real plane-worker, reliable and unpretentious in operation.
Role: transport aircraft.
Developer: OKB im. O.K.Antonova.
The five largest aircraft in the world are opened by the Soviet development, which until the advent of the Airbus A380 (fourth number on the list) was considered the largest of the mass-produced aircraft.
However, no one has yet taken away the title of "largest military aircraft" from the An-124, as well as the title of the world's largest cargo-lifting serial transport aircraft.
And although now the production of Ruslan, as Oleg Konstantinovich Antonov called this aircraft, has been suspended, the existing fleet of aircraft will be modernized. This was announced in July 2018 by Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov.
Role: passenger liner.
Developer: Airbus.
The largest passenger aircraft in the world (from mass-produced) and one of the largest aircraft on Earth. When you watch a video with one of the largest aircraft in the world, it's hard to believe that such a colossus is capable of taking off.
The Airbus A380 is capable of carrying up to 853 passengers in an economy class configuration. By comparison, the A380's main competitor, the Boeing 747 passenger airliner, carries only 624 people in full economy class configuration.
Not only airlines own the luxurious Airbus A380. By order of the Saudi prince Al-Walid ibn Talal, a private jet was built, which cost the owner $488 million.
Role: passenger liner.
Developer: Airbus.
It is the largest member of the Airbus A340 family and the third longest aircraft in the world (75.36 meters). Airbus A340 aircraft were produced until November 2011, but could not compete with the Boeing 777. However, they still carry out passenger transportation in various countries peace.
It is curious that during the entire period of operation (since 1993) only five A340 aircraft were lost. In this case, not a single passenger or crew member died.
Role: cargo airplane.
Developer: OKB im. O.K.Antonova.
It is the largest transport aircraft ever built. Its maximum takeoff weight is 640 tons, and its payload is 250 tons.
An-225 is capable of carrying on its fuselage vehicles, construction and military equipment and other oversized cargo to different parts of the world. But this giant was intended for a different, much larger purpose. It was created as part of the Buran reusable spacecraft project. It was assumed that the An-225 would transport the components of the Buran and the launch vehicle from the place of creation and assembly to the launch site.
The first flight of the Mriya (dream in Ukrainian) took place in December 1988, carrying a Buran weighing sixty tons. However, after the collapse of the USSR, the "dream" was left without work. They began to operate it again (after appropriate modernization) only in 2000, for commercial transportation.
And most recently, in September 2018, the giant aircraft set a new record by making a thirteen-hour non-stop flight from Ukrainian Gostomel to the American airport of Auckland. He covered a distance of 9800 km.
Role: carrier aircraft.
Developer: Scaled Composites.
This huge aircraft will not carry conventional cargo. Rather, it will serve as another way to deliver objects, namely satellites, into the stratosphere before launching them into space. space orbit. This mode of transport will be more reliable and less expensive than traditional rockets.
Unlike the largest aircraft in the world, the Ukrainian Mriya, the American Stratolaunch is not yet in flight. Its first demonstration took place in May 2017. In terms of wingspan - 117.3 meters, it far exceeds the An-225 (88.4 meters, respectively). For now Stratolaunch - the world's largest wing span aircraft.
However, the American is inferior to the Ukrainian "colleague" in terms of maximum takeoff weight (589,670 kg and 640,000 kg, respectively) and length (73 meters for the Stratolaunch versus 84 meters for the An-225).
ABOUT exact dates new tests of Stratolaunch are not yet known. Engineers hope that this aircraft will enter service within the next 10 years.
The time of fanatic designers has sunk into oblivion. Now it is even difficult to imagine that someone once invented various items just out of love for mechanics or wanting to set a record and get into the news bulletins.
Today's high-tech mechanisms, which can be called the most qualitative-quantitative in terms of characteristics, are designed to implement certain tasks. And here the largest aircraft in the world are no exception.
Mriya
The heaviest, he is the most lifting aircraft in the world is called the An-225 "Mriya". It was developed in 1984-1988 in the Kiev Aviation Scientific and Technical Complex. Antonova. The aircraft first flew on December 21, 1988.
The largest aircraft in the world includes a six-engine turbojet high-wing aircraft with a twin tail and swept wing. During the creation of the An-225 aircraft, the An-124 heavy transport aircraft was taken as the basis. In turn, the history of the appearance of the last giant is closely connected with the Buran space program, which was implemented in the Soviet Union. Then, for transportation from the assembly site to the cosmodrome of the spacecraft and heavy parts of the launch vehicle, super-lifting vehicles were needed. It was assumed that a similar aircraft would be used for the first stage of the spacecraft launch system. According to the assignments, the carrying capacity of the aircraft must be at least 250 tons. It was this weight that the An-124 aircraft could lift, but transported it with external cargo. But the design features of the spacecraft and the launch vehicle were such that the transport needed to be sure to replace the tail. In this case, the designers considered it necessary to develop a new aircraft model, but take the An-124 as a basis. Then the new model would ideally fit the purpose.
The An-225 has the following dimensions of the cargo compartment: width 6.4 meters, length 43 meters, and height 4.4 meters. And above this cabin is a cabin for crew members. It can accommodate 6 people. In addition, there is room for 88 people on board, these are those who accompany the cargo.
Control systems have fourfold duplication. The aircraft itself can transport the equipment of the most different sizes. However, it can be placed in the cargo compartment, as well as mounted outside the fuselage. The maximum weight of the cargo can reach 250 tons.
The wingspan of the largest aircraft in the world is 88.4 meters, its height is 18 meters (this is more than the height five-story building), the length is even more - 84 meters. In total, specialists laid down two aircraft. And only one was completed. After the collapse Soviet Union, engines were removed from the operating aircraft. Therefore, the An-225 stood mothballed for a long time. However, after 7 years, the giant aircraft again saw the sky.
History of the legend
Now An-225 makes cargo commercial flights. Transportation is organized as part of the air transport division of the Antonov complex, this is Antonov Airlines. Conducted the same design work to use a huge aircraft for a flying launch complex for aviation systems.
The plans of the plant named after Antonov to complete the construction of the second aircraft. The so-called twin brother of the largest aircraft in the world. Its readiness is estimated at 70 percent. By the way, today the completed An-225 is almost a quarter of a century old.
Airbus A380
But this is already the largest aircraft in the world, which is designed for passenger transportation. A double-deck liner has the following dimensions. Its height is 24 meters, its wingspan is 79.4 meters, and its length is 73 meters. The Airbus A380 seats exactly 555 passengers, but the charter version can seat 853 people on board. Such an aircraft can make non-stop flights for quite a long distance, up to 15 thousand kilometers.
It is worth noting that the Airbus A380 is also the most economical airliner of the aircraft of this class. It consumes only three liters of fuel per passenger and per hundred kilometers.
This aircraft model was developed for a long ten years. The costs were also impressive - 12 billion euros. The aircraft was originally announced as an alternative to the Boeing 747. Before the Airbus A380 appeared, the ship was the largest airliner for 35 years. But the novelty from Airbus immediately displaced the American competitor from the podium. And it's not even about economy. The Boeing is capable of carrying about 400 passengers, and it also costs 15 percent more.
Airbus A380 in all its glory
The biggest achievement of the designers of the Airbus A380 model is that they were able to significantly reduce weight. And this happened thanks to the use of a new and unique composite material. Wings and fuselage were made from it. The largest aircraft for passengers is almost half, namely 40 percent, made of graphite.
After Airbus introduced the A380 model, the company also offered a cargo version of the A380F. The aircraft can carry 150 tons of cargo over a distance of 10,000 kilometers.
By the way, A380F relatively recently began to go on sale. However, there are already those wishing to purchase a record holder. And not only airlines, but also individuals want to have such a spacious aircraft. For example, Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, the cousin of the king of Saudi Arabia, is willing to pay $500 million to achieve developers. However, only 320 million of this amount was given for the car itself. The rest of the money is the cost of finishing, the prince wants to see his plane chic - to cover the outside of the fuselage with gold leaf. Inside, a luxurious salon-living room, baths with a sauna and a jacuzzi, a dining room for 14 people, as well as bedrooms, a gym and a cinema are expected.
Do not lag behind foreign oligarchs and Russian billionaires. For example, Roman Abramovich also bought an Airbus A380. His liner costs less, "only" $ 300 million. As soon as the businessman took possession of the aircraft, he immediately instructed Lufthansa Technik to redesign the cabin. It is not known what exactly Roman Abramovich wanted to see on board, but most likely the same comfort and luxury as the prince of Saudi Arabia.
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The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is the most popular military transport aircraft on the planet. Since 1954, American company Lockheed Martin produced and sold about 2,500 Hercules. Today, 951 representatives of this family plow the sky, occupying 22% of the world military transport market.
Turboprop American aircraft Beechcraft King Air general purpose is in the service in the armies of many countries of the world. It is used for training pilots, patrolling maritime territories, reconnaissance, communications and other purposes. Although most of the 295 currently functioning "kings of the air" are involved in business transportation.
The military "transporter" Boeing C-17 Globemaster III made its first flight in 1991. "Heavyweight" is capable of transferring bulky cargo and military units over long distances, as well as landing on small, poorly prepared airfields.
Airbus CN-235 is the main European competitor of the American "non-combat" wings. Aircraft giant Airbus refers to its offspring as "the cheapest tactical military transport aircraft." And this fact attracted a clientele from the armies of two dozen countries, including the United States, to the CN-235.
The military transport AN-26 (according to NATO codification - Curl, "Whirlwind"), developed at the Antonov Design Bureau, was discontinued back in 1986. However, more than 200 AN-26s and its AN-24 predecessors are still in service. What puts the "veterans" on a par with the most popular aircraft of this class.
The heavy military transport aircraft IL-76 (according to NATO codification - Сandid, direct) first took to the air in 1971 and still remains the main " workhorse» military transport aviation of Russia. True, from the moment of birth, the carrying capacity of the brainchild of the Ilyushin Design Bureau has increased from 30 to 60 tons.
The AN-32 military transport aircraft, created on the basis of the AN-26, is adapted for conditions of elevated temperatures (up to +50 degrees) and take-offs from high-altitude airfields (up to 4500 meters). Now it is successfully operating in the air forces of hot countries - such as India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Mexico, African states.
The light American transport Cessna 208 Caravan was designed as an aircraft for hard-to-reach areas. Its military version of the U-27A guards the peace of Brazil, Colombia, Liberia, Thailand and other countries. In total, 125 "army" Cessnas are in service.
Like the AN-26, the Transall Allianz C-160 medium military transport aircraft has not been produced for 30 years, since the mid-1980s. But the machine, developed by the German-French consortium for the needs of the air forces of their countries, is still in service. 120 winged C-160s are still taking to the skies.
CASA C212 Aviocar is a development of the Spanish company EADS CASA. This military transport aircraft can take off and land on dirt strips 400 meters long. Various modifications are used for photo reconnaissance, maritime patrols and transportation of military VIPs.
Workhorses remain in the shadow of the "stars" - military transport aircraft and general purpose aircraft. Perhaps in showiness they are inferior to high-speed and stuffed modern technology fighters. But hard workers are reliable and are in stable demand, and not only among the military. Introducing the ten most popular aircraft designed for the daily needs of the Air Force.
