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:
- The height reaches 24 m.
- 80 m – wingspan.
- 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 a 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 accompanying 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 the aircraft's engines to 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 plans of engineers, 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.
The aircraft has:
- automatic EDSU system;
- automated helm control;
- four-channel hydraulic complex;
- a reliable system for life support for crew members and power supply.
35 modern computer systems are used to control the air giant. 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.
People are always attracted by some kind of record - record-breaking aircraft always receive great 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. The A380 can fly non-stop over distances 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 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 Airbus, the Airbus A380 burns 17% less fuel per passenger than “the current largest aircraft” (apparently referring to 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 build 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’ 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 pattern.
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 ship, an analogue of the American shuttle. To implement this project, a transport system was needed that could be used 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 bow 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 wingspan 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, an aircraft needs a runway 2,400 meters long, and with cargo - 3,500 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 all the 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.
Since man was able to invent the airplane and take to the air, this industry has developed incredibly quickly. Now the largest passenger Boeing can accommodate almost a thousand people, which seemed simply impossible just a few decades ago.
Dimensions and capacity of the largest passenger Boeing
The largest passenger Boeing is the Boeing 747. This aircraft has held its honorary title for several decades. The American aircraft began to operate in 1970, and since then it has been considered the largest and largest aircraft for transporting passengers.
The Boeing 747 lost its honorary title only in 2005, when the Airbus A380 aircraft was put into operation.
The capacity of the largest Boeing aircraft is about seven hundred people, depending on the modification of the aircraft. Due to the enormous popularity of this aircraft, Boeing hastened to release as many models as possible, distributing them throughout the world. In total, about 1,500 of these giants were produced, each of which was in operation for several years.
Despite its enormous size, the Boeing 747 is an example of the highest quality aircraft and complete thoughtful design. The length of the aircraft itself was initially 70.6 meters, and the wingspan was 59.6 meters. Now the length of the aircraft has increased to 76 meters. Such a giant could reach speeds of up to 955 kilometers per hour, which in 1970 seemed unthinkable.
Because Boeing is constantly modifying its most famous model, the maximum speed of the modern Boeing 747 is 988 kilometers per hour.
Other large passenger aircraft of the world
Currently, the largest passenger aircraft is the Airbus A380. The aircraft received its honorary status only in 2005, displacing the previous leader, the Boeing 747.
The Airobus A380 has a capacity of 852 passengers, which seems like an incredible number. The passengers themselves are located on two decks in the highest class salons. Great Britain, Italy and France took part in the production of this aircraft. Another large aircraft from Airbus is the A340-600. This airliner can accommodate a little less than 700 passengers, but is capable of flying more than 14 thousand kilometers without additional refueling.
Boeing is also proud of the 777-300 ER. This model can accommodate up to 550 passengers. At the same time, the aircraft is an absolute record holder in terms of flight duration without additional refueling. The plane can fly 21 thousand kilometers non-stop, which is unattainable for any other air transport model.
The impressive size of the largest aircraft in the world only speaks of the ambition of modern aircraft designers. Most likely, humanity will not stop there, and many more huge Boeings will appear in the world, striking not only with the quality of their equipment, but also with their incredible, hitherto incomprehensible dimensions.
Today, not a single person can imagine life without the existence of airplanes, but previously people could only dream of flying in the sky. Thanks to the colossal work done by scientists and design engineers from different parts of the planet, the world became acquainted with the first aircraft. And on October 25, 2007 it went into operation Airbus A380- the largest passenger aircraft in the world, photos of which to some extent reflect 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 passenger aircraft supplanted the Boeing 747, the leading air giant for 36 years.
Technical Parameters:
- 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 length: 2050 meters
Airbus took one decade and 12 billion euros to develop. The maximum distance covered by the aircraft without in-flight refueling is 15,400 km. In terms of the amount of fuel consumed, the Airbus A380-800 is much more economical compared to other aircraft of its class.
It was possible to reduce fuel consumption thanks to the correctly designed shape of the wing and fuselage. To achieve such precision, milling machines used in aircraft production were specially developed in Japan. For 100 kilometers, three passengers consume 3 liters of fuel.
Despite the larger capacity of the Airbus compared to the Boeing 747, its production is 15 percent cheaper. For the first time, the air giant began to be operated by the national airline of Singapore, Singapore Airlines, serving the Singapore-Sydney route.
“Boeing 747-8”
In 2005, the American corporation The Boeing Company introduced another modification of the passenger aircraft - the Boeing 747-8. The main differences from previous airliners are the elongated hull and efficiency. By changing the deviation of the wing in plan from perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft and reducing its thickness, manufacturers managed to improve the quality of aerodynamics. Thanks to this wing shape, fuel consumption has decreased.
“Boeing 747-8”
This modification was preferred by the governments of 19 states, using the aircraft for flights of the country's top leaders.
At 76.25 meters long, the Boeing 747-8 is the largest commercial aircraft built in the United States. In addition, the Boeing 747-8 is the leader in orders for VIP versions, which are intended for government politicians.
The largest passenger aircraft in history is the Hughes H-4 Hercules. The giant received this title in 1947. Compared to the existing flying “machines” of that period, the Hughes H-4 Hercules stood out with its 98-meter distance between the edges of the wings, due to which this modification was considered the most wide-body.
A total of 2 aircraft of this type were produced; today only one remains. The Hughes H-4 Hercules, with a capacity of 750 passengers, was brought to the Long Beach Museum in 1993, where it remains today. More people have never been transported on any plane in one flight.
The Boeing 777-300ER passenger aircraft, designed in 1990, can fly 20,000 km without in-flight refueling. The 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 typical connection errors not during production, but at the design stage.
The airliner is equipped with powerful turbojet engines with a high bypass ratio and is equipped with additional tanks for storing fuel. The introduction of this modification reduced fuel consumption by 1.4 percent. 305-550 passengers can fly on board the liner at a time.
The largest airliner produced in Russia is the 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 was never started. In 2009, the plane was destroyed due to physical wear and tear.
The aircraft, 63.7 m long and with a capacity of 400 people, holds the absolute world record for flight with one working engine. In 2003, in March, after one of the engines failed, the airliner flew for 2 hours and 57 minutes with 255 passengers. Despite the appearance of modifications of improved quality, the Boeing 777-200 EP remains in demand as before. There are more than 400 aircraft of this modification in the world.
The Airbus A340-600 is one of the long-haul airliners. On one fill, it is capable of covering a distance of 14,800 kilometers. The Airbus A340-600 has been in operation on international and intercontinental routes since 2002. The aircraft, which is 75 meters long and has a wingspan of 63.5 meters, has a capacity of 380 people.
A total of 97 Airbus A340-600 models were assembled. In 2011, serial production of the aircraft ceased.
The wingspan of the Russian Ruslan aircraft reaches 73 meters with a length of 69 meters. The main difference of the flying machine is the colossal cargo compartment with a volume of 1050 cubic meters. meters. The aircraft with a cruising speed of 850 km/h was used for cargo transportation (carrying capacity - 120 tons); if necessary, it could transport military personnel. The flight life of the An-124 model does not exceed 45 years.
The military model of the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is also worthy of competing for the title of largest passenger aircraft. The liner was used both for transporting people and cargo. On board the aircraft, 270 military personnel can simultaneously fly; in addition, if necessary, the aircraft can be equipped with 75 additional passenger seats. Thanks to its impressive dimensions (vessel length - 75.5 meters, width - 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. The maximum height to which the giant rose is 10,100 meters.
60 years passed from the moment the first passenger was taken on board until the advent of spacious airliners. And today we can no longer be surprised by huge airplanes with excellent flight characteristics, nor by transcontinental flights, nor by long hours of travel on airliners.
The largest passenger aircraft in the world, accommodating several hundred people, are designed to increase the efficiency of flights by reducing the cost of services. Giant luxury airliners are capable of covering enormous distances without refueling, thanks to their large fuel tanks. High load capacity makes it possible to transport a large amount of luggage.
The model replaced the outdated version of the A300, which consumed too much fuel and had little capacity. The new modification is 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. The international name of the new version is “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 intended 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. The maximum height gained by the giant reaches 10 km.
The 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 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. No aircraft in history has carried more passengers.
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.
