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 that are lighter, more economical, and 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 aircraft would not be able to 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 passenger transportation 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 bow 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.

It’s one thing when an ordinary plane, even one designed for a couple of hundred passengers, takes off into the air, and quite another thing when a creation of the human mind tens of meters long, capable of transporting hundreds of tons of cargo over thousands of kilometers, appears in the sky.

IN different time honorary title big plane Different winged cars were worn around the world. For example, among them in the 1930s was the unique 8-engine propaganda aircraft ANT-20 “Maxim Gorky”. Today there are other leaders in this field, although the records they set many decades ago still hold. Around the World invites you to meet some of these record-breakers.

The very best: AN-225 “Mriya”

This is the aircraft with the world's largest payload capacity (can carry cargo with a total weight of 250 tons) and the largest take-off weight (more than 640 tons), as well as the largest in length and wing span that entered service. First, let’s look at the dimensions: the length of “Mriya” (in Ukrainian “Dream”) is 84 meters, and its wingspan is 88.4 meters. As an example, we point out here that a football field that complies with FIFA recommendations has dimensions of 105x68 meters, and Red Square in Moscow has dimensions of 330x75 meters.

The Mriya's cargo compartment is a sealed space 43 meters long, 6.4 meters wide and 4.4 meters high (that is, approximately two-storey house), it can fit, for example, 50 cars. The aircraft was invented and built in 1984–1988 at the Kiev Mechanical Plant to transport parts of the Buran spacecraft and launch vehicle from the production site to the launch site, as well as, if necessary, the entire Buran - it was supposed to be placed on the “back” of the “ Mriya."

AN-225 at the Swedish airport Stockholm-Arlanda

However, this giant did not perform its main duties for long: by 1990, all work within the framework of the Energia-Buran program was curtailed, and the AN-225 stood half-disassembled from 1994 to 2001. It was restored by 2001 and has since been regularly used to transport heavy loads, including record-breaking transport operations.

"Mriya" has already made flights with the longest (42.1-meter wind turbine blades) and heaviest monocargo (a generator weighing 174 tons), as well as with cargo with the largest total weight - 253.8 tons. In total, Mriya has more than 200 world records of this kind. The plane exists in a single copy, it is operated by a Ukrainian airline Antonov Airlines, however, it is possible that in a year or two, with the help of the Kyiv Antonov Design Bureau and the Chinese company AICC a second one will be completed.

Giant flying boat: Hughes H-4 Hercules

In the previous part, we mentioned that the AN-225 Mriya is an aircraft with the largest wingspan among all those that entered service. This reservation is not accidental: in the history of aviation there was an even larger aircraft, but it made only one test flight at an altitude of 21 meters and a length of about 1.5 km. It's about Hughes H-4 Hercules, a giant flying boat built by 1947 by the brilliant (and crazy) American aviator and businessman Howard Hughes.

The 8-engine monster created by Hughes, 66.6 meters long with a wingspan of 97.5 meters, was conceived as a means of transporting cargo, military equipment(with a total weight of about 70 tons) and up to 750 soldiers across the Atlantic from the USA to Europe. The project started in 1942 with money from the American government, but its implementation dragged on for five long years. Now the Second World War is over, but the mega-boat still hasn’t taken off.

In the end, this alerted the American government and Congress, under whose pressure Howard Hughes nevertheless made a test flight on November 2, 1947, near the Californian city of San Pedro. First and last flight. Until Hughes' death in 1976, the Hercules was maintained in flying condition, and then passed from hand to hand until it finally ended up in the aviation museum in McMinnville, Oregon, where it remains to this day - you'll be in Oregon , be sure to check it out.


Hughes H-4 Hercules during testing

The most remarkable thing about this plane is not even the largest wingspan of any aircraft ever flown, but the fact that the machine was built from birch, or rather, from birch plywood: the shortage of aluminum during the war had an impact. Despite this, the plane received the nickname "spruce goose" (Spruce Goose)- it has become synonymous with the expression “white elephant”. Let us also add that Hughes H-4 Hercules- also the largest seaplane in the history of aviation.

Largest passenger: Airbus A380

First place in this category Airbus A380 in modification 800. This is generally the largest production airliner in the world: height - 24.1 meters, length - 72.8 meters, wingspan - 79.8 meters, on its two decks it can carry a total of up to 853 people (in a one-class configuration ) over a distance of 15,700 km.

It is on this aircraft that the second and third longest commercial flights are operated today - from Auckland, New Zealand to Dubai (about 17 hours) and from Dallas, Texas, to Sydney, Australia (about 16 hours). During this time, aircraft cover approximately a third of the length of the equator (first place in the length of a commercial flight since February 2017). Qatar Airways from Oakland to Doha by Boeing 777-200LR).


A380 towed to the runway

In the plans Airbus creating larger versions of this airliner - even more spacious A380-900 for 900 passengers (all in economy class), as well as a cargo version A380F, which will be second after Mriya in terms of carrying capacity. And both of them, presumably, will be even larger in length and wingspan. So far, however, not a single such aircraft has been built: there are no required number of orders for them.

Longest passenger: Boeing 747-8

Interestingly, the gigantic size and record capacity Airbus A380- not the longest passenger aircraft in the world. This title is held by the former number one among airliners. Boeing 747 in version 8. Boeing 747-8 is the third generation of the double-deck 747, which made its first flight back in 1969 and entered commercial service about a year later.

The record for this aircraft in terms of size, weight and capacity among passenger airliners lasted 36 years - just before the advent of Airbus A380. At the same time, some of his records have not yet been broken. Yes, exactly Boeing 747-400 in 1989, made the longest non-stop flight for a commercial airliner, covering a distance of more than 18,000 km from London to Sydney in 20 hours 9 minutes. There was no cargo or passengers on board.


Boeing 747-8I German airline Lufthansa

Boeing 747-8 It is produced in two versions - passenger (747-8I) and cargo (747 -8F). And in the near future, another highly specialized one will probably appear: the US Air Force is eyeing the 747-8 as the future “Air Force One” - for the President of the United States. Now this role is played by the 747-200, which was heavily redesigned in comparison with the production version, and was put into operation in the late 1980s. It is noteworthy that a Russian trace appears here: they are going to convert it into a presidential aircraft. Boeing 747-8I, ordered by a broke Russian company"Transaero" and is now in storage in the Mojave Desert in the USA (thanks to climatic conditions aircraft stored there at a special training ground are practically not subject to corrosion).

The most voluminous: Boeing 747 Dreamlifter

Surprisingly, the giant Mriya was not omnipotent. When companies Boeing it was necessary to establish supply chains for parts for the latest Boeing 787 Dreamliner, its capabilities were not enough to transport parts of the Dreamliner's wings and fuselage from Japan and Europe to a plant in Washington state. Moreover, none of the then existing aircraft (the Soviet AN-124 and Boeing's own 747 -400F) were suitable for the company, and transporting components by sea would have taken too long. Then the engineers Boeing developed (note, not without the participation of the company’s Moscow bureau) a modified version Boeing 747 by calling her Dreamlifter.


Boeing Dreamlifter V International airport Chubu (Japan)

The difference between this, frankly, rather ugly aircraft (President of Commercial Division Boeing Scott Carson even had to jokingly apologize to the creator of the 747, Joe Sutter, “for what [they] did to his plane”) visible to the naked eye: the 747 is noticeably swollen - the diameter of the plane’s body has been significantly increased, and it opens for loading sideways tail section.

As a result, engineers managed to achieve a record volume inside of 1840 cubic meters. notice, that Dreamlifter not unique. Previously, the American Aero Spacelines Super Guppy(it was and is used to transport spacecraft parts) and the European Airbus Beluga, which delivers aircraft parts to the Toulouse plant. Both of them, however, have a smaller usable volume.

Potential Champion: Scaled Composites Model 351

May 31, 2017 in the Mojave Desert from a hangar with a crowd of public and journalists Scaled Composites Model 351- double-fuselage, 6-engine aircraft, element of the aerospace air launch system Stratolaunch, designed to lift rockets to a height of 11 kilometers Pegasus XL, from where they will be able to launch into space, spending significantly less fuel and, therefore, having more payload on board.

This launch scheme is not new - for the first time, launching aircraft from other aircraft was invented in the first half of the last century: in the 1930s, two airships were built in the USA, from which they were supposed to send small aircraft into flight. And after World War II, first in the 1970s in the USA (project Convoy Virtus), and then in the 1990s in our country (project “Molniya-1000”, also known as “Hercules”), projects were developed for launching spacecraft from superplanes. So far, however, none of them, including the one described Startolaunch, didn't take off.

But a much smaller one took off White Knight Two, a similar design twin-fuselage carrier aircraft built by the same Scaled Composites for the air launch of a tourist spaceplane SpaceShipTwo billionaire Richard Branson. In 2010 SpaceShipTwo made its first flight, separating from the carrier in the air White Knight.


SpaceShipTwo(center) and carrier aircraft White Knight Two, analog Scaled Composites Model 351

If the flight Scaled Composites Model 351 ever take place, this aircraft will break the record Hughes H-4 Hercules by wingspan of any aircraft ever flown: with a length of 71 meters, the wing length Startolaunch(and technically it has one solid wing connecting both fuselages) is 117 meters.

Photo: Larske / commons.wikimedia.org, commons.wikimedia.org, Monty Rakusen / Getty Images, Kiefer / commons.wikimedia.org, Muroi 8210 / commons.wikimedia.org, Virgin Galactic / Mark Greenberg / commons.wikimedia.org

Airbus A380- This is the largest aircraft in the world. More precisely, a passenger plane.

The height of this giant is 24 meters (~ 8th floor of a residential building), the length and wingspan are almost 80 meters. On 2 decks in a three-class cabin, 525 passengers can freely accommodate, in a single-class configuration - 853!

12 billion euros were spent on the development of the Airbus A380. It can make non-stop flights over a distance of up to 15,400 km, and the maximum take-off weight of the aircraft is amazing - 560 tons.

welcome aboard the biggest passenger plane in the world!

At the beginning of October, another dream related to aviation came true. Lufthansa invited you on a press tour to show off one of its new Airbus aircraft A380. The demonstration flight took place as part of a promotional campaign for the A380 show in European capitals.

It was possible not only to board the regular A380, but also to make a circular journey on a giant plane along the route Frankfurt - Prague - Budapest - Frankfurt, be with the pilots in the cockpit and film the work of the pilots during takeoff, flight and landing.

IN ordinary life these giants will not land at any such airport, so many were waiting for the arrival of the A380 in the capitals of the Czech Republic and Hungary. Looking ahead, I will say that I did not even expect such ceremonial meetings and such a number of spectators.



“Our” A380 had just arrived from Johannesburg and while the cleaning team was putting the cabins in order. At this time, the co-pilot walked with a flashlight and inspected the engine blades:

The sun rose, it was time for us to take off:

First floor of an A380-800 modification aircraft- these are three economy class cabins for 420 passengers. In total, this A380 carries 526 passengers. By the end of the year, Lufthansa will already have 8 of the 18 ordered. The company is investing about five billion euros in aircraft and airport infrastructure, maintenance, and crew training.

Passenger seats Lufthansa's economy class was developed by the famous German company Recaro. To be honest, I didn’t really like them - the backs are a bit thin and any movement of the passenger in front affects the comfort of the person behind.

Excellent design portholes. With their standard external size Inside the aircraft they appear larger due to the enlarged internal frame. This large oval creates the impression of open space inside the cabin.

The plane is very “quiet”, the engines are almost inaudible. I was surprised by the short takeoff run - I was watching the takeoff in Budapest, I thought that we would be running along the runway for a long time, but the plane took off almost immediately.

The multimedia center with a 9″ screen is very good. In addition to the standard set with music, films and games, the monitor displays images from three external cameras and complete information about the flight. Distance between seats 79 cm, seat width 52 cm:

During the flight, the aircraft interiors were completely at our disposal - we could walk everywhere, sit, lie down, press buttons, climb into all the holes.

Standard breakfast and lunch sets were demonstrated. Special thanks, of course, to Lufthansa for the metal devices in economy class. It’s high time for Aeroflot to switch to them.

For ease of photographing, I asked the flight attendant to turn on full lighting in the cabins. It didn't get noticeably better, but still:

On the second floor- two business class cabins. They say that the company's management doesn't really like these seats and they will change them. There are 98 of them here - an incredible number for an ordinary person. passenger airliner. The set of options is standard for a modern business class - almost horizontal folding, individual light, socket and USB port for each:

In business class monitors size 10.6″, distance between seats from 145 to 152 cm, seat width 67 cm:

Between the business class and first class cabins there is a huge vestibule with a kitchen and seats for flight attendants:

A subject of special pride for any serious airline - first class cabin. On the Lufthansa A380 it seats eight passengers. Everything here is done practically, but without frills, such as separate cabins. Eight chairs that transform into beds, each seat has a 17″ monitor. Distance between seats 213 cm, seat width 80 cm:

Lufthansa calls these seats the best in their class:

Each first class passenger has his own wardrobe for clothes and belongings:

First class passengers have two such toilet rooms. There is no shower here; the Germans consider it unnecessary; in their experience, few people use a shower during a flight.

A flight from Frankfurt to Tokyo and back will cost a first class passenger 10,000 euros:

So, we are flying to Prague. They are already ready for the ceremonial welcome of the A380 megaliner:

Lufthansa chief pilot Werner Knorr:

The cockpit equipment resembles that installed in the A330 or A321 - in front of the pilots there is only a keyboard and a joystick on the side:

There are hundreds of people below, along the entire landing route - people are standing on the field, on the hills, on the roofs of houses:

I asked one of the Czech photographers at the airport to send me a couple of shots of our flight. Thank you, Vojtech.

The cost of one A380 is $345 million.

To the right of the entrance to the cabin is the crew rest cabin:

You can get to the second floor by two stairs - in front and behind economy class:

A380 at Budapest Airport:

People are always attracted by some kind of record - record aircraft always get a lot of attention

3rd place: Airbus A380

The Airbus A380 is a wide-body, double-deck jet passenger aircraft created by Airbus S.A.S. (formerly Airbus Industrie) is the largest production airliner in the world.

The height of the aircraft is 24.08 meters, length is 72.75 (80.65) meters, wingspan is 79.75 meters. A380 can fly non-stop flights over a distance of up to 15,400 km. Capacity - 525 passengers in three classes; 853 passengers in single-class configuration. There is also a cargo modification of the A380F with the ability to transport cargo up to 150 tons over a distance of up to 10,370 km.

The development of the Airbus A380 took about 10 years, the cost of the entire program was about 12 billion euros. Airbus says it needs to sell 420 planes to recoup its costs, although some analysts estimate the figure could be much higher.
According to the developers, the most difficult part in creating the A380 was the problem of reducing its weight. It was solved through the widespread use of composite materials both in structural structural elements and in auxiliary units, interiors, etc.

To reduce the weight of the aircraft, advanced technologies and improved aluminum alloys were also used. Thus, the 11-ton center section consists of 40% of its mass from carbon fiber reinforced plastic. The fuselage top and side panels are made from Glare hybrid material. Laser welding of stringers and skin was used on the lower fuselage panels, which significantly reduced the number of fasteners.
According to statements Airbus, per passenger, the Airbus A380 burns 17% less fuel than “the largest aircraft today” (apparently meaning the Boeing 747). The less fuel is burned, the lower the carbon dioxide emissions. For an airplane, CO2 emissions per passenger are only 75 grams per kilometer traveled. This is almost half the carbon dioxide emissions limit set by the European Union for cars produced in 2008.

The first A320 aircraft sold was delivered to the customer on October 15, 2007 after a long acceptance testing phase and entered service on October 25, 2007, making a commercial flight between Singapore and Sydney. Two months later, Singapore Airlines President Chew Chong Seng said the Airbus A380 was performing better than expected and was consuming 20% ​​less fuel per passenger than the company's existing Boeing 747-400s.

The aircraft's upper and lower decks are connected by two staircases at the bow and tail, wide enough to accommodate two passengers shoulder to shoulder. In the 555-passenger configuration, the A380 has 33% more passenger seats than the Boeing 747–400 in its standard three-class configuration, but the cabin has 50% more space and volume, resulting in more space per passenger.

The maximum certified capacity of the aircraft is 853 passengers when configured with a single economy class. The announced configurations have a number of passenger seats from 450 (for Qantas Airways) to 644 (for Emirates Airline, with two comfort classes).

2nd place: Hughes H-4 Hercules

Hughes H-4 Hercules (eng. Hughes H-4 Hercules) is a transport wooden flying boat developed by the American company Hughes Aircraft under the leadership of Howard Hughes. This 136-ton aircraft, originally designated the NK-1 and informally nicknamed the Spruce Goose, was the largest flying boat ever built, and its wingspan remains a record to this day. - 98 meters. It was designed to transport 750 soldiers when fully equipped.

At the beginning of World War II, the US government allocated $13 million to Hughes to produce a prototype of a flying ship, but the aircraft was not ready by the end of hostilities, which was explained by a shortage of aluminum, as well as Hughes’s stubbornness in creating a flawless machine.

Specifications

Crew: 3 people
Length: 66.45 m
Wingspan: 97.54 m
Height: 24.08 m
Fuselage height: 9.1 m
Wing area: 1061.88 m?
Maximum take-off weight: 180 tons
Payload weight: up to 59,000 kg
Fuel capacity: 52,996 l
Engines: 8? air cooling Pratt&Whitney R-4360-4A 3000 l. With. (2240 ​​kW) each
Propellers: 8? four-blade Hamilton Standard, diameter 5.23 m

Flight characteristics

Top speed: 351 mph (565.11 km/h)
Cruising speed: 250 mph (407.98 km/h)
Flight range: 5634 km
Service ceiling: 7165 m.

Despite its nickname, the plane is built almost entirely from birch, or more precisely from birch plywood glued to a template.

The Hercules aircraft, piloted by Howard Hughes himself, made its first and only flight on November 2, 1947, when it rose to a height of 21 meters and covered approximately two kilometers in a straight line over Los Angeles Harbor.

After a long period of storage (Hughes maintained the aircraft in operational condition until his death in 1976, spending up to $1 million a year on this), the aircraft was sent to a museum in Long Beach, California.

The plane is visited by about 300,000 tourists annually. The biography of the aircraft's creator, Howard Hughes, and the aircraft's testing are shown in Martin Scorsese's film "The Aviator."

It is currently on display at the Evergreen International Aviation Museum in McMinnville, Oregon, where it was moved in 1993.

1st place: AN-225 What a plane! Of course, he's Russian!

This machine was designed and built in a very short time: the first drawings began to be created in 1985, and in 1988 the transport aircraft was already built. The reason for such a short deadline can be quite easily explained: the fact is that the Mriya was created on the basis of well-developed components and assemblies of the An-124 Ruslan. For example, the fuselage of the Mriya has the same transverse dimensions as the An-124, but is longer; the span and area of ​​the wings have increased. The wing has the same structure as the Ruslan, but additional sections have been added to it. The An-225 now has two additional engines. The aircraft's landing gear is similar to that of the Ruslan, but it has seven instead of five struts. The cargo compartment has been changed quite seriously. Initially, two aircraft were laid down, but only one An-225 was completed. The second copy of the unique aircraft is approximately 70% complete and can be completed at any time, subject to proper funding. To complete its construction, an amount of 100-120 million dollars is needed.

On February 1, 1989, the aircraft was shown to the general public, and in May of the same year, the An-225 made a non-stop flight from Baikonur to Kyiv, carrying a Buran weighing sixty tons on its back. That same month, the An-225 delivered the Buran spacecraft to the Paris Air Show and created a real sensation there. In total, the aircraft holds 240 world records, including the transportation of the heaviest cargo (253 tons), the heaviest monolithic cargo (188 tons) and the longest cargo.

The An-225 Mriya aircraft was originally created for the needs of the Soviet space industry. In those years, the Soviet Union was building Buran, its first reusable spacecraft, an analogue of the American shuttle. To implement this project it was necessary transport system, with which it was possible to transport large loads. It was for these purposes that “Mriya” was conceived. In addition to the components and assemblies of the spacecraft itself, it was necessary to deliver parts of the Energia rocket, which were also colossal in size. All this was delivered from the production site to the final assembly points. The units and components of Energia and Buran were manufactured in the central regions of the USSR, and final assembly took place in Kazakhstan, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. In addition, the An-225 was initially designed so that in the future it could transport the finished Buran spacecraft. The An-225 could also transport large cargo for the needs of the national economy, for example, equipment for the mining, oil and gas industries.

In addition to participating in the Soviet space program, the aircraft was to be used to transport oversized cargo over long distances. The An-225 Mriya will carry out this work today.

The general functions and tasks of the machine can be described as follows:

transportation of general purpose cargo (large, heavy) with a total weight of up to 250 tons;
intracontinental non-stop transportation of cargo weighing 180–200 tons;
intercontinental transportation of goods weighing up to 150 tons;
transportation of heavy bulky cargo on an external sling with a total weight of up to 200 tons;
use of aircraft for air launch of spacecraft.

The unique aircraft was given other, even more ambitious tasks, and they were also related to space. The An-225 Mriya aircraft was supposed to become a kind of flying cosmodrome, a platform from which spaceships and rockets would be launched into orbit. "Mriya", according to the designers, was supposed to be the first stage for the launch of reusable spacecraft of the "Buran" type. Therefore, initially the designers were faced with the task of making an aircraft with a payload capacity of at least 250 tons.

The Soviet shuttle was supposed to launch from the “back” of the plane. This method of launching vehicles into low-Earth orbit has many serious advantages. Firstly, there is no need to build very expensive ground-based launch complexes, and secondly, launching a rocket or ship from an airplane seriously saves fuel and allows you to increase the payload of the spacecraft. In some cases, this may make it possible to completely abandon the first stage of the rocket.

Various air launch options are currently being developed. They are working especially actively in this direction in the United States, and there are also Russian developments.

Alas, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the “air launch” project with the participation of the An-225 was practically buried. This aircraft was an active participant in the Energia-Buran program. The An-225 carried out fourteen flights with Buran on the top of the fuselage, and hundreds of tons of various cargo were transported as part of this program.

After 1991, funding for the Energia-Buran program ceased, and the An-225 was left without work. Only in 2000 did the modernization of the machine begin for use for commercial purposes. The An-225 Mriya aircraft has unique technical characteristics, enormous payload capacity and can transport large cargo on its fuselage - all this makes the aircraft very popular for commercial transportation.

Since that time, the An-225 has performed many flights and transported hundreds of tons of various cargo. Some transport operations can be safely called unique and have no analogues in the history of aviation. The aircraft took part in humanitarian operations several times. After the devastating tsunami, he delivered power generators to Samoa, transported construction equipment to earthquake-ravaged Haiti, and helped eliminate the consequences of the earthquake in Japan.

In 2009, the An-225 aircraft was modernized and its service life was extended.

The An-225 Mriya aircraft is designed according to the classical design, with high-raised, slightly swept wings. The cabin is located in the front of the aircraft, the cargo hatch is also located in the nose of the vehicle. The aircraft is made according to a two-fin design. This decision is related to the need to transport cargo on the fuselage of the aircraft. The An-225 airframe has very high aerodynamic properties; the lift-to-drag ratio of this aircraft is 19, which is an excellent indicator not only for transport aircraft, but also for passenger aircraft. This, in turn, significantly improved the aircraft's performance and reduced fuel consumption.

Almost the entire internal space of the fuselage is occupied by the cargo compartment. Compared to the An-124, it has become 10% larger (by seven meters). At the same time, the wing span increased by only 20%, two more engines were added, and the aircraft’s carrying capacity increased by one and a half times. During the construction of the An-225, drawings, components and assemblies of the An-124 were actively used, thanks to which the aircraft was able to be created in such a short time. Here are the main differences between the An-225 and the An-124 “Ruslan”:

New center section;
fuselage length increased;
the single-fin tail was replaced with a double-fin;
lack of a tail cargo hatch;
the number of main landing gear struts has been increased from five to seven;
external cargo fastening and pressurization system;
two additional D-18T engines were installed.

Unlike the Ruslan, the Mriya has only one cargo hatch, which is located in the bow of the aircraft. Like its predecessor, Mriya can change the ground clearance and angle of the fuselage, which is extremely convenient during loading and unloading operations. The chassis has three supports: a front two-post and two main ones, each of which consists of seven posts. Moreover, all racks are independent of each other and are produced separately.

To take off without cargo, the plane needs a runway 2400 meters long, with cargo - 3500 meters.

The An-225 has six D-18T engines suspended under the wings, as well as two auxiliary power units located inside the fuselage.

The cargo compartment is sealed and equipped with everything necessary equipment for loading operations. Inside the fuselage, the An-225 can transport up to sixteen standard aviation containers (each weighing ten tons), fifty passenger cars, or any cargo weighing up to two hundred tons (turbines, especially large cargo vehicles, generators). On top of the fuselage there are special fastenings for transporting large cargo.D

Technical characteristics of An-225 "Mriya"

Wingspan, m 88.4
Length, m 84.0
Height, m ​​18.2
Weight, kg

Empty 250000
Maximum takeoff 600000
Fuel weight 300000
Engine 6*TRDD D-18T
Specific fuel consumption, kg/kgf·h 0.57-0.63
Cruising speed, km/h 850
Practical range, km 15600
Range, km 4500
Practical ceiling, m 11000
Crew of six people
Payload, kg 250000-450000.

An-225 is a Soviet transport jet aircraft with an ultra-high payload developed by the Design Bureau named after. O.K. Antonov, is the largest aircraft in the world.

The history of aviation begins at the end of the eighteenth century - after all, it was at the junction of eras that the English designer developed the design of an aircraft. Modern airliners bear little resemblance to their predecessors. Today, aviation industry leaders compete to produce giants. The largest aircraft in the world, the An-225 Mriya, amazes with its size and carrying capacity. Let's study the rating of the largest airliners in more detail.

Let's start with brief description leader of the list among boards civil aviation, which specialize in passenger flights. Today, the first place in this area is held by the invention of the European company Airbus - the A380 board. The ship was developed over 10 years, and in 2005 this giant successfully completed its first voyage.

With a fuselage length of 72.75 m, a wing spread of 79.75 m and a body height of 24 meters, this aircraft is capable of lifting up to 853 people into the air.

A distinctive characteristic of the model is its economical fuel consumption - the flight range of this airliner is 15,400 kilometers. It is noteworthy that in order to achieve this goal, engineers ordered a batch of machines specially created for the model. After all, a reduction in fuel consumption can only be achieved with an ideally adjusted shape of the wing and fuselage. Actual consumption aviation fuel here it is 855 liters per 100 km when fully loaded.

Note that the Airbus A380 800 replaced the thirty-five-year-old leader in this area -. Moreover, the current record holder is capable of transporting 7% more passengers while reducing the cost of producing the aircraft within 15%. However, it took the designers about 2,000,000,000 euros to create the first model.

The aircraft was first put into operation by Singapore Airlines. The vessel successfully completed its first intercontinental voyage from Singapore to Sydney, which had an excellent effect on customers. In addition, such a model transports up to 150 tons of cargo over a distance of up to 10,370 kilometers. Note that the empty aircraft weighs 280 tons, and the maximum take-off weight on board reaches 560 tons.

Leaders in size

The world's longest aircraft for passenger transportation is the predecessor of the aircraft described above, the Boeing 747 aircraft. This is a wide-body, double-deck airliner, whose body length reaches 76.3 meters with a side height of 19.4 m and a wingspan of 68 and a half meters.

Such a successful project was launched in the early seventies of the last century by an American company. And right up to the Airbus A380, the aircraft remained the largest passenger airliner peace.

At the time the model appeared, the project to create this aircraft had become so expensive that the company had to take out loans. However, all the costs were fully paid off - and today these ships are in demand and popular. Business card became a “hump” in the front part of the hull - that’s where the designers placed upper deck sides. The aircraft also remains the leader in speed characteristics in its class among subsonic passenger airliners. The speed of this board reaches 910–950 km/h.

Heavyweights in the world of aviation

Now let's determine the largest cargo aircraft in the world - the photos presented in the article will help readers see the true scale of this technology. Let us describe the characteristics of global leaders in more detail.

Record holder for cargo transportation

The most load-lifting aircraft in the world - developed by the Antonov Design Bureau, model An-225 Mriya. The airliner successfully passed flight tests back in 1988, and from 1989 to the present time it has been operated in the field of cargo transportation. The hull length of this vessel reaches 84 meters, and the wing spread is 88.4 m. According to these parameters, the modification is second only to the Hughes H-4, which was designed back in 1947.

The empty weight of the An-225 aircraft is 250 tons, and the take-off weight of the airliner reaches 640 tons.

In 2004, the modification was included in the Guinness Book of Records, as it leads in 240 parameters at once. It is noteworthy that the aircraft was designed on the basis of a project by another giant, which was the world's largest cargo aircraft, the An-124 Ruslan. Moreover, to this day only a single copy of the heavyweight “Mriya” has been constructed. True, even one airliner is actively used for commercial purposes and rescue operations.

Although at the end of 2016, an agreement between Ukraine and China was signed on the joint release of the second updated experimental model and further cooperation in this industry.

The An-255 is designed to carry up to 88 passengers who accompany the cargo and six crew members. Initially, the aircraft was planned to be used for the space industry, so the Mriya project is a universal technology. It is a record holder for weight and carrying capacity, a leader in the transportation of mono cargo and large equipment.

Largest serial heavyweight

The largest cargo aircraft in Russia, which was mass-produced and in use today, is the . It is on the basis of the design of this airliner from the OKB im. Antonov and developed "Mriya". Concerning "Ruslana", the first such board appeared in 1982. Initially, the function of the equipment was to transport intercontinental and ballistic missiles, but today the ship is used as a military transport aircraft.

An-124 "Ruslan" is slightly inferior to "Mriya" in size and payload capacity

Since 1987, the modification has been actively used by the Russian Air Force and the Ukrainian Antonov Airlines. Throughout the history of the production of such airliners, the world has seen 55 Ruslan models. The vessel has a length of 69.1 meters. Moreover, its height is 24.5 m, and its wingspan is 73.3 m. The efficiency of the airliner allows it to fly 4,800 km when fully loaded, and the maximum flight range here is 11,600 meters.

The vessel's cruising speed is 800–850 km/h with a maximum permissible acceleration of 865 km/h. The empty weight of the airliner is 178.4 tons, and the maximum take-off weight of this modification is 392,000 kilograms.

The design features of the vessel allow loading through the bow compartment

There are two decks on board the equipment. The upper tier of the liner is designed to carry 21 passengers accompanying the cargo, stationary and interchangeable cabins for the crew. The lower deck of the vessel is a sealed cargo compartment with a capacity of 1,060 m³. If we talk about the records of this model, in 1985 the aircraft became a leader in 21 positions for transporting cargo over long distances. Over the entire period of operation, 4 such aircraft were lost.

Western analogue of An-124

If we consider popular Western projects that compete with Ruslan, here aviators call the airliner Lockheed C-5 Galaxy. This modification occupied a leading position in the world until the appearance of the An-124 project in 1982. However, similar airliners are still successfully used by the US Air Force today. Moreover, the manufacturing company produced 131 units of such equipment.

The third largest heavyweight in the world is the American model Lockheed C-5 Galaxy

The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is a military transport aircraft that has increased payload capabilities and ranks third in the world ranking of aviation heavyweights. After all, an empty airliner that weighs 169.643 tons has a maximum take-off weight of 379,657 kilograms. At the same time, the dimensions of the aircraft are very impressive. The height of the hull here is 19.85 m, the length is 75.54 m, and the wingspan is 67.88 m.

The transport is capable of transporting 270 soldiers and 118,387 kg of cargo simultaneously over a distance of 5,526 km. Moreover, the maximum practical flight range of this model is 10,895 m.

This is a modification of a double-deck side, the power plant of which is provided by four engines. The cruising speed that the ship is capable of reaching reaches 888 km/h. Here, on the upper tier of the aircraft, there is a crew cabin for 5 people and seats for passengers. The lower sector of the airliner is designed for transporting cargo. The length of this deck is 36.91 m and the width is 5.79 meters.

Leader in wing length

Since the current record holder "Mriya" was unable to break the world aviation record for wingspan, we will describe the characteristics of the aircraft that holds this position. Model Hughes H-4 is a wooden structure developed for the American military in 1947. The only copy of this modification can be seen in the Oregon State Museum. Moreover, since its inception, aircraft have been used only once in history, conducting an experimental flight.

Today, the only example of the Hughes H-4 airboat is in the Oregon State Museum.

The dimensions of the airliner are impressive - the body length is 66.45 m and the height is 24.08 meters. Moreover, the record wingspan here is 97.54 m. The ship was intended to transport military personnel and is designed to transport 750 soldiers in full gear and three pilots. The maximum take-off weight of the giant is limited to 180 tons, and the useful weight that the board is capable of lifting is 59,000 kg.

The design of this airboat appeared at the beginning of the Second World War, but the designer never managed to bring the equipment to readiness by the deadline. It took $13,000,000 to develop and manufacture the aircraft, and storing the aircraft cost the designer $1,000,000 annually.

As you can see, aviators are constantly competing to produce the best aircraft that can perform universal missions. In the near future, the release of the modernized giant “Mriya” is expected. Perhaps this modification will break a personal record and become the largest airliner in the history of aviation. Details about the classification of flight equipment are available here.

Airbus A380 - the largest passenger aircraft in the world
The cabin of this giant can accommodate up to 853 passengers.
Among passenger aircraft, the longest airliner remains the Boeing 747
AN-225 "Mriya" - world record holder for dimensions
With a maximum take-off weight of 640 tons, Mriya becomes the world's highest-lifting airliner