The double-decker A was designed for a world exponential air traffic growth and as an answer to the increasing congestion of major hub airports. It's able to carry, theoretically, up to passengers, although most of its operators have opted for a less dense to passenger layout.
The A has found itself a successful niche supporting the global ambitions of the Dubai-based Emirates , its largest operator by far. However, the aircraft has failed to sell in the expected numbers and its longer term future is now somewhat in doubt.
Boeing Operating empty weight: , kilograms. First flight: BF. Since its entry into service in early and for over 30 decades, the Boeing has been the undisputed "Queen of the Skies" and its unique forward hump became an instantly recognizable and popular icon.
Although surpassed by the Airbus A in passenger capacity, the latest iteration of the Boeing family, the , keeps its place in the record books as the longest airliner in the world.
Antonov An Wingspan : Although a tad smaller than its close relative the An, this fellow product of the Antonov design bureau is the largest military transport aircraft in the world and, until the advent of the Boeing F, was also the heaviest mass-produced aircraft. The An is in service with the Russian Air Force as well as several cargo operators, who use it to move particularly heavy and oversized cargo, for example, in support of the American and European space programs.
Lockheed C-5 Galaxy. Lockheed C-5 Galaxy remains one of the largest military aircraft. Capable of airlifting six Apache gunship helicopters or two M1 main battle tanks over distances of around 11, kilometers, the C-5 Galaxy has been the mainstay of the US Strategic Airlift Command, for several decades, supporting American military deployments overseas.
Tupolev Tu The Tu was the last strategic bomber devised for the Soviet Union. This strategic bomber, currently in service with the Russian Air Force, can boast of several superlatives -- largest combat aircraft, largest supersonic aircraft and largest swept wing aircraft in the world.
Although it first flew in , the Tu is currently enjoying a new youth, as the first of the modernized TuM2 version was rolled out in late The aircraft was even touted by Russian president Vladimir Putin as the potential basis for a new supersonic civilian aircraft.
HAV Airlander However, some Boeing s are still operational at a short ft 2 in Additionally, we should mention that the Embraer ERJ is only 86 ft 5 in The crown was held by the Boeing for the longest time at a length of ft 10 in This crown was stolen by Airbus in when the A came into service.
At feet Alas, the industry changed around the mids, moving away from four-engine large aircraft like the Airbus A and towards smaller twin-engine aircraft like the A and Boeing The new version was very long at ft 2 in That is, until now….
Surprisingly, this title will be reissued within the next 12 months. But, unfortunately, it has not worked out as well as hoped for airlines. Emirates has made a success of it with its hub-based model, but most airlines have struggled. Sadly, with increasing retirements, it is failing to find a new use. Only Hi Fly has taken on a second-hand aircraft for charter use but even that airline has now retired it. Its potential in the cargo market is limited by its design, and although it would make an amazing private jet or VIP transport, its size and limitations have so far stopped this from happening.
The is, of course, the other very large passenger jet. The latest is the largest version offered, coming in just over three meters longer than the A But it has a lower maximum capacity of again, this is the maximum exit limit, with a typical capacity around It also has a much shorter wingspan Until the A, the was the largest passenger aircraft flying.
This has been its hallmark since its launch in The airline had seen success with the and wanted to take this further with a new aircraft over twice the size. It was, in fact, originally planned with a full-length upper deck, but this could not be made to work with safety requirements. The largest variant, the , will be the longest passenger aircraft ever launched, at just over 76 meters.
And it will offer a typical capacity of up to — not far off that of the Unlike the other passenger aircraft on this list, the X, of course, is a twin-engine aircraft.
The X will bring in a new era of very high-capacity, very efficient twins. We are unlikely to see four-engine commercial jets again for some time, but there could be more developments in this area. We still have to wait a while to see the X in airline use. Development has been delayed due to engine problems and issues with structural testing. And production delays have also crept in due to the slowdown during the pandemic.
As of May , orders stood at down from before the pandemic. Qatar Airways currently expects to take its first aircraft in , but Emirates by far the largest customer may not until as late as Moving away from passenger jets, one of the largest aircraft you will ever see flying is the Antonov An freighter. Only of these is operational, although a second remains partially built.
This is the heaviest aircraft ever built and has the widest wingspan of any operational aircraft. It also has six engines and 32 wheels! The shuttle would be carried on top of the aircraft, and parts of the rocket could fit into the large fuselage. It can carry the highest payload of any aircraft — an enormous tonnes for comparison, the F freighter aircraft can carry up to tonnes. As such, it has remained in service and seen some specialized uses.
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