The heaviest transport aircraft in the world. The biggest planes in the world

Today, not a single person can imagine life without the existence of aircraft, and in fact, before people could only dream of flying in the sky. Thanks to the colossal work done by scientists and design engineers with different corners planet, the world got acquainted with the first aircraft. And on October 25, 2007, it went into operation Airbus A380- the largest passenger aircraft in the world, the photo of which to some extent reflects the real size of the giant.

We will not dwell on one model, but will introduce you to other airliners capable of carrying a considerable number of passengers on board.

Introduced in 2005, the Airbus A380-800 supplanted the 36-year-old aviation giant, the Boeing 747.

Technical specifications:

Vessel length: 73 m
Passenger capacity: 525 people
Wingspan: 79.75 m
Wing area: 845 sq. m
Height: 24.09 m
Weight: 280 tons
Maximum speed: 1020 km/h
Takeoff run: 2050 meters

The development of Airbus had to spend one decade and 12 billion euros. The maximum distance covered by an aircraft without in-flight refueling is 15,400 km. In terms of the amount of fuel used, the Airbus A380-800 is much more economical in comparison with other aircraft of this class.

It was possible to reduce fuel consumption thanks to the correctly designed shape of the wing and fuselage. To achieve such accuracy in Japan, milling machines used in the manufacture of aircraft were specially developed. It takes 3 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers for three passengers.

Despite the large capacity of Airbus compared to the Boeing 747, its production is 15 percent cheaper. For the first time, the air giant began to be operated by Singapore's national airline, Singapore Airlines, serving the Singapore-Sydney route.

Boeing 747-8

In 2005, in the American corporation " Boeing Company" there was another modification passenger aircraft- Boeing 747-8. The main differences from previous liners are an elongated hull and economy. By changing the deviation of the wing in plan from perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft and reducing its thickness, the manufacturers managed to improve the quality of aerodynamics. Thanks to this shape of the wing, fuel consumption has decreased.

Boeing 747-8

This modification was preferred by the governments of 19 states, using the liner for flights by the country's top leaders.

At 76.25 meters long, the Boeing 747-8 is the largest commercial aircraft built in the United States of America. In addition, the Boeing 747-8 is the leader in orders for VIP versions, which are intended for politicians in government.

The largest passenger aircraft in history is the Hughes H-4 Hercules. The giant received this title in 1947. Against the background of the flying "machines" of that period, the Hughes H-4 Hercules stood out with a 98-meter distance between the edges of the wings, due to which this modification was considered the most wide-body.

In total, 2 aircraft of this type were produced, today only one remains. The Hughes H-4 Hercules aircraft with a capacity of 750 passengers was brought to the Long Beach Museum in 1993, where it is still located. Large quantity no person was transported on any aircraft in one flight.

The Boeing 777-300ER passenger aircraft, designed in 1990, can fly 20,000 km without in-flight refueling. A test flight took place in 1994.

The Boeing 777-300ER is the first passenger aircraft to be designed using virtual computer assembly rather than paper drawings. Thanks to new computer technologies, or rather the program for creating three-dimensional models CATIA, it was possible to avoid common mistakes connections not during production, but at the design stage.

The liner is equipped with the most powerful bypass turbojet engines with a high bypass ratio and is equipped with additional fuel storage tanks. The introduction of such a modification reduced fuel consumption by 1.4 percent. On board the liner, 305-550 passengers can fly at the same time.

by the most big liner, produced in Russia, is recognized as IL-96M with a capacity of 435 passengers. Its design was carried out by domestic and Western companies. The aircraft model was exhibited more than once at specialized air shows, but mass production has not yet begun. In 2009, the aircraft was destroyed due to wear and tear.

An aircraft with a length of 63.7 m and a capacity of 400 people holds the absolute world flight record on one serviceable engine. In 2003, in the month of March, after the failure of one of the engines, the airliner flew 2 hours 57 minutes with 255 passengers. Despite the appearance of improved quality modifications, the Boeing 777-200 EP is still in demand. There are more than 400 aircraft of this modification in the world.

The Airbus A340-600 aircraft is one of the long-haul liners. At one gas station, he is able to cover a distance of 14,800 kilometers. The Airbus A340-600 has been in operation on international and intercontinental lines since 2002. The capacity of the aircraft with a length of 75 meters and a wingspan of 63.5 meters is 380 people.

A total of 97 Airbus A340-600 models were assembled. In 2011, the production of the liner in series ceased.

The wingspan of the Russian aircraft "Ruslan" reaches 73 meters with a length of 69 meters. The main difference between the flying machine is the colossal cargo compartment 1050 cu. meters. The aircraft with a cruising speed of 850 km / h was used for cargo transportation (carrying capacity - 120 tons), if necessary, military personnel could be transported on it. The flight life of the An-124 model does not exceed 45 years.

The military model aircraft Lockheed C-5 "Galaxy" is also worthy of competing for the title of the largest passenger aircraft. The liner was used both to transport people and goods. On board the aircraft, 270 military personnel can simultaneously fly, in addition, if necessary, you can equip the car with additional passenger seats in the amount of 75 units. Due to its impressive size (the length of the vessel is 75.5 meters, the width is 68 meters), the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy was classified as a giant aircraft.

Without refueling, the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy covers a distance of 5,600 kilometers at a speed of 920 km/h. Max Height, which the giant climbed, is 10,100 meters.

From the moment the first passenger was taken on board to the appearance of spacious airliners, 60 years have passed. And today we can no longer be surprised either by huge aircraft with excellent flight characteristics, or transcontinental flights, or many hours of travel on airliners.

The history of aviation in its modern sense is more than 100 years old, if we do not take into account the attempts of man to take off into the air since ancient times. During this time, aircraft construction has gone from the first prototypes of the Wright brothers and other enthusiastic inventors to heavy-duty multi-ton giants capable of carrying tons of cargo and hundreds of passengers. This article is about the 10 most large aircraft in the world.

The largest passenger aircraft in the world

The palm among the largest civil aircraft for the transport of passengers holds the Airbus A380. This is the brainchild of the European company Airbus. It first flew into the air with passengers in 2005 after 10 years of development and experimentation by designers.

Fact. The cost of creating a giant amounted to almost 12 billion euros.

This expensive, but the largest passenger aircraft has the following dimensions:

height - 24.08 m;
length - 72.75 m;
wingspan - 79.75 m;
weight - 280 tons.

Additional Information. Despite its impressive dimensions, the Airbus A380 is very economical and even environmentally friendly in operation - only three liters of fuel are consumed to transport one passenger over a distance of 100 kilometers. It can cover a distance of more than 15,400 meters without refueling. And the less fuel is spent, the less emissions into the atmosphere. This result was achieved thanks to the perfect design of the wing and fuselage, as well as the special material from which they are made. These engineering solutions significantly reduced the overall weight of the vessel and improved its aerodynamics.

Today, the double-decker Airbus A380s can accommodate 525 passengers when divided into three classes and up to 853 people in a single-class cabin configuration. However, development and testing of improved versions of the aircraft is already underway, the capacity of which should exceed 1000 people.

Airbus A380 removed from the pedestal the Boeing 747, which held the position of the most big plane since the 1970s The developers of the A380 found a way to reduce the cost of producing the vessel by 15% compared to the Boeing and increase the capacity by 7%.

The second largest aircraft in the world

The already mentioned Boeing 747 (Jumbo Jet) occupies an honorable second place in terms of size among passenger liners. At the time of its creation in 1969, it was the largest, heaviest and most spacious aircraft, 70.6 m long.

For 36 years, it was produced in various modifications, however, retaining the main characteristics in them: a wide fuselage and two floors for passengers. This design gives the Jumbo Jet a recognizable hump-like silhouette as upper deck much shorter than the bottom.

Interesting. In the late 1960s, it was believed that the future passenger aviation belongs to supersonic light aircraft that will replace the clumsy heavyweights. Therefore, "747" was developed with the possibility of conversion into a cargo. Experts estimated the capacity of the market for roomy aircraft at no more than 400 units, but these forecasts did not come true, and in 1993 the company sold its thousandth Boeing-747. Only in our century, with the advent of the Airbus A380, demand began to fall.

In the 1970s there was a fuel crisis in the world, jet fuel prices skyrocketed, as did ticket prices. Companies that have a Boeing 747 in their fleet faced with its unprofitability, the aircraft often flew empty. However, on especially busy routes and on intercontinental flights, the Jumbo Jet has been and remains a popular model.

The longest passenger plane in the world

This is the record holder recent history aviation - Boeing 747-8, began to be produced in 2008. It is a modification of the legendary Boeing 747, with significant modifications. The designers lengthened the fuselage as much as possible, redesigned the wing and worked on efficiency in operation.

The Boeing 747-8 is 76.25 meters long, making it the longest passenger liner in the world. However, it is also the heaviest US aircraft, its take-off weight is 447 tons, which is still considered a record in the history of the aircraft industry in America.

Characteristics:

length - 76.25 m;
height - 19.35 m;
wingspan - 68.45 m.

In addition to cargo, this aircraft can accommodate up to 581 passengers.

The most "hardy" aircraft

For the successful operation of aircraft, in addition to capacity and carrying capacity, it is important how far they can cover without refueling. Today, the long-range flight record holder is the Boeing 777, which at one time is able to fly half the circumference of the Earth - 20,000 km. However, this is the limit value of the flight length; in normal practice, the distance covered is 9000-17000 km.

Interesting. The Boeing 777E is the first modern airliner to use computer modeling instead of paper drawings. In the early 1990s such technologies have become a breakthrough in the aircraft industry, since 3D modeling makes it possible to eliminate errors in the joining of parts at the design stage.

Boeing 777 has different modifications depending on the length of the fuselage and range. 777-300ER is one of the most "hardy" and popular modifications. Represents large liner with two turbofan engines. Maximum capacity– 550 people

As a long-haul aircraft, the Boeing 777 can stay in the air for up to 18 hours without a break. However, there is a restriction on the duration of the work shift for the crew, so the cabin is allocated special places for sleep and rest of pilots and flight attendants.

Leader in wing length

The Hughes H-4 Hercules entered the TOP 10 largest aircraft in the world due to its wing size. Despite the fact that this is the oldest of the aircraft described here, no one has yet been able to beat its record: the span reaches 98 meters.

Aircraft first and last time flew into the air in 1947, he has a sad history of creation. At the beginning of World War II, the American government ordered the development of a military aircraft by Hughes Aircraft, under the control of Howard Hughes. However, the search for a perfect solution dragged on. Hughes could not be satisfied with the result. In addition, there was a shortage of aluminum in the world. As a result, the war ended, but there was still no plane. Only two years after the end of hostilities, the Hughes H-4 Hercules made its first flight. Surprisingly, this device was completely made of plywood and, in fact, was a flying boat.

Specifications:

length - 66.45 m;
height - 24.08 m;
wingspan - 97.54 m;
maximum takeoff weight- 180 t.

Interesting. This "boat" could transport 750 soldiers in full uniform to the place of hostilities. However, in reality, her flight was limited to two kilometers over Los Angeles. After that, the aircraft remained in the personal property of G. Hughes, who annually spent a lot of money to keep it in working order until his death. After the death of the designer, the giant was sent to a museum in California to attract tourists. Based on the life of engineer Howard Hughes, the film "The Aviator" starring Leonardo DiCaprio was filmed.

Not so long ago (May 31, 2017), the Hughes H-4 Hercules record for wingspan was surpassed: the Stratolaunch aircraft with a wingspan of 117 meters was presented to the world. However, he has not yet made a single flight, so the brainchild of Hughes is still the leader among the operated models.

The largest cargo plane in the world

This title belongs to the An-225, designed in the USSR at the Kiev Mechanical Development Plant, in the OKB. O. K. Antonova. The Ukrainian name for the heavy truck is "Mriya" (translated as "dream"). The first flight was made in 1988.

The impetus for the creation of "Mriya" was the Soviet space program "Buran" to develop a reusable transport spacecraft. To implement the ambitious plans, an aircraft with an extra large payload was required to participate in the cargo transportation of the ship's components. The designed aircraft had to lift at least 250 tons at a time and have attachments for transporting external cargo.

The designers took the An-124-100 (Ruslan) as a basis and changed some components and details in order to obtain the necessary specifications. This is how the largest An-225 transport aircraft appeared. Despite the fact that the Mriya was created for very specific tasks, it has become a versatile vessel in cargo aviation.

The cargo compartment is sealed and has the following dimensions:

length - 43 m;
height - 18.2 m;
width - 6.4 m;
wingspan - 88.4 m;
weight - 250 tons.

The aircraft provides space for 6 crew members and 88 people accompanying the cargo. The probability that the aircraft will fail in flight is extremely small - all important systems are duplicated 4 times.

So far, the Mriya has been created in a single copy - the curtailment of the Buran program has also suspended the production of a heavyweight aircraft. It is known that design bureau them. Antonova continues to develop the second modification of the giant.

largest military aircraft

An-124 "Ruslan", the prototype of the An-225, was at one time considered the largest aircraft in the world. Now it is the largest military aircraft with a huge payload. It has four turbojet engines, a wide fuselage and two decks. The lower one is for cargo, the upper one is for the crew (8 people) and accompanying persons (up to 21 people). The volume of the cargo compartment is 1000 cubic meters. An-124 lifts 120 tons into the air.

Characteristics:

length - 69.1 m;
height - 21.08 m;
wingspan - 73.3 m;
weight - 178.4 tons;
takeoff weight - 392 tons.

"Ruslan" was also developed in the OKB. O. K. Antonova, as well as "Mriya". The purpose of its creation is the transportation of transcontinental ballistic missiles. However, the result of the work of Soviet designers exceeded expectations - the An-124 turned out to be a universal military aircraft that can carry large military equipment. "Ruslan" was mass-produced, a total of 56 copies were produced. In the early 2000s there were attempts to resume its production by the forces of Ukraine and Russia, however, due to the aggravation of political relations between the two countries, the project was curtailed.

The largest turboprop aircraft in the world

An-22 was developed in the Soviet Union in the 1960s, at the height of cold war". Had the code name "product 100". As a result, five years later, the world saw this giant "product" called the AN-22 "Antey". This is the first Soviet and Russian aircraft with a wide fuselage. It is still considered the largest aircraft with a turboprop engine. The diameter of the screws is 62 cm, and the power of each of the four engines is 11227 kW.

Characteristics:

length - 57.31 m;
height - 12.53 m;
wingspan - 64.40 m;
weight - 119 kg;
load capacity - 60 tons.

"Antey" is capable of transporting heavy and large military equipment over long distances, and is used for airborne landings.

The heaviest combat aircraft in history

Tu-160 is a representative of a completely different generation of military aircraft. He flies from supersonic speed and is a strategic bomber. So far, this is the largest and most powerful aircraft in Russia and the world in the history of military aviation.

The Tu-160 concept was born in the 1970s and 1980s. as a response of Russian strategists to the military developments of the United States and NATO. The future aircraft was supposed to fly to the neighboring continent and overcome enemy air defenses at supersonic speed.

Characteristics:

length - 54.1 m;
variable sweep wing, so the span is different: 55.7 / 50.7 / 35.6 m;
height - 13.1 m;
weight - 110 tons.
maximum takeoff weight - 275 tons.

Most Tu-160 missile carriers are named after prominent figures domestic aviation. For 2017, our country of Russia is armed with 16 aircraft. The plans are to completely modernize them.

The largest mass-produced cargo aircraft

Completes the collection "Most big planes» American cargo plane Lockheed C-5 Galaxy. Today it is the largest model among mass-produced cargo carriers. Since 1968, the aircraft has been successfully operated by the US Army, and regular upgrades allow it to be considered modern and promising.

Characteristics:

aircraft length - 75.54 m;
aircraft height - 19.85 m;
wingspan - 67.88 m;
weight - 169.6 tons.
maximum takeoff weight - 379, 6 tons.

An aircraft without refueling can fly over 4 thousand kilometers at an altitude of 10 km. The maximum developed speed is 920 km.

The largest aircraft are milestones in the history of aviation. They demonstrate how engineering thought developed, what path the designers saw before them. As history shows, the most outstanding achievements in the aircraft industry are associated with military operations.

The world's largest aircraft crashed November 18th, 2017

Remember I am you. This apparatus, whose length is 92 meters, which is 18 meters more length most big airliner, is the largest aircraft to date.

Airlander 10 is called a hybrid aircraft due to the fact that its design uses three different principles of aeronautics at once, elements of a fixed-wing aircraft, a helicopter and hot air balloon. The total volume of the Airlander 10 is about 38,000 cubic meters (1,340,000 cubic feet), which holds the amount of helium necessary for lifting. The Airlander 10's body shape, which acts as the plane of an airplane's wing, gives about half of the lift in motion, and the lift generated by helium can significantly reduce the fuel consumption of its four engines.

Well, today they announced that...

Airlander 10 broke away from the mooring mast and crashed into a field in Bedfordshire. A female crew member on board was injured and taken to hospital. The twenty-ton cabin of the Airlander 10 was completely destroyed.

At the same time, Hybrid Air Vehicles, which is developing the Airlander 10, conducted successful flight tests on Friday. Creation costs aircraft reached one hundred million pounds, clarifies ITV News.

Airlander 10 was originally designed for the US military, but the project was curtailed due to lack of funding.

The aircraft is capable of climbing to a height of about 4.9 kilometers and reaching speeds of up to 148 kilometers per hour. Thanks to helium, Airlander 10 could stay in the air for up to two weeks.

This is not the first incident with the Airlander 10: during the second test flight in August 2016, the aircraft hit a telegraph pole and the cockpit was damaged.

What do you think, is there any prospect for such structures in our time and in the future?

The largest aircraft is the Airlander 10 hybrid airship, manufactured by a British company called Hybrid Air Vehicles. It was created specifically for the US Army. And the American military-industrial company known as the Northrop Grumman Corporation was directly involved in the project itself. However, about everything - in order.

Characteristics

The largest aircraft embodied the useful qualities of a balloon and an airplane. Because this airship is a kind of symbiosis. It uses lift to reach a certain height, after which it propels itself through the air thanks to helium.

The weight of this airship is 10,000 kilograms. Its length reaches 92 meters, height - 26 m, and width is 43.5 m. Take-off weight is 20,000 kilograms.

The largest is powered by four 4-liter V8 engines equipped with turbochargers. They consume diesel fuel. Each of them produces 325 hp. With. The cruising speed of the airship is 148 km/h. The flight lasts 5 days in manned mode. If there is no pilot in the airship, then the period will increase to 2 weeks.

History of creation

The largest is designed to conduct reconnaissance, observe and reconnoiter ground forces. The project began to be developed in 2010, on June 14th. The airship was built quite quickly - already in 2012, on August 7, the first test flight was organized. It happened in the state of New Jersey, in the city of Lakehurst. On board during the flight, which lasted an hour and a half, there was a crew.

Then something strange happened. The US Army in February 2013 decided to abandon the project because it seemed too expensive. Well, Hybrid Air Vehicles decided to buy it back. They paid $301,000 for it. Ho only in 2014, the largest aircraft in the world got its name. It was then that the Airlander took its place at the base of the Royal BBC (in Bedfordshire, by the way). It was decided to use the ship for civilian purposes.

It is worth noting that the largest aircraft in the world in March of this year, 2016, came out in a new version. latest version received an entertainment purpose. It was decided to name the first copy "Martha Guin". This name, by the way, belongs to the wife of the head of the company. The airship left the hangar for the first time in August, that is, just a couple of months ago. And on the 17th Airlander 10 made its debut flight, which lasted 19 minutes.

As can be seen from the photographs presented, the largest aircraft in Britain (and in the whole world too) has a very ambiguous and original form, which just begs to be commented on. And even representatives of the company - the creator of the project with humor refer to their creation. Moreover, on their own website, they willingly mention a nickname that sounds like Flying Bum. Literally translated as "flying ass". And it really does look like it.

About the crash

At the end of August this year, 2016, the following headline thundered in many media: “The largest aircraft has crashed!”. Naturally, almost no one remained indifferent. But it turned out that there was only the fall of the largest aircraft in the world. When did it happen? August 24, to be specific. And even then it's hard to call it a fall. There is a video that shows everything perfectly. Vessel on minimum speed gently rests the bow on the ground, slightly repelled as a result. After that, it “floats” for about 200 meters and stops.

The fact is that during the landing the gondola of the balloon was damaged. This is the control cabin of the airship, in which the crew and control devices are located. Ho the fall of the largest aircraft turned into world news. And of course, everyone was interested in it. Moreover, the information that the largest aircraft crashed was published on the official website of the British Air Force. By the way, the reason was also noted there. It turns out that during a test flight, the airship ... crashed into a telegraph pole. Due to this trouble and the subsequent entry of the ship into the ground, serious damage affected the nose of the flying hybrid.

An-225 "Mriya"

Well, really everyone was able to surprise the UK. The largest aircraft looks truly huge and intimidating. But now I would like to pay attention to the An-225 Mriya, which is many times more powerful than an airship. It differs besides the maximum loading capacity. It was designed in the period from 1984 to 1988 at the Kiev Mechanical Plant. Initially, two models were designed. And one of them is still operated by the cargo company Antonov Airlines.

The length of the aircraft is 84 meters, the height is 18.2 m. The wingspan is 88.4 m. An empty aircraft weighs 250,000 (!) Kilograms. Max weight with a load is 640,000 kg. Wherein cruising speed- 850 km / h. The flight range is 15,400 kilometers, which takes 300,000 kilograms of fuel. If the load is 200 tons, then the distance will be reduced from 15,400 km to 4,000 km.

An-225 "Mriya" is driven by a turbojet 2-circuit engine D-18T.

Mi-12

Talking about the biggest aircraft, it is worth noting attention and helicopters. Mi-12 is also known under the designation B-12 or the name "Homer". This is the heaviest helicopter, characterized by maximum payload, the design of which was entrusted to the Moscow plant named after M.L. Mile. His distinguishing feature- screws on the wings of the reverse judgment, having a lateral arrangement. They are set in motion thanks to the operation of the D-25VF engines (of which there are only four).

An empty plane weighs 69,100 kilograms. The maximum takeoff weight is 105,000 kg. At the same time, it can accommodate 196 passengers + 6 crew members. The Mi-12 is also capable of accelerating to a maximum speed of 260 km/h. The flight range is 1000 kilometers.

This aircraft was created in the 60s of the last century. The first flight took place in 1968, on July 10. And the very next year, in February, the ship lifted 31,030 kilograms of cargo into the air (at the same time, the height was 2910 m).

Mi-26

It is the world's largest mass-produced. It is produced at the Rostvertol plant. Its length is 40 meters. The empty helicopter weighs 28,200 kilograms and has a maximum takeoff weight of 56,000 kilograms. Inside is placed 6 crew members, 85 soldiers, 70 paratroopers, 3 doctors and 60 wounded. The maximum speed is 295 km/h. The flight range at maximum refueling is 800 kilometers, and the volume of fuel tanks is 12,000 liters.

Unfortunately, the Mi-26 is known as the victim of the largest helicopter crash in the world. There was a catastrophe in 2002, on August 19, in Chechnya. A projectile from an anti-aircraft missile system called "Igla" was launched into the Mi-26. The number of victims is 127.

Other vessels

It is worth noting the Hughes H-4 Hercules. This is the record holder aircraft on a wingspan of 98 m. It was designed to transport an army of 750 soldiers over long distances.

A Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a living American legend. This missile-carrying bomber has a top speed of 957 km/h and can cover a distance of 16,090 kilometers. It is equipped with an automatic 6-barrel gun M61 "Volcano", and the bomb load can be 31,500 kg. Boeing 747-8, for example, is a passenger 2-deck aircraft, distinguished by its great length among all the others.

The German Dornier Do X is also worthy of attention. This is the world's largest passenger flying boat, which was developed in the 20s of the last century. She could accommodate 165 people (including the crew). A maximum speed, by the way, was 210 km / h.

And finally, the Tu-160 with the beautiful nickname "White Swan". This is the most powerful and largest supersonic aircraft. With a mass of 110,000 kilograms (take-off maximum - 275,000 kg), the Tu-160 can reach a speed of 2220 km / h (at altitude)! And it's really impressive.

There are many more amazing aviation creations. But those that have been listed are the most significant, and all over the world.