Facts About The Top 10 largest Planes in The World Ever Built
There are all sorts of aircraft. From light aircraft used for recreation to single- and double-aisle aircraft used for commercial carriage to the super sophisticated aircraft used in the military to the often grand aircraft used for cargo purposes. All the different sizes and designs of aircraft are needed as they are suited for their specific purposes.
However, the humongous sizes of some aeroplanes will no doubt leave you in awe. If you’ve ever been aboard a double-decker aircraft such as the Boeing 747 or the Airbus A30, you’ve probably marvelled at the scientific miracle of aviation.
You might even have wondered how it’s possible to have such big flying machines seamlessly move through the air. I mean, isn’t weight a primary concern in aviation? In this article, you will learn how these massive aircraft came to be, and some basics about their operation.
Here are 10 of the largest civil and commercial aircraft the world has ever seen, some of them obsolete, many of them still in operation. The parameters considered for classifying them are weight, length, volume or wingspan.
- Airbus A380
This is the largest passenger jet ever built by passenger capacity, volume, weight and wingspan. The jumbo jet, created by European aerospace company Airbus, boasts of a maximum passenger capacity of 853 (538 on the lower deck and 315 on the upper deck) but is typically only operated with a capacity of 400 – 550 passengers by airlines. The 2016 list price of the A380 was 432.6 million USD. The actual price airlines buy aircraft at is considerably lower after negotiations.
It has a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 575 tonnes (1.267 million lb) , a length of 72.7m (239.5 ft) and a wingspan of 79.8 m (261.8 ft).To put this into context, a regular passenger aircraft such as the Airbus A320 has an MTOW of 0.78 tonnes, a length of 37.6 m, and a wingspan of 34.1 m.
The size of the aircraft gives way for some luxury fittings that can hardly be found on smaller passenger aircraft. Emirates A380s have onboard lounges & bars, and showers and spas, while Etihad Airways has whole residence suites for its top passengers
Etihad Airways A380’s The Residence Suite. Image source: Travelarz
With a range of 8,500 Nautical Miles (15,700 km), the A380 flies some of the longest routes around the planet. It could fly from Hong Kong to New York or Istanbul to Sydney nonstop. The A380 is the true definition of a flying bus.
Unfortunately, many airlines are dumping jumbo aircraft in favour of smaller aircraft with similar ranges. With such a large capacity, the seats of most operators’ A380s are hardly ever filled and cannot possibly keep up with the cost of operating such an aircraft. This situation was much worsened by the slowdown in travel demand at the onset of the pandemic. Several airlines opted to retire the aircraft, however, a few of them are rescinding retirement as travel demand is bouncing back.
- The Boeing 747-8
This is the other passenger jumbo-jet developed by America’s Boeing, Airbus’s major rival. Before the A380’s launch in 2005, the B747-8 was the world’s largest passenger aircraft – a reign that lasted since 1968. It beats the A380 only in length, with a full length of 76.25 m (250.1ft). However, other variants of the B747 have shorter lengths. As of July 2018, there were 110 Boeing 747-8 aircraft in airline service, with Lufthansa being its largest operator.
The B747-8 is the world’s longest active passenger aircraft and the heaviest aircraft built in the US. It has an MTOW of 448 tonnes (987,000 lb), a wingspan of 68.45 m (224.6 ft), and a maximum passenger capacity of 605 with a typical maximum operational capacity of 467 passengers. It has a range of 7,730 Nautical Miles (14,320 km), also smaller than that of the A380. The 2019 list price of the B747-8 was 418.4 million USD.
The B747-8 is also slowly being phased out of operation in favour of smaller passenger aircraft with similar ranges, however, unlike the A380 it can be easily converted to a freighter/cargo aircraft. The Boeing 747-8 has a freighter version called the B747-8 Freighter or B747-8F, with a payload capacity of 140 tonnes (308,000 lb).
- Boeing 777-9
With a length of over 76 m (250 ft), the B777-9 – a variant of Boeing’s latest Boeing 777X series – is the longest passenger aircraft in the world. It is yet to enter into commercial service, but some test aircraft are now flying. Its first order is slated to be delivered in 2025. The plane will have a typical capacity of up to 426 passengers.
The 777-9 has two GE9X engines, the largest and most powerful commercial engines ever made. It has an MTOW of 351.5 tonnes (775,000 lb) and a range of 7,285 Nautical Miles (13,500 km). The plane features a foldable wing design. The increased wingspan will allow for better aerodynamic efficiency when in the air but will be folded on the ground to follow airport space restrictions. The full wingspan is 71.75 m (235.4 ft), while its folded length is 64.85 m (212.7 ft).
The development of the aircraft has experienced some delays due to engine problems and some issues with structural testing. As of August 2022, there were 382 orders for the aircraft, Emirates being the largest customer with 150 units on order. Emirates has always been a fan of the Triple Seven series, so it’s a no-brainer that they would also adopt the newer and improved version. The plane’s list price is estimated to be around $200 million.
- Airbus Beluga XL
The Airbus Beluga XL aircraft – a modification of the Airbus A330 airliner – is the largest aircraft by volume, with a fuselage volume of 2,209 m3. This is almost twice the holding volume of the A380. What could they possibly need such a big aircraft for? The superjumbo aircraft are used to transport aircraft parts between Airbus production facilities. That’s right. Aircraft are not typically built all in one place.
The Beluga XL has a length of 63.1 m (207 ft), an MTOW of 227 tonnes (500,449 lb), a wingspan of 60.3 m (197.8 ft)and its two engines offer a payload capacity of 50.5 tonnes (111,333 lb).
The Airbus Beluga XL (and the Beluga, its predecessor) is named after the Beluga whale and even has a design that resembles the whale, with a clever livery. The Beluga was introduced in 1995, but would not offer enough capacity for the larger A350 aircraft components, ushering in the development of the Beluga XL in 2014. The Beluga XL can contain two A350XWB wings, while the Beluga can only contain one. There are currently 6 Beluga XLs.
- Boeing Dreamlifter
This is the second largest aircraft by volume, with a fuselage volume of 1,840 m3. It is a modified version of the Boeing 747-400 that is used to transport Boeing fuselage parts. It was initially designed to transport Boeing 787 parts from suppliers in Italy and Japan to final assembly facilities in the US. It entered into service in 2007 and there are now 4 of them.
In length, payload, MTOW and wingspan, the Dreamlifter beats the Beluga XL. The Dreamlifter has a length of 71.68 m(235.2 ft), an MTOW of 364.2 tonnes (803,001 lb), a wingspan of 64.4 m (211.3ft), and its four engines offer a maximum payload capacity of 113.4 tonnes (250,000 lb).
- Antonov An-225 Mriya
The Antonov An-225 Mriya was the world’s biggest plane by most metrics, until its destruction during the onset of the Ukraine-Russia war in Ukraine in February 2022. This was the only model of aircraft ever built by the USSR’s Antonov Design Bureau. According to a Ukrainian state defence company, the cost of rebuilding the aircraft over 5 years would be 3 billion USD, at Russia’s expense.
The Antonov-2225 Mriya was the heaviest aircraft ever, with an MTOW of 640 tonnes (1,41 million lb). It had the longest wings of any operational aircraft, with a wingspan of 88.4 m (290 ft). It held the record for the total airlifted payload – also its maximum payload capacity – at 253.8 tonnes (559,580 lb)and single-item payload at 190 tonnes (418,830 lb). It had 6 engines, a range of 8,300 Nautical Miles (15,400 km), a length of 84 m (275.6 ft) and a cargo hold (volume) of 1,300 m3.
The enormous plane – named “Mriya” meaning “dream” in Ukrainian – was originally developed in 1985 as a bigger modification of the An-124 for the carriage of Buran-class orbiters (the Soviet version of the space shuttle) and Energia rocket boosters. However, after the USSR space program was dissolved, the massive plane was used for other cargo purposes. In 2020, it was used to deliver medical supplies to disadvantaged countries in the heat of the pandemic.
- Antonov An-124 Ruslan
The An-124 – mostly operated by the Russian Air Force – is the largest military aircraft in the world. The plane was developed just three days before the An-225 and held the record for the largest and heaviest commercially produced cargo aircraft in the world till the 747-8F was introduced in 2011. Since 1982, 55 of the aircraft have been built, with only 22 currently operational.
The An-124 has a maximum payload of 150 tonnes (330,693 lb) and can accommodate 88 passengers in its upper aft fuselage. It has an MTOW of 402 tonnes (886,258 lb), a wingspan of 73.3 m (240.5 ft), a length of 69.1 m (226.7 m), and a maximum range of 7,600 Nautical Miles (14,000 km).
The plane is also operated by cargo specialists in Russia, Ukraine and the UAE.
- Lockheed C-5 Galaxy
This is the largest aircraft operated by the US military for transporting weaponry and troops, with a payload capacity of 127 tonnes (279,987 lb). It has a length of 75.31 m (247 ft), a wingspan of 67.89 m (222.7 ft ), and an MTOW of 381 tonnes (840,000 lb).
The massive plane was developed by the US Defence Aerospace Company, Lockheed in 1970, following the need for a larger military transport aircraft than the C-130 Hercules. The C-5 Galaxy can contain two M1 Abrams tanks, 16 Humvees, three Black Hawks, or a range of other vehicles. A passenger version of the C-5 Galaxy would have 2 decks, up to 4 aisles, and carry a maximum of 900 passengers.
- Hughes H-4 Hercules (The Spruce Goose)
The Hughes H-4 Hercules, otherwise known as the Spruce Goose because of its wooden composition and ability to move on water, was one of the largest aircraft ever built. It was supposed to use to transport 750 troops, and 2 30-tonne M-4 Sherman tanks during World War II. Instead, it ended up being a failed project as it did not go beyond a single prototype version which had its first flight in 1947, 2 years after the war ended.
The Spruce Goose has the second longest wingspan ever (after the Stratolaunch), at 97.5 m (320 ft). It was made from wood because of wartime restrictions on the use of aluminium. Unlike the name suggests, it was actually made from birch wood instead of spruce wood. It was powered by 8 engines – the A380 and B747-8 only have 4 engines each. It had a length of 66.6 m (218.5 ft).
The plane was named after its creator, Howard Hughes, an eccentric aerospace engineer who was believed to have suffered from OCD. Hughes’ company, Hughes Aircraft Company, was commissioned by the US government to build 3 aircraft that could cross the Atlantic Ocean as a large number of their ships were being sunk by German submarines.
On 2nd November 1947, the Spruce Goose finally took off after 2 test runs, remaining airborne at an altitude of 70 ft, attaining a speed of 217 km/h and covering a distance of 1.6 km (5,249 ft). The aircraft was never used for the purpose for which it was built. It still remains in Evergreen Aviation Museum, Oregon.
- Stratolaunch
The Scaled Composites 351 Model Stratolaunch, simply known as the Stratolaunch is a double-fuselage aircraft with the largest wingspan ever – a whopping 117 m (383.8 ft). As the name suggests, it was designed to carry a rocket payload of 250 tonnes (550,000 lb) and was first announced in December 2011. However, it was not rolled out till May 2017 and did not see its first flight till April 2019.
The Stratolaunch has an MTOW of 590 tonnes (1.3 million lb) and is expected to release its rocket into the stratosphere at 36,000 ft (11,000 km). The monster plane has 6 engines, a length of 73 m (239.5ft) and could carry up to 3 small launch vehicles. The double-fuselage structure allows the pilots to sit in one of the cockpits while the other fuselage is unpressurised and solely used for equipment.
The aircraft’s launch has seen some delays, including the death of its manufacturer’s founder Paul Allen in 2018 and its acquisition by Cerberus Capital Management the following year. Cerberus then decided to make the aircraft launch vehicles reusable hypersonic test vehicles instead. The Stratolaunch did not start flying again till April 2021, 2 years after its first flight.
Rankings According to Parameters
Here are the ordered top 10 largest aircraft according to various parameters.
Top 10 Largest Aircraft by Wingspan:
- The Stratolaunch (117 m)
- Hughes H-4 Hercules (97.5 m)
- AntonovAn-225 (88.4 m)
- Airbus A380 (79.8 m)
- Antonov An-124 (73.3 m)
- Boeing 777-9 (71.75 m)
- Boeing 747-8 (68.45 m)
- Lockheed C-5 Galaxy (67.89 m)
- Boeing Dreamlifter (64.4 m)
- Airbus Beluga XL (60.3 m)
Top 10 Largest Aircraft by Length:
- Antonov An-225 (84 m)
- Boeing 777-9 (76.73 m)
- Boeing 747-8 (76.25 m)
- Lockheed C-5 Galaxy (75.31 m)
- Stratolaunch (73 m)
- Airbus A380 (72.7 m)
- Boeing Dreamlifter (71.68 m)
- Antonov An-124 (69.1 m)
- Hughes H-4 Hercules (66.6 m)
- Airbus Beluga XL (63.1 m)
Largest Aircraft by Maximum Take-off Weight (MTOW):
- Antonov An-225 (640 tonnes)
- Stratolaunch (590 tonnes)
- Airbus A380 (575 tonnes)
- B747-8 (448 tonnes)
- Antonov An-124 (402 tonnes)
- Lockheed C-5 Galaxy (381 tonnes)
- Boeing Dreamlifter (364.2 tonnes)
- Boeing 777-9 (351.5 tonnes)
- Airbus Beluga XL (227 tonnes)
Largest Aircraft by Cargo Volume:
- Airbus Beluga XL (2,209 m3)
- Boeing Dreamlifter (1,840 m3)
- Antonov An-225 (1,300 m3)
- Lockheed C-5 Galaxy (880 m3)
- Boeing 747-8F (873.7 m3)
- Boeing 777-8F (776 m3)
- Antonov An-124 (750 m3)
Conclusion
NB: This ranking only applies to the cargo aircraft or cargo version of the aircraft listed in the article. Other aircraft could have larger cargo volumes, however, the Airbus Beluga XL and Boeing Dreamlifter are the two largest cargo aircraft in the world by volume.
There you have it: the 10 largest aircraft the world has seen! I hope you learnt a thing – or ten.
References
Hayward, J. and Ahlgren, L., 2022. The Top 10 Largest Planes Ever Made. [online] Simple Flying. Available at: <https://simpleflying.com/largest-planes-ever-made/> [Accessed 10 September 2022].
Bennet, J. and Leman, J., 2022. These 15 Planes Are So Monstrous That It’s Amazing They Can Even Get Off the Ground. [online] Popular Mechanics. Available at: <https://www.popularmechanics.com/flight/g17805179/worlds-biggest-planes/> [Accessed 10 September 2022].
En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Airbus A380 – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbus_A380#Specifications_(A380-800,_Trent_engines)> [Accessed 10 September 2022].
En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Hughes H-4 Hercules – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hughes_H-4_Hercules#Specifications_(H-4)> [Accessed 10 September 2022].
En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Scaled Composites Stratolaunch – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scaled_Composites_Stratolaunch#Specifications_(Model_351_Stratolaunch)> [Accessed 10 September 2022].
En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Antonov An-124 Ruslan – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonov_An-124_Ruslan#Specifications_(An-124-100M)> [Accessed 10 September 2022].
En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Antonov An-225 Mriya – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonov_An-225_Mriya#Specifications> [Accessed 10 September 2022].
En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Airbus BelugaXL – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbus_BelugaXL#Specifications> [Accessed 10 September 2022].
En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Boeing 777X – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_777X#Specifications> [Accessed 10 September 2022].
En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Boeing 747-8 – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_747-8#Design> [Accessed 10 September 2022].
Guy, J., 2022. The world’s largest plane was destroyed in Ukraine. [online] CNN Travel. Available at: <https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/antonov-an-225-largest-plane-destroyed-ukraine-scli-intl/index.html> [Accessed 10 September 2022].
