The largest passenger Boeing in the world. What is the largest passenger aircraft in the world

Today, the airplane is considered one of the most common types of transport. Contrary to the opinion that flying it is dangerous, statistics in relation to road, rail and even by sea transport says otherwise.

More than a thousand types of all kinds of aircraft have been developed in the world. The best of them are considered not only the fastest and most technically equipped, but also the largest and most spacious aircraft: cargo, military and passenger.

The top 15 also included those aircraft that this moment ply our skies, and those that were once created by ambitious engineers, but never found their application.

The list opens with one of the oldest, but nevertheless large aircraft. In 1929, a passenger aircraft - a boat - went into operation in Germany. Its first test became a record flight with 170 passengers on board. But due to low flight characteristics, in 1936 flights stopped. The length of the liner was 40m. wingspan width 48m, weight – 29t.

In 1952, English engineers created a seaplane - a flying boat. The two passenger decks accommodated 105 people. The aircraft had 10 Bristol Proteus engines. Of the three aircraft built, only one was operated, but it completed a total of 45 flights, which amounted to about 100 hours. Subsequently, all three aircraft were dismantled for scrap in 1967. LengthSR 45 was 42m., wingspan – 70m, aircraft weight – 87t.

Year of production 1949. The largest aircraft ever produced in England. It was originally designed as a new generation super-heavy bomber. The experiment turned out to be quite expensive and unsuccessful, so the copy in the amount of one piece was left without continuation. Aircraft length was 54m., wingspan 70m.

The list continues with the most original cargo plane in shape, reminiscent of the Beluga whale. French aircraft commercially did not justify its existence, so after five aircraft were produced, production was curtailed. Aircraft length 56m., wing span width - 45 m, load capacity only 47 tons.

A Soviet aircraft with impressive dimensions. Bears the title of the largest propeller-driven aircraft. 57 meter giant with 64m. wingspan has been used in the Russian Air Force since 1968 and continues to this day. It has proven itself well in parachute landing of equipment and weapons. The machine is made with four turboprop engines, the power of each engine is 15 thousand l / s. The fuselage is equipped with two fins, and the tail section is equipped with a large cargo hatch. The original development of the An-22 aircraft later served as a model for many modifications. Over 47 years, 68 aircraft were produced, today only 6 are in operation, including 1 by Ukraine.

Another spacious and popular aircraft among airlines different countries. Operation began in 1995. The Boeing 777 can perform long intercontinental flights (17 thousand kilometers), about 18 hours. The modification of this aircraft was the first where traditional paper drawings replaced three-dimensional computer graphics. Capacity civil airliner is 300 people, total length – 63m., wingspan – 65m.

Designed in 1947 in the USA in the amount of 1 piece. It has the longest wingspan - 98m. The flying wooden boat was produced for the purpose of transporting 750 paratroopers. At the end of 1947, he made his first and only flight, rising only 21m. and flying 2 km. Currently, Hercules is kept as a museum exhibit. The length of the failed aircraft is 66.5m. Interesting fact– the plane is almost entirely made of birch, for which it bears the nickname “wooden”.

The second name is “Ruslan”. In service Russian Federation. It is considered the largest production cargo aircraft. Created by joint efforts of engineers from Russia and Ukraine. The aircraft is unique for its endurance, lack of sensitivity to weather conditions, and also, due to the 24 wheelbase, the ability to accelerate and land on unpaved runways. An opening hatch is located both in the tail and in the bow. A feature of this development is the possibility of simultaneous, more convenient and faster unloading and loading processes. Besides heavy lifting capacity, the aircraft can accommodate 800 soldiers with full equipment. The total length of the wing span is 73.3 m. The weight of the aircraft is 180 tons. To date, 55 devices have been produced. The plane achieved its greatest popularity when in 1989, with the help of Ruslan, 140 tons of musical equipment of the Pink Floyd group were transported. Aircraft length 69m.

Another representative of French developers. The four-engine passenger, and in some modifications, cargo aircraft has a wingspan of 80 m in length. The total length of the aircraft is 73m., height 24m. The passenger version of the aircraft is striking in its capacity - more than 850 people can simultaneously fly without a transfer over a distance of up to 15 tons. kilometers. This giant, weighing 280 tons, is rightfully included in the Guinness Book of Records for the number of people transported. One of the most expensive aircraft has an advantage in fuel consumption - 3 liters per passenger per 100 km. flight. By the way, developers from the Moscow Engineering Center took part in the latest, more improved modification; their task was to design on-board equipment and strengthen the fuselage parts. An interesting fact is that during the production of such a giant it is necessary to lay more than 530 km. electrical wires. Currently, 180 Airbus A380 aircraft have been produced, only 150 are in operation.

The largest twin-engine aircraft is designed for passenger flights over long distances (flight range ranges from 10 to 17 km). It differs from the previous version of the 777-200 in having a longer fuselage. The impressive capacity of the airliner (from 350 to 550 people) makes it one of the most commercially successful. The number of aircraft produced is 1385 - absolute record. The length of the aircraft is 74m., wingspan 71m, weight – 160t.

Pure American. Used in many military conflicts: Vietnam, Yugoslavia, Iraq and Afghanistan. The characteristics of the cargo military-strategic aircraft are impressive: total length – 75.5m., wingspan – 68m, height – 20m, load capacity more than 120t. Just like the An-124 has the ability to load through bow airplane. Over the entire production period, more than 130 models were produced. There are currently 62 aircraft in operation.

The title of one of the largest passenger aircraft belongs to a French aircraft with total length more than 76m and a wingspan of 63.5 m. Based on the A330. A distinctive feature is the presence of four engines. The purpose of this innovation was the need for long-distance, intercontinental flights. The modified A340-200 is shortened by 5m, but the non-stop flight range is increased from 12t. kilometers up to 14t. The first record for the longest flight with one landing belongs to the A340 (the flight duration from one place to another was 49 hours). In total, about 400 A340 aircraft were produced. The initial version of the aircraft had a passenger capacity of 260 people; subsequent, more advanced and lengthened aircraft accommodate up to 400 people ( last series Airbus A340-600 has a length of 75 m.). Since 2010 due to high prices for fuel and competing aircraft, production of the A340 has been suspended. Despite this, the aircraft is a great success among airlines.

The newest, more improved descendant of the Boeing 747, created in the USA. The longest passenger aircraft in the world, surpassed the Airbus A340-600 by only 125 cm, which is 76.25m. Also, unlike competing models, the developers of the latest version were able to reduce fuel consumption by 11%, which significantly reduces the cost of flight. The Boeing 747-8 version of the cargo aircraft is the most commercially successful; more than half of all world flights are carried out on this model. The passenger aircraft can accommodate 470 people on board. Innovative developments on the latest units include private cabins with sliding curtains, entertainment equipment and even beds. Some orders for this assembly are from VIPs, including presidents of several states. The wingspan is 68.5 m. The weight of the cargo aircraft is 190 tons, the passenger one - 213. It ranks first in sales in the list of the largest aircraft. In more than five years, more than 40 aircraft have been put into operation.

The brainchild of Russian-Ukrainian engineers, the ultra-high-capacity jet transport vehicle has the title of the largest and spacious aircraft in the world. The prototype of the aircraft is the An-124, better known as “Ruslan”. The wingspan is 88.4 m. General aircraft length 84m. Today, only one copy is in constant use. A universal transport aircraft with the ability to attach external cargo, it was originally designed to transport parts of a spacecraft with special dimensions. The carrying capacity of this device was supposed to be about 250 tons. The length of the cargo compartment is 43 m, width – 6.5 m, height 4.5 m. The An-225 is also highly convenient for loading and unloading unique and oversized cargo. The giant's mass is 250 tons. Many world records for capacity and transportation of the largest and heaviest cargo belong to this aircraft.

KM "Caspian Monster"

An experimental ekranoplan was developed in Russia in 1966. The unique, largest aircraft in the world, received the name “Caspian Monster” after it was noticed by American satellites. Before the appearance of the An-225 aircraft, it had the title of not only the largest aircraft, but also the heaviest. The aircraft was intended for use by the Navy. In constant attempts to modernize and improve it, secret tests were carried out for 15 years, but in 1980. Due to a pilot error, the plane crashed and sank. After this, no attempts were made to recreate an exact copy. The length of the giant was 92m., wingspan – 38m, empty weight – 240t, total load capacity – 304t.

During the Soviet era, Soviet engineers designed and implemented many high-tech devices that one could be proud of. But even today, not wanting to lag behind foreign countries, in Russia a project is being developed for the production of the BE-2500 amphibious aircraft. According to the plan, the length of such an aircraft should be 115 m, the wingspan should be 125 m, and the load capacity should be over 500 tons.

The trends of recent developments are directed precisely in the direction where there is the prospect of the most capacious, economical and fast transport. For these purposes best invention than an airplane has not yet been invented. We can only hope that the main condition for the production of new giants will always remain safety.

2016.04.16 by

The largest companies are called upon to increase the efficiency of flights by reducing the cost of services. passenger aircraft in the world, accommodating several hundred people. Giant liners increased comfort, are able to cover enormous distances without refueling, thanks to large fuel tanks. High load capacity allows transportation large quantity luggage

The model replaced the outdated version of the A300, which consumed too much fuel and had little capacity. New modification capable of lifting 295 people into the air at a time, and is classified as a wide-body airliner. The length of the car reaches 59 meters, and its width is 63 m. The maximum flight range with a full load does not exceed 10,500 m. The cruising speed reaches 870 km/h. The maximum take-off weight is 233 tons, and the wingspan is 60.3 meters. Fuel tanks are designed for 97,000 liters of fuel.

Of course, not the largest passenger aircraft in the world, but one of the most popular aircraft among airlines. Operation began in 1995, the machine has proven itself to be highly reliable. The 777-200LR modification is capable of performing the longest non-stop flights. It was this model that was first developed without the use of traditional paper drawings, but only with the use of three-dimensional computer graphics. The airliner is capable of covering 17,000 km without landing at a cruising speed of 905 km/h. The car simultaneously transports 301 passengers, and its wingspan is 64.8 meters.

The modernized version rightfully entered the rating of the largest passenger aircraft in the world, thanks to its ability to carry up to 467 people. The airliner covers a maximum distance of 15,000 km and is actually considered the longest aircraft on Earth. The vehicle differs from its worthy predecessors in its elongated fuselage. Engineers installed new engines, wings and on-board systems. A set of updates has made the aircraft much quieter and more economical. International name new version - "Intercontinental".

One of the largest passenger aircraft in the world began operating in 2002. The modification differs from its predecessor in larger fuel tanks and engines with increased power. Serial production of the model was stopped in 2011; in total, the company produced 97 of these aircraft. The wingspan is 63.5 m, and the maximum capacity reaches 440 seats. The airliner is capable of traveling 14,800 km without refueling, carrying luggage and passengers with a total weight of 373 tons. The area of ​​the giant's wings is 437 meters. Despite being discontinued, the cars still successfully transport passengers around the world.

The Boeing 777-300ER was also included in the list of the largest passenger aircraft in the world. The airliner is recognized as the largest aircraft with 2 engines, designed for civil aviation. The modification differs from the previous version of the 777-200 in having a longer fuselage, allowing the cabin to accommodate up to 550 passengers. The 777-300ER version is not considered basic and has been in operation since 2004. The advantage of the model is its increased flight range. Moving at a cruising speed of 905 km/h, the vehicle is capable of covering 14,600 km without additional refueling, carrying up to 68,500 tons of commercial cargo.

A military aircraft, capable of transporting both people and cargo, was also included in the ranking of the largest passenger aircraft in the world. The liner is capable of transporting 270 military personnel and can be equipped with standard passenger seats— 75 units. Its impressive dimensions allowed it to be classified as a giant. The aircraft reaches a length of 75.5 m and its width is 68 meters. The aircraft can cover 5,600 km at a speed of 920 km/h without refueling. Maximum height, gained by the giant, reaches 10 km.

Russian "Ruslan" is rightfully considered one of the largest passenger aircraft in the world, because its wingspan reaches 73 meters and its length is 69 m. The car stands out for its colossal cargo compartment, reaching a volume of 1050 m 3. The maximum range of the liner does not exceed 7,500 km, and its cruising speed is 850 km/h. The vehicle is primarily used for transporting goods, but is capable of transporting military personnel. The total carrying capacity of the modification reaches 120 tons. The flight life does not exceed 45 years.

Since 2007, the largest passenger aircraft in the world has been considered the Airbus A380, first purchased by Singapore Airlines. The airliner flies all over the world and is distinguished by an incredible level of comfort. The vehicle is capable of transporting 555 people, but if desired, the number of passengers can be increased to 700. The double-deck cabin is equipped with sleeping cabins, there are also recreation areas, spiral staircases and comfortable bar counters. The aircraft's wingspan is 80 meters, and its area reaches 845 m2. Only 4 Rolls-Royce engines can lift a car into the air.

Historically, the largest passenger aircraft in the world was recognized in 1947 by the Hughes H-4 Hercules. The model stood out for its fantastic wingspan, reaching 98 meters, thanks to which the modification was recognized as the most wide-body. Two machines of this type were made, but only one now exists. The vehicle carried 750 military personnel and is now in the Long Beach Museum, where it was transported in 1993. Large quantity No aircraft has carried passengers in its entire history.

Perhaps the largest passenger aircraft in the world at the moment is the Mriya. Initially, the project was developed as a cargo project and was used to transport the Buran spacecraft. Subsequently, the Ukrainian enterprise Antonov adapted the vessel to commercial needs. The giant's wingspan is 88 m, and its length reaches 73 meters. The airliner set several records for carrying capacity. Now it exists in a single copy and is operated by Antonov Airlines. The airliner has proven itself reliably in practice.

Ever since people learned to design flying vehicles, they began to be used to transport heavy and bulky cargo. Over the history of aeronautics, many transport aircraft have been created that impress with their enormous size.

1. Antonov An-225 “Mriya”.

The An-225 is currently the largest aircraft in the world; it has an extremely large payload and can lift about 250 tons into the air. The An-225 was originally designed and built to transport components of the Energia launch vehicle and the Buran reusable spacecraft.

2. Boeing 747 Dreamlifter.


This transport aircraft is a modified version of the Boeing 747, it was built and used exclusively to transport parts of the Boeing 787 aircraft. What makes the Dreamlifter special is its unusual appearance.

3. Aero Spacelines Super Guppy.


The Super Guppy cargo plane was produced in five copies and today only one of them is in use. It is owned by NASA and is used to deliver large cargo and spacecraft parts.

4. Antonov An-124 “Ruslan”.


An-124 is a heavy military transport aircraft for long-distance transport, the world's largest production commercial cargo aircraft. It was developed primarily for air transportation launchers of intercontinental ballistic missiles, as well as for transporting heavy military equipment. The carrying capacity of the An-124 is 120 tons. .

5. Lockheed C-5 Galaxy.


American military transport aircraft, second in terms of payload capacity after the An-124. The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is capable of carrying six helicopters or two large tanks in its cargo bay. The total weight that the aircraft can transport is more than 118 tons.

6. Airbus A300-600ST Beluga.


A jet cargo aircraft for transporting large cargo, which was developed on the basis of the Airbus A300 series. The main purpose of creating the A300-600ST is to replace transport aircraft Super Guppy. Beluga owes its name to its body shape, which resembles a beluga whale. The Beluga's carrying capacity is 47 tons.

7. Antonov An-22 “Antey”.


Soviet-made heavy transport aircraft, the largest turboprop aircraft in the world. Currently, the aircraft is used by the Russian Air Force and the Ukrainian cargo airline Antonov Airlines. The carrying capacity of the An-22 is 60 tons.

8. Boeing C-17 Globemaster III.


The C-17 Globemaster III is one of the most common military transport aircraft of the US Air Force and is still in use today. The aircraft is designed to transport military equipment and troops, as well as perform tactical missions. The C-17's carrying capacity is more than 76 tons.

9. Airbus A400M Atlas.


The A400M Atlas was designed and built as international project for the Air Forces of France, Germany, Italy, Great Britain and several other countries. It is a four-engine turboprop aircraft with a payload capacity of up to 37 tons.

In the old days, a person could only look into the heavenly expanses and dream of rising to them. Nowadays, thanks to modern technologies that have made it possible to invent airplanes, a seemingly impossible dream has become a reality. Since the invention of the first aircraft model, the human mind has been trying to create more advanced and high-tech models, which is why real air giants appear.

The largest aircraft in Russia and the world is the Airbus A380. Its design provides for the presence of two decks, and the dimensions of the liner are as follows:

  1. The height reaches 24 m.
  2. 80 m – wingspan.
  3. 73 m is the length of the air giant.

The aircraft can accommodate 555 people, while the charter model can accommodate up to 853 passengers. Without forced landing air transport can cover approximately 15.5 thousand km, while it consumes fuel very economically, 3.5 liters per 100 km. After the creation of the Airbus A380, the Boeing 747 was removed from the podium, which for more than 30 years confidently held its leadership position as the largest type of air transport.

Boeing 747

The largest passenger aircraft in Russia, which has held the championship for more than 30 years, is the Boeing 747, the services of which continue to be used by our compatriots. It was this type of air vehicle that was the first to cover a huge distance without a transfer along the London-Sydney route. The airliner spent 20.5 hours in the sky, during which time it was able to cover a distance of 18.5 thousand km.

An-225 "Mriya"

An-225 or Mriya

The largest Russian aircraft, for transporting large loads, was created in the late 80s of the last century by Ukrainian scientists (as part of the USSR). The design of this giant provides for a turbojet six-engine high-wing aircraft, in a two-keel design. The wings of the air giant resemble the outline of an arrow.

When developing the airliner, a program called “Buran” was involved, according to which the Soviet government needed the strongest air transport capable of transporting the heaviest loads. The main cargo for transporting the new powerful aircraft was launch vehicles. They had to be transported from the Soviet cosmodrome to the places where the rockets were being assembled. To do this, engineers needed to create an aerial giant that could easily transport more than 200 tons of cargo. As a result, the An-225 was created.

Characteristics of the cargo giant:

  • 6.6 m – width of air transport;
  • 4.6 m – height of the airliner;
  • 44 m is the length of the vessel.

For those who accompany cargo on board the An-225 there are 88 seats. The crew cabin is designed for 6 crew members. Each control system is equipped with quadruple redundancy.

The height of the aircraft reaches 18.5 meters, that is, equal to the height of a house of five floors.

The size of air transport is so large that for landing it needs a runway whose length will be at least 2500 meters. The chassis of the famous airliner is the largest in the world, the number of wheels is 32. This number of wheels allows it to easily withstand a significant weight of 650 tons, which is exactly how much a loaded aircraft weighs. To make braking more convenient, pilots can switch engines air vehicle into reverse thrust.

To facilitate the loading process, it is possible to press the front part of the vessel to the ground using high-power jacks. This process makes it easy to load the heaviest cargo that needs to be transported on board.

Currently, there is only one analogue of such an airliner in the world. According to the engineers' plans, in the near future, the creation of a similar model. According to some reports, the development of the “twin brother” An-25 is progressing successfully, with approximately 75% of the work already completed.

An-124 "Ruslan"

"Ruslan" or An-124

The largest aircraft, Ruslan, was created a little earlier than the An-225. Air transport was created for the purpose of transporting ballistic and intercontinental missiles. But after the transport was created, the result surprised even the creators. The roomy "Ruslan" began to be used for other purposes, for example, for transporting both combat and landing equipment. The cost of one such aircraft is equal to 300 million dollars.

The air giant first saw the sky at the end of 1982, and was put into operation by the end of 1987.

Airliner characteristics:

  • 69.5 m – its length;
  • 21.5 m – height of the vessel;
  • 73.5 m – span of one wing;
  • 174 tons – weight of unloaded transport;
  • 866 km/h – speed;
  • The flight lasts 14,500 km.

The design of the airliner is made as a high-wing aircraft, the wings of the aircraft are swept, with a single-fin tail. The aircraft design has 2 decks. The first has a main and interchangeable cabin for crew members, and a cabin for those accompanying the cargo, designed for 21 people. The cargo is transported on the second deck, the volume of which is 1060 cubic meters. m.

To make the loading or loading process easier and more convenient, the aircraft has a special system that helps tilt the cabin in the desired direction. The presence of 24 wheels allows the air giant to land on a dirt road, if necessary.

On the Ruslan, engineers installed 4 turbojet engines, the thrust of each is equal to 23,450 kg/cm. Such power allows you to lift cargo weighing up to 155 tons into the sky.

IN aircraft available:

  • automatic EDSU system;
  • automated helm control;
  • four-channel hydraulic complex;
  • a reliable system for life support for crew members and power supply.

To control the air giant, 35 modern computer systems are used. The largest Russian aircraft, the Ruslan, was able to regain the USSR's leading position in the creation of heavy air transport. It set 21 world records in 1985 for transporting heavy loads over long distances.

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An – 225


Airplane AN-225Today, it is the largest cargo transport aircraft in the world, both in size and in terms of payload capacity.

The history of the creation of the An-225 aircraft

The space program at Baikonur in 1970-1980 required the creation of an air transport vehicle for transporting structures of significant mass and size. Initially, the task of transporting part of the space objects was solved by the VM-T Atlant aircraft, but it could take on board cargo weighing up to 50 tons. Projects for modifications of this aircraft were created, but the maximum payload was 200 tons.
At the end of the 70s, the design bureau named after. Antonov (Ukraine) was tasked with developing a fundamentally new aircraft with the highest possible payload.

The An-124 transport aircraft was taken as the basis. The design bureau managed to create a unique aircraft with a payload capacity of 250 tons.

On December 21, 1988, the AN-225 aircraft made its first flight. It was shown to the world community at the Le Bourget air show in 1989.


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

Photo of the 2nd unfinished AN-225 aircraft:




According to statements in the press by the head of the Design Bureau named after. Antonov, about $300,000,000 is needed to complete the construction of the second AN-225 aircraft

Purpose of the An-225 aircraft

The main purpose of the aircraft was to deliver space shuttles to altitudes of up to 11,000 meters, thereby replacing the first booster 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 plane’s keel is double. For this purpose, the Buran space shuttle and a number of Energia booster components were created. The aircraft is currently used to transport large and bulky cargo by air in various parts of the world.









Aircraft technical characteristics:

Year of manufacture 1988
- load capacity 225 t.

- 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 maximum load 4500 km.

- practical ceiling 10,000 m.

- empty weight of the aircraft is 250 tons.

- maximum take-off weight 640 t.

- fuel tank capacity 300 tons.

- crew 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 compartment, there is a passenger cabin that can accommodate 70 people.

In 2000, the An-225 aircraft was modernized and navigation equipment was installed that met international safety standards.