The Top 10 Largest Planes Ever Made In The World

Summary

Since the dawn of aviation, aircraft have continually grown larger, more advanced, and more powerful. Today, some of the biggest aircraft can carry hundreds of passengers and travel ultra-long distances. These large aircraft include commercial passenger jets, cargo planes, military airlifters, and specialized jets.

There are several ways to measure large aircraft, including length, weight, volume, and wingspan. While examining these factors, it’s important to note that other planes might also be notable, depending on specific criteria.

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1. Airbus A380

The largest passenger jet by

• capacity

• Weight

• Volume

• wingspan

The aircraft offers a maximum passenger capacity of 853, though airlines usually operate it with 400 to 550 seats. This high capacity showcases impressive engineering, but it hasn’t been as successful for most airlines as initially hoped.

The exception is Emirates, which has successfully used the superjumbo with its hub-based model. However, most airlines have struggled with it. The growth of efficient twin-engine aircraft and the shift from hub-and-spoke operations to point-to-point travel have limited the aircraft’s potential.

The slowdown after the events of 2020 marked a difficult period for many airlines. However, some airlines that initially planned to retire their double-decker planes have since brought them back into service due to the rebound in air travel demand.

Unfortunately, with increasing retirements, the aircraft struggles to find new uses. Hi, Fly once used a second-hand aircraft for charter flights, but even that airline has now retired it. Its design limits its potential in the cargo market, and although it could make a great private jet or VIP transport, its size and limitations have prevented this from happening.

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2. Boeing 747-8

Featuring

• A fuselage that is three meters longer than the Airbus A380

• Maximum capacity: 605 passengers

• Typical seating: 450 passengers

The Boeing 747 is another very large passenger jet, with the latest model, the 747-8, being just over three meters longer than the Airbus A380. However, its maximum capacity is lower at 605 passengers (though the typical capacity is around 450). It also has a shorter wingspan than the A380—68.4 meters compared to 79.95 meters, allowing it to operate at more airports.

Before the Airbus A380, the Boeing 747 was the largest passenger aircraft. Since its launch in 1968, it has been known for its size. The 747 was developed with the help of Pan American World Airways (Pan Am), which wanted a new aircraft more than twice the size of the Boeing 707. The original design included a full-length upper deck, but safety requirements made this impractical.

Pan Am was the first to order 25 Boeing 747s when the production program began. Over the years, Boeing developed five major variants of the 747: the -100, -200, -300, -400, and -8. The -400 variant was the most popular, making up nearly half of all 747s produced. Although Pan Am was the first to operate the 747, Japan Airlines had the largest fleet, operating 112 aircraft over the years.

On January 31, the final Boeing 747 was delivered to Atlas Air, the largest operator of 747 aircraft worldwide. Boeing marked the occasion with a historic ceremony celebrating the 54-year production history of the world’s first super jumbo jet. The event featured Kim Smith, the final production leader of the 747 program, and a few original team members who worked on the very first aircraft.

Over its 54-year production run, Boeing built 1,574 747s, which flew for 46 airlines, including Pan Am, British Airways, Japan Airlines, Virgin Australia, and Lufthansa. The final 747, nicknamed Empower, was delivered to Atlas Air, which also received the penultimate aircraft named Inspire. In honor of Joe Sutter, the “father” of the 747, Boeing and Atlas Air added a decal to the right side of the final aircraft that reads “Forever Incredible.”

Joe Sutter led a team of nearly 4,500 engineers who developed the aircraft, cementing his legendary status in aviation history. At the final delivery event, Sutter’s grandson shared that all the grandchildren spent time with their grandpa, often around planes. Charles Trippe, grandson of Pan Am founder Juan Trippe, also attended, carrying a Pan Am flag to mark the occasion.

Simple Flying covered the event and the aircraft’s departure from Paine Field, the next day, capturing the emotional moments. To honor the Queen of the Skies, the pilots of the Atlas 747 flew a special flight path shaped like a crown with the numbers 7-4-7.

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3. Boeing 777-9

Featuring

• Typical capacity: 426 passengers

• Fuselage length: 76 meters

With test flights underway, Boeing’s upcoming 777X is worth noting. The 777-9, its largest variant, will be the longest passenger aircraft, at just over 76 meters. It will offer a typical capacity of up to 426 passengers, close to the 747-8, making it an ideal replacement for the 747.

Unlike other passenger aircraft, the 777X is a twin-engine jet. Its new GE9X engines are the largest and most powerful commercial engines ever made—bigger than a 737’s fuselage! The 777X will usher in a new era of high-capacity, efficient twin-engine planes. We may not see larger four-engine jets for a while, but Boom Supersonic has recently redesigned its upcoming Overture as a quadjet, hinting at future developments.

We’ll have to wait longer to see the 777X in airlines, as the manufacturer expects the first delivery in 2025. Engine issues, structural testing problems, and production slowdowns from the pandemic have caused delays.

Qatar Airways expects to receive its first 777X in 2025 but hopes Boeing may deliver it sooner. Emirates is the largest customer, with 150 units ordered. In February 2023, Air India placed one of the largest aircraft orders in history by ordering ten 777Xs.

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4. Antonov An-225

Specifications

• Capacity: 190 tonnes (420,000 lb)

• Length: 84 m (275 ft 7 in)

• Wingspan: 88.4 m (290 ft 0 in)

• Height: 18.1 m (59 ft 5 in)

• Wing area: 905 m2 (9,740 sq ft)

• Max takeoff weight: 640,000 kg (1,410,958 lb)

• Fuel capacity: more than 300,000 kilograms (660,000 lb) 375,000 L (82,488 imp gal; 99,065 US gal)

• Cargo hold: volume 1,300 m3 (46,000 cu ft), 43.35 m (142.2 ft) long × 6.4 m (21 ft) wide × 4.4 m (14 ft) tall

• Powerplant: 6 × Progress D-18T turbofans, 229.5 kN (51,600 lbf) thrust each

The largest Antonov aircraft, the An-225 Mriya, was destroyed during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. After the bombing of Gostomel Airport on the first day of the war, the Ukrainian six-engine cargo jet now lies in ruins outside of Kyiv.

The An-225 was a strategic airlift cargo aircraft designed and developed by the Antonov Design Bureau in the Soviet Union.

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5. Antonov An-124

Specifications

• Length: 69.1 m (226 ft 8 in)

• Wingspan: 73.3 m (240 ft 6 in)

• Height: 21.08 m (69 ft 2 in)

• Wing area: 628 m2 (6,760 sq ft)

• Max takeoff weight: 402,000 kg (886,258 lb)

• Maximum landing weight: 330,000 kg (727,525 lb)

• Fuel capacity: 210,172 kg 463,343 lb 262,715.15 L (69,402.00 US gal; 57,789.25 imp gal)

• Powerplant: 4 × Progress D-18T high-bypass turbofan engines, 229 kN (51,000 lbf) thrust each

The An-124, made by the same manufacturer as the An-225, is smaller but still one of the largest commercial cargo planes. First launched in 1982, 55 of these aircraft have been built. Before the Boeing 747-8 introduction, the An-124 held the title of the heaviest commercially produced aircraft.

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6. Lockheed C-5 Galaxy

Specifications

• Length: 247 ft 1 in (75.31 m)

• Wingspan: 222 ft 9 in (67.89 m)

• Height: 65 ft 1 in (19.84 m)

• Wing area: 6,200 sq ft (580 m2)

• Max takeoff weight: 840,000 lb (381,018 kg)

• Fuel capacity: 154,880 kg ( 341,446 lb) 51,150 US gal (42,590 imp gal; 193,600 L)

• Powerplant: 4 × General Electric F138-100 turbofan engines, 51,000 lbf (230 kN) thrust each

The C-5 Galaxy is another large transport aircraft known for its size and payload capacity. Built by the US manufacturer Lockheed, it entered service in 1970. Following the success of other transporters like the C-130 Hercules, the C-5 Galaxy was designed to be much larger to meet growing military needs.

At over 75 meters in length, the C-5 Galaxy is larger than the Airbus A380 and the An-124. It can carry a payload of 127 tonnes and has inflight refueling capabilities, giving it an impressive range. Despite introducing newer transport planes, the C-5 remains in active service with the US Air Force. One newer aircraft is the Boeing C-17 Globemaster, which is large but still smaller than the C-5.

Interestingly, Lockheed had plans for an even larger aircraft, the VLST (Very Large Subsonic Transport), in the 1990s. Although it was never developed, the proposed design included a two-deck passenger version with four aisles capable of carrying up to 900 passengers.

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7. Airbus Beluga XL

Modded A330

• Airbus airlifter

• Designed to transport aircraft parts between Airbus factories

Technically, the Beluga XL is not a separate aircraft type but a modification of the Airbus A330. This might raise questions about whether it belongs on a list of large aircraft, but regardless, it is one of the biggest planes you’ll regularly see flying. It is the largest by volume, with a fuselage capacity of 2,209 cubic meters. Boeing’s Dreamlifter is smaller, with 1,840 cubic meters of volume.

From the beginning, Airbus has used multiple locations for aircraft construction. Formed as a consortium of several European manufacturers to compete with Boeing, Airbus developed the Beluga XL (and its predecessor, the Beluga) specifically to transport aircraft components.

The Beluga, introduced in 1995 and based on the A300 airframe, was mainly used to transport parts for the A340. The Beluga XL, which came out in the early 2000s and is based on the A330-200, was designed to carry larger components for the A350 because of its increased size.

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8. Boeing Dreamlifter

Stretched 747

• Boeing airlifter

• Designed to transport aircraft parts between Boeing factory locations

The Dreamlifter is Boeing’s modified transporter, based on a stretched 747-400 fuselage. It features an innovative tail swing door that provides full access to the fuselage for transporting large components.

The Dreamlifter was designed to transport Boeing 787 parts from suppliers in Italy, Japan, and the US to assembly facilities in Washington and South Carolina. The first Dreamlifter began service in 2007, and there is now a fleet of four aircraft.

The Dreamlifter is indeed a large aircraft, but it falls short in some areas compared to others. It has less fuselage volume than the Beluga XL, and although it is longer than both the Beluga XL and the 747-400, it is surpassed in length by the 747-8. Its four-engine 747 base allows for a higher payload than the Beluga XL, but it is still less than half the payload capacity of the now-retired An-225.

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9. Hughes H-4 Hercules

Specifications

• Length: 218 ft 8 in (66.65 m)

• Wingspan: 320 ft 11 in (97.82 m)

• Height: 79 ft 4 in (24.18 m)

• Fuselage height: 30 ft (9.1 m)

• Empty weight: 250,000 lb (113,398 kg)

• Powerplant: 8 × Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major 28-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, 3,000 hp (2,200 kW) each

The Hughes H-4 Hercules was one of the largest aircraft ever built, but only one prototype was ever made. It was designed as a flying boat for use during World War II and could carry 750 troops or two 30-ton M4 tanks. However, it didn’t fly until 1947, after the war had ended.

The Hughes H-4 Hercules has the second-largest wingspan, measuring 97.8 meters, just behind the Stratolaunch. Eight Pratt & Whitney engines power it. To save metals during the war, its fuselage is made of wood, which is why it earned the nickname ‘Spruce Goose.’

The Hughes H-4 Hercules prototype completed test flights but never entered service. It is now preserved and displayed at the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in Oregon, US.

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10. Stratolaunch

Specifications

• Length: 117 meters

• Weight: 250 tonnes

• Can carry a rocket and launch into orbit

Last on our list is the Stratolaunch aircraft, officially known as the Scaled Composites Model 351 Stratolaunch. This massive double-fuselage plane boasts the largest aircraft wingspan, measuring 117 meters. The next closest in wingspan is the An-225, with 88.4 meters.

The Stratolaunch was designed to carry a rocket weighing up to 250 tonnes between its fuselages for launch into orbit. Its technology and six engines are based on the 747-400. Each of the two fuselages is 73 meters long. Notably, the pilots sit in the right-hand cockpit, while the left side is unpressurized and used only for equipment.

The Stratolaunch program has faced delays, especially after the death of its founder, Paul Allen, in 2018. The new owner, Cerberus Capital Management, redirected the aircraft’s role to serve as a launch vehicle for reusable hypersonic flight research. After a two-year delay following its first flight, the Stratolaunch flew again in April 2021. The aircraft’s sixth test flight was recently interrupted due to an “unexpected test result.”

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Conclusion

the top 10 largest planes ever made showcase the incredible advancements in aerospace engineering and the diverse needs of aviation, from military transport to space exploration. These giants of the sky, including the An-225, the Stratolaunch, and the Beluga XL, represent the pinnacle of aircraft design and functionality. Each has been designed to meet specific requirements, whether for carrying massive payloads, transporting heavy cargo, or launching rockets into space. As technology continues to evolve, it’s exciting to think about what future innovations might bring to the world of aviation.

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FAQs

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