Once a man could only dream of conquering heights and flying like a bird. With the invention of airplanes, the dream of learning to fly became a reality. Moreover, modern flying machines are so amazing and high-tech that sometimes it seems that there is no limit to human thought. That is why this material will be dedicated to the story of the largest and fastest aircraft in the world.

The largest passenger planes in the world

Airbus A380 - the flying giant

It is believed that the largest aircraft for passenger transportation is the Airbus A380. This double-deck giant has the following dimensions:

1. the height of the liner is 24 meters;
2. the wingspan of the giant reaches almost 80 meters;
3. the length of this flying giant is 73 meters.

It is also worth noting that this flying giant can accommodate 555 passengers. Moreover, the charter type of such an aircraft can accommodate 853 passengers.

Distinctive feature Airbus A380 is also the fact that it can fly 15 thousand kilometers without landing. It is also worth noting that this passenger aircraft is very economical compared to aircraft of this class. Fuel consumption for 3 passengers and 100 kilometers is only 3 liters.

The developers of this model have spent 10 years creating it. The cost of implementing the idea for a large passenger plane is also worthy of respect. Thus, more than 12 billion euros were spent to create the Airbus A380.

Interestingly, this model was initially developed as alternative version Boeing 747, which was considered the largest passenger aircraft for 35 years before the appearance of the Airbus А-380. However, the appearance of the Airbus A380 immediately "pushed" Boeing off the pedestal of the winners. So, if we compare these two giants, then the Airbus A380 is more economical, since Boeing can accommodate no more than 400 passengers, and its cost is about 15 percent more expensive.

It is noteworthy that the developers of the largest airliner also managed to significantly reduce the weight of the aircraft. Interestingly, the Airbus A380 is almost 40 percent graphite. So, the fuselage and wings of the aircraft are made of this material. The cost of this flying giant is 390 million dollars (!).

Other large passenger aircraft include:

1. Boeing 747-8
   This airliner is a novelty from one of the leading aircraft manufacturers, military and space technology... The advantages of this flying giant include an elongated fuselage, which makes it the longest passenger aircraft in the world.
2. Airbus A340-600
   This flying "monster" is another major member of the Airbus family of aircraft. The two-class configuration of such an aircraft can accommodate about 420 people on board, and the three-class configuration will help accommodate 380 passengers on board.
3. Boeing 747
   This flying giant for 35 years (from 1969 to 2005) held the leading position among the largest passenger airliners. This plane was the first in the world to make a non-stop flight from London to the Australian capital Sydney. At the same time, he flew a distance of 18 thousand kilometers in just over 20 hours.
4. Boeing 777-300ER
   This airliner is also a modification of its predecessor. In addition to its impressive size, this giant also has the most innovative modifications... This is what made this aircraft very economical among the largest airliners in the world.
5. Airbus A330
   This large airliner also has a number of very successful modifications, but the sad statistics indicate not its best feature. So, from 1994 to 2010, 6 crashes of such aircraft were registered.

The largest cargo planes in the world

Of course, the Ukrainian An-225 Mriya is considered the largest cargo-lifting aircraft in the world. This flying "monster" was developed during 1984-1988 at the Antonov Aviation Complex. The first flight of this aircraft took place on December 21, 1988.

This giant is equipped with a six-engine turbojet high-wing, which has a 2-keel "tail" and an arrow-shaped wing. The Mriya was based on its predecessor An-124. An interesting fact is that the development of "Mriya" was closely related to the Soviet space program "Buran", since a powerful cargo-lifting transport was required that could transport the parts of the launch vehicles from the assembly site to the cosmodrome itself. The task for the developers was to create an air cargo transport that could lift at least 250 tons into the sky at a time. This is how the giant Mriya was created.

The main characteristics of the An-225 Mriya cargo compartment are as follows:

1. the width of this cargo airliner is almost 6.5 meters;
2. the height of the giant reaches almost 4.5 meters;
3. the length of the aircraft is 43 meters.

In addition to these characteristics, the Mriya can comfortably accommodate 88 people to accompany the cargo, and the crew cabin is designed for 6 people.

It is noteworthy that all control systems have a 4-fold duplication.

General characteristics of the aircraft:

1. the width from one wing to the other is almost 89 (!) meters;
2. the height of this giant reaches 18 meters, which is equal to the height of a five-story building.

Today there is only one such aircraft in the world. It is Antonov's plans to complete the construction of the twin brother "Mriya" as the designer of the aviation complex. It is believed that its readiness is already 70 percent.

Other large cargo aircraft include:

1. An-124 "Ruslan"
This aircraft is the predecessor of the Mriya. Initially, this aircraft was created in order to transport intercontinental ballistic missiles. However, the result obtained significantly exceeded all the expectations of the designers. This giant began to be actively used in order to transport large-scale amphibious and military equipment... One such aircraft is estimated at $ 300 million.

2. Lockheed C-5 Galaxy

This aircraft was developed by American designers for the military transport system back in 1968. This cargo giant is capable of transferring 6 Apache helicopters, 4 infantry fighting vehicles, 2 tanks and 6 armored personnel carriers at a time. Until 1982, this flying giant was considered the largest cargo airliner in the world.

3. Hughes H-4 Hercules

This cargo plane is a kind of rarity, as it was developed back in 1947. This aircraft holds the record for a wingspan of 98 meters. This record has not yet been surpassed. This 136-ton giant was created to transport 750 soldiers who would be fully equipped. It should be noted that only one unit of such a cargo plane was manufactured. Today, this flying giant is an airplane museum.

2. Boeing 747-8I

This model is a cargo-passenger aircraft, which began to be produced relatively recently, namely in 2008. In terms of its parameters, it is inferior to the Ukrainian An-225 Mriya aircraft, but it differs in that it is the largest cargo aircraft in the world that was able to enter serial production. So, to date, about 76 of these models have been produced. The parameters of this lifting giant include:

1. the length of this aircraft is almost 76 meters;
2. its height is almost 20 meters, which is higher than a five-story building;
3. the wingspan of this aircraft is almost 69 meters.

The mass of such an empty aircraft is about 213 thousand kilograms, and the maximum mass at which a successful take-off is possible is 442 thousand kilograms.

In addition to cargo, this aircraft can accommodate 581 passengers in a two-class configuration, while in a three-class configuration this number is 467.

The fastest planes in the world

They are fast, like a bullet, as they can develop just incredible speed. The fastest aircraft in the world are the following models:

1. Boeing X-43
   This hypersonic aircraft is the fastest aircraft in the world. This drone shows simply stunning results. So, this plane can fly at a speed of 11,230 km per hour. If you imagine, then this figure is almost 10 times the speed of sound.
   This supercar was designed by NASA. It took almost 10 years to develop this hypersonic aircraft. The wingspan of this "Shustrik" is only 3.6 meters. The fuel used for this aircraft is hydrogen and oxygen. At the same time, the aircraft consumes oxygen directly from the atmosphere, which made it possible to "save" on the weight of this super-fast aircraft.
2. Orbital Sciences Corporation X-34
   This plane is also super-fast, as it can reach speeds of 12144 kilometers per hour. However, in the rating of the fastest aircraft in the world, it occupies the second position, since during the experiments its speed did not exceed that of the previous Boeing X-43. It is worth noting that the development of this aircraft took a quarter of a billion dollars and about 7 years. Also interesting fact is that this high-speed liner weighs 1270 kilograms, but this does not allow it to rise to a height that is more than 75 kilometers.
3. North American X-15
   This aircraft is capable of speeds of 7274 km per hour. Interestingly, the altitude record among supersonic aircraft lasted for this model from 1963 to 2004. This "shustrik" can rise to a height of 110 kilometers, and it weighs about 15 tons.
4. SR-71 ("Blackbird")
   This supersonic aircraft is a reconnaissance aircraft subordinate to the United States Air Force. It can reach speeds of 3715 kilometers per hour. It weighs impressively, namely 77 tons. However, the aircraft weighs only 27 tons without fuel.
5. MiG-25 (" Bat»)
   This supersonic aircraft is the fastest military model... Almost 30 world records have been set on this aircraft. The speed at which this record holder can fly is 3395 kilometers per hour. The mass of this liner reaches almost 41 tons during takeoff, and only 18.8 tons during landing.

There are many aircraft models in the world, of various sizes, technical specifications, purpose and other parameters, some can carry thousands of kilograms of payload, others only one pilot.

Some of the aircraft presented below were significantly ahead of their time of construction and their colossal size led to their actual inaccessibility for everyday use.

1. An-225 "Mriya"

The most cargo-lifting and largest aircraft in the world, the An-225, began to be developed in the Soviet Union in 1984, and in 1988 the first experimental flight took place. Currently, there is only one copy of the aircraft named "Mriya"; it is operated by the company "Antonov Airlines".

An-225 cargo compartment can accommodate 50 passenger cars or a cargo with a total weight of 250 tons. The fuselage length is 84 meters with a wingspan of just over 88 meters. 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 plane, which made its first flight in 1994, was produced in an amount of five copies. The aircraft is intended for the carriage of goods with large dimensions. The aircraft is 56 meters long and has a wingspan of just under 45 meters.

With its own weight of 86 tons, it can lift up to 47 tons of payload. Airbus A300-600ST speeds up to 750 km / h. The flight range does not exceed 4632 km when transporting 20 tons of cargo. It is currently in service to transport parts of other Airbus aircraft, including the A380.

3. Boeing 747-8I

The construction of the Boeing 747-8I passenger aircraft began in 2008, the first flight tests took place in 2009-2010. The aircraft has become the world's longest 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 flight speed reaches 102 km / h. The takeoff weight is 448 tons. The maximum flight distance of the aircraft does not exceed 14.1 thousand kilometers.

4. Airbus A-380-800

The airliner Airbus A-380-800, which made its first experimental flight in 2007, can carry 853 passengers on board. It has become the main competitor of Boeing 747 in the passenger air transportation market. 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 the 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 in the USSR in 1987. A total of 56 cars were produced. With a maximum take-off weight of the aircraft of 392 tons, the aircraft's flight range is 16,500 km. The 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 the 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. For all the time, 131 units were produced. In terms of carrying capacity, this is the third cargo aircraft, while both of its predecessors are represented by the OKB im. Antonov. Introducing 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

Boeing B-52 entered service with the United States Air Force in 1955. The aircraft is an ultra-long-range strategic aircraft with a maximum take-off weight of 220 tons. In the absence of load, it is able to overcome the maximum distance of 16.2 thousand km. Throughout history, 744 units have been 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. It was repeatedly used in nuclear tests.

8. An-22 "Antey"

The first flight of the An-22, a turboprop transport aircraft, which took place in 1965, showed excellent flight qualities and the ability to fly over long distances. military force and technology. In just ten years of the project's existence, 68 units were created. The flight range was 8500 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 RF Ministry of Defense. During production, there were several modifications, including an amphibious and a low-altitude aircraft with a nuclear power plant.

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 plane will carry out regular passenger traffic, accommodating up to 750 people. Its 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 sample was made of wood. Conceived as a transatlantic seaplane, it never crossed the Atlantic.

10. ANT-20 "Maxim Gorky"

Soviet passenger aircraft ANT-20 was built in 1934. As conceived by aircraft designers, it was developed as a propaganda aircraft. In total, two copies were built.

The wingspan was 63 meters, the fuselage length reached 33 meters. The unloaded weight of the aircraft was 28.5 tons, the maximum cargo weight was 23.5 tons. The flight range was calculated at the level of 1000-1200 kilometers. The cruising speed reached 275 km / h.

There was a time when a person only dreamed of flying in the sky, people did not imagine that they could soar in the sky like a bird. But with the advent of airplanes, flying among the clouds became a reality. A colossal work was done by scientists and designers all over the world before the world saw the first samples of flying "machines". So, among them there are leaders, models that surpass their competitors in the transportation of people or equipment. Let's talk about the largest planes in the world that fly nowadays.

It is hard to believe that these multi-ton machines fly, even at such a tremendous speed.
Now the largest aircraft in the world in passenger traffic is called the Airbus A380-800. It appeared in 2005, displacing Boing 747, which had been in the lead for 36 years. The length of the Airbus A380-800 is 73 meters, the wingspan is nearly 80 meters, the height of the giant is 24 meters, and the weight of the aircraft is 280 tons. The maximum number of passengers carried on an Airbus A380-800 can reach 853 on a charter flight!

Before Airbus "came out" about 12 billion euros and 10 years of painstaking work of designers were spent on its development. Without refueling, this aircraft can fly a distance of 15,400 kilometers. The Airbus A380-800 is a very economical aircraft in terms of fuel consumption among airliners of this class. To ensure low fuel consumption, it is required to make a very precise shape of the wing and hull. To achieve this accuracy, the most accurate in the world are used milling machines from Japan, which were developed specifically for the production of this aircraft. Fuel consumption per 100 km for 3 passengers is only three liters.

It should be noted that the capacity of the Airbus is larger than the Boing 747, while its production costs 15% less. The first airline to operate the world's largest passenger aircraft was Singapore Airlines. The airline used this car for the Singapore - Sydney flight.
Below you can see in the photo the cabin of the Airbus A380-800 economy class.

Record holder for flights without refueling

The Boeing 777-300ER, developed in 1990 and made its first test flight in 1994, can fly over distances of over twenty thousand kilometers without refueling. This is the first airliner in the world to be designed without a single blueprint on paper. For the first time, a virtual computer assembly was used, this made it possible to avoid typical docking errors even at the design stage. At old technology With the use of drawings, these errors were detected at the stage of pilot production, and full-scale modeling, which is very expensive for aviation. The software used was CATIA, one of the first 3D modeling programs.

The airliner has the most powerful turbofan engines known to date, the GE90-115B, this model has an increased maximum takeoff weight and has additional fuel tanks. The introduction of such a modification made it possible to reduce fuel consumption by 1.4%, which was especially important at the height of the fuel crisis.
It also holds the record for the largest twin-engine passenger jet that can carry 305-550 people.

The aircraft with the largest wingspan

The aircraft with the largest wingspan, the Hughes H-4, was built from wood in 1947 for military use. The aircraft is completely built from birch plywood. Structural elements were cut and bent according to templates. The aircraft has a capacity of 750 people, not including equipment. The wooden giant is now on display at a museum in Oregon, with parameters:

• Aircraft height - 24 meters;
• The length of the aircraft is over 66 meters;
• The wingspan is 98 meters.

Largest cargo plane

The An-225 Mriya remains the largest cargo plane in the world for many years. This huge machine was designed in Ukraine back in 1988, and is still used in military transport cargo transportation. The first flight of "Mriya" was carried out on December 21, 1988.

The characteristics of this aircraft are as follows:

• the length of this giant is 73 meters;
• the height is just over 24 meters (the height of an eight-story building);
• weight is 250 thousand kilograms;
• the total carrying capacity is 600 thousand kg.

The largest cargo plane in the world

The aircraft has six engines. At the moment, only one copy of the An-225 has been built in the world; it is at the disposal of the Antonov airline. It was originally planned that the An-225 would help deliver missile parts to the cosmodrome. at that time the Buran space program was actively developing. Now they are building another similar aircraft, only its construction has not yet been completed.

Up to 88 people are easily accommodated on board the An-225, who accompany the cargo. The cockpit can accommodate 6 people. As the saying goes, which aircraft is the largest in the world in size will not be as steep in performance. In "Mriya" absolutely all control systems are repeated (duplicated) four times.

Unfortunately, due to the lack of production of some elements after 25 years, it is impossible to release another such aircraft. But even one copy allows you to constantly earn money on the transportation of goods, which previously could only be delivered by land or sea. In addition to commercial transportation, the aircraft is used in the delivery of goods in emergency situations, disasters, earthquakes, etc.

The largest mass-produced cargo plane

Military transport aircraft C-5 Galaxy

Lockheed C-5 Galaxy - It was considered the largest transport and cargo aircraft until 1982. now operated by the US Army, it can hold up to 270 soldiers. The aircraft was put into service back in 1968. Over the years, it has proven its effectiveness and excellent performance properties. A lot of modifications were made to the design, the most important change was the development of a completely new wing, because the old design showed rapid wear.

The aircraft will continue to be produced, a full transition to digital is planned modern technologies control systems and all avionics. The plane can fly over five thousand kilometers without refueling, and rise to an altitude of 10 km, the maximum speed developed by the machine is 920 km.

In contact with

An - 225

Airplane AN-225today, it is the largest aircraft for the transportation of goods in the world, both in size and in terms of carrying capacity (payload).

The history of the creation of the An-225 aircraft

The space program at Baikonur in 1970-1980 required the creation of an air vehicle for transporting structures of significant mass and size. Initially, the problem of transporting a part of space objects was solved by the VM-T "Atlant" aircraft, but it could take on board a cargo weighing up to 50 tons. Projects for modifications of this aircraft were created, but the maximum payload was 200 tons.
In the late 70s, the design bureau im. Antonov (Ukraine), the task was set to develop a fundamentally new aircraft with the maximum possible payload.
An-124 transport aircraft was taken as a basis. The design bureau managed to create a unique aircraft with a carrying capacity of 250 tons.
On December 21, 1988, the AN-225 aircraft made its first flight. It was shown to the world public at the 1989 Le Bourget Air Show.

In 1980, construction of the second An-225 aircraft began, but in 1994 it was stopped.
Currently, it is the only vehicle that can carry out transcontinental transportation of oversized cargo.

Photo of the 2nd unfinished aircraft AN-225:

According to statements in the press, the head of the OKB im. Antonova, to complete the construction of the second AN-225 aircraft you need about $ 300,000,000

The purpose of the An-225

The main purpose of the aircraft was to deliver space shuttles to an altitude of 11,000 meters, thereby replacing the first acceleration stages. The mass of the shuttle (Buran) was calculated to be up to 60. The shuttle was fixed above the aircraft on the fuselage. It must be said that this is why the keel of the plane is double. For this purpose, the Buran space shuttle and a number of Energia booster components were created. Currently, the aircraft is used to transport bulky and massive cargo by air to different parts the world.

Aircraft specifications:

Year of issue 1988
- carrying capacity 225 tons.
- wingspan 88.4 meters
- aircraft length 84 meters
- height 18.1 meters
- cruising speed 800 km / h
- maximum speed 850 km / h
- flight range 15 400 km.
- flight range with a maximum load of 4500 km.
- practical ceiling 10,000 m
- the mass of an empty aircraft is 250 tons.
- maximum takeoff weight 640 t.
- the capacity of the fuel tanks is 300 tons.
- crew of 7 people

The cargo compartment has the following dimensions: length 43 meters, width 6.4 meters, height 4.4 meters.
The cargo compartment is sealed.
Above the cargo hold, there is a passenger cabin that can accommodate 70 people.

In 2000, the An-225 aircraft underwent modernization, navigation equipment was installed that meet international safety standards.

Air travel is considered safe and affordable means for traveling. It takes a decent amount of fuel to lift one liner into the air, so designers are constantly fighting to reduce fuel consumption. Large-capacity liners have shown themselves as effective remedy, capable of transporting large volumes of cargo and serving large passenger traffic.

The largest passenger plane

The largest passenger aircraft in the world is the Airbus A380. The airliner is produced by a group of European companies in several countries of the European Union. The wingspan of this giant is 80 meters, which makes room for large reserves of fuel and makes it possible for long non-stop flights.

The A380 has incredible technical characteristics:

1. Number of passengers: 850 people
2. Max. flight speed: 1020 km / h.
3. Max. flight distance: 15,200 km, more than any member of this class.
4. Max. takeoff weight: 575 t.

Application composite materials allows the aircraft to weigh significantly less, which helps to gain the desired altitude with minimal acceleration.

In the aircraft design, engineers managed to combine knowledge in the field of engineering and aerodynamics.

Liner capacity

The model has large quantity modifications, however, on average, the airbus can accommodate about 555 people. The plane is different the highest level comfort. The liner is in operation on all continents. Airbus is renowned for its good handling and almost zero accidents.

Not every engine is suitable for lifting such a colossus into the air, because in addition to the passenger seats on the liner there are:

1. Recreation areas.
2. Sleeping cabins.
3. Bars and more.

Only 4 Rolls-Royce motors, manufactured by special order, are capable of lifting this mass to the height.

In Russia, the largest passenger aircraft is actively operated by the country's main airline, Aeroflot. A380 has a significant share in the carrier's fleet.

Largest cargo plane

An 225 - "Mriya" rightfully holds the title of the largest aircraft in the world. The aircraft is 73 meters long and has an incredible 88 meters wingspan! The plane exists in a single copy and is operated by the Ukrainian company "Antonov Airlines". In theory, this aircraft can be classified as a transport aircraft, but its original purpose was to transport a spacecraft. reusable"Buran".

After the collapse of the USSR, the largest cargo plane in the world went to Ukraine, but it was not used for a long time. The engines and all valuable equipment were removed from the liner. It was only in the early 2000s that there was a need for such an "air truck" and the aircraft was modernized to meet international aviation standards.

Now the largest aircraft, An, has been adapted for commercial transportation. The aircraft's carrying capacity is about 250 tons.

Important: in fact, there is a second copy of "Mriya", but it is not completed. Project readiness is estimated at 70%. To complete the construction, about $ 100 million is required, which no investor is yet ready to provide.

Liner records

An - 225 has broken many lifting capacity records. The largest cargo plane in the world has an absolute record for lifting cargo into the air - 253.5 tons. The air record holder has repeatedly entered the Guinness Book of Records.

In the next ten years, hardly anyone will be able to build a project of this scale, so the liner for the next ten to fifteen years will hold the palm in the nominations "largest aircraft in the world" and "heaviest aircraft".

The largest military aircraft in the world

The largest aircraft in the world is used for peaceful purposes only, but many of its smaller counterparts are used to transport military supplies. The most successful countries in this area are Russia and the United States. Cold war spurred the arms race and government funding poured into the defense industry.

The production of one model required a huge amount of money, so each project was thoroughly tested before flying. The commissioning time for this kind of equipment is about 5 years from the beginning of the design.

An 124 "Ruslan"

This military transport liner is one of the few representatives of the aircraft industry giants in Russia. The development of the project and the first flights were carried out back in the era Soviet Union, but technological solutions designers were really ahead of their time and therefore remain relevant to this day.

The name "Ruslan" was given to the liner by combat pilots, but journalists liked it so much that it appears with this abbreviation in all tops and ratings. The nickname has become an integral part of the aircraft.

The aircraft has a wingspan of about 80 meters and a length of 73 meters. The maximum flight range is more than 15 thousand kilometers. More than once, during their flights, these airliners skirted Earth with a minimum amount of refueling.

The Ruslan is operated in Russia and Ukraine, and not only for military cargo transportation.

Lockheed C - 5 Galaxy

The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is the American response to domestic heavy lift projects. The scale of this monster is impressive: in a military configuration, it can carry 275 fully equipped soldiers, and when used in civil aviation, it takes 75 passengers on board. In the initial project, it was assumed that the board is capable of carrying intercontinental ballistic missiles.

10 largest planes in the world

Since the inception of aviation, aircraft have become more reliable and increased in size. In every era, there has been an aircraft that is a technological breakthrough. For you, we present the top 10 aircraft that influenced the development of world aviation.

Tupolev ANT-20 "Maxim Gorky"

Built in honor of a significant event in the biography of M. Gorky - the 40th anniversary of the beginning of his literary career, the plane was striking in size. This eight-engine giant housed a printing house, laboratory and library. For full use, a flight staff of 20 people was required.

The fate of the only released copy is tragic - on May 18, 1935, an accident occurred that led to a catastrophe. However, this aircraft became the prototype for the creation of heavy domestic aircraft, such as Ruslan and Mriya.

Important: in the mid-30s of the 20th century, it could rightfully be called not only the largest Russian aircraft, but also the largest cargo aircraft in the world.

Hughes H-4 Hercules

It is no coincidence that "Hercules" occupies a place in our top. Even today, it is the largest transport aircraft with the ability to take off and land on the water surface.

The project was funded by the American tycoon Howard Hughes, but was completed only in wooden version... This is due to the fact that the construction period fell on the Second world war, so all the metal went to military needs. The estimated capacity of 750 people would make it the largest passenger aircraft ever built.

Boeing 747

Each of us has seen this plane in one way or another: live, in a photo or on video. For 37 years, the Boeing 747 held the title of the largest civilian aircraft, until the Airbus A380 appeared. Used all over the world. It was used to deliver the space shuttle from the production site.

Specifications:

1. Length from nose to tail: 76.4.
2. Wingspan: 68.5.
3. Crew: 2 pilots.
4. Number of passengers: 600 people
5. Max. flight speed: 1100 km / h.
6. Flight range: about 14,000 km.
7. Max. takeoff weight: 448 tons.

The following models are also in the top 10 largest aircraft in the world, but their place on the list is deserved primarily for their reliability and performance.

Boeing 777-300ER

The largest Boeing aircraft. The device has a wide space inside the casing and is capable of transporting up to 70,000 tons of commercial cargo.

Airbus A340-600

Released in the amount of 97 copies, which allows it to be called one of the most demanded aircraft, it is capable of taking on board 450 passengers. Discontinued in 2011, but continues to be used everywhere.

Boeing 747-8

The extended version of the liner tops the honorable list of the longest aircraft (76.4 meters). V international classification has the name "Intercontinental".

Tu-134

Medium-passenger mainline liner, which is rightfully considered one of the best in Russia. This model attracts not with a huge volume inside, but with a decent speed for its dimensions - it can reach up to 950 km / h.

Dry "Superjet" -100

The Russian aircraft is the foremost swallow of the domestic aircraft industry. It has the most modern digital filling and is capable of transporting 100 people. It is actively purchased in Asia; Sukhoi plans to enter the US market.

Irkut MC-21

This airliner is not yet in production and is getting a seat on our list in advance. Despite not the largest dimensions of the project (length - up to 40 meters), which will not allow it to displace the largest aircraft of the West from the first lines, it is able to save Russia from the domination of foreign manufacturers.

Concorde

The plane was the beginning of a sharp surge in the construction of supersonic passenger airliners. A recognizable silhouette with a pointed nose is easily recognizable in photos and videos. It was used for 27 years, which allowed it to become the record holder for the transportation of passengers - 3 million people.

Every manufacturer wants to be called an industry giant. In the aircraft industry, there is no equal Airbus with the A380 model yet. The largest passenger aircraft in the world has been produced for several years and is constantly being modified. The time is not far off when one plane will take on board more than 1000 people.

The Russian heavy aircraft market is not going through better times... Old Soviet models are in operation. Gradually Russian manufacturers trying to catch up with colleagues from Europe and America, but this takes time.

Each of the described liners can weigh tens of tons, but the coefficient of utility is estimated by the formula: 1 kg of dead weight per amount of weight lifted.