In one of our articles we talked about the world's largest cruise ship. Let us remind you that this is the “Oasis of the Seas”. Today we’ll talk about which winged machine has the status: “The largest aircraft in the world.”
Meet the plane "" (An-225), developed by the Kyiv Aviation Scientific and Technical Complex named after. Antonov. It is also the heaviest, most load-lifting aircraft in the world, which was first launched in air space December 21, 1988. The project manager was Viktor Tolmachev.
Initially, this aircraft was created exclusively for the needs of the Soviet space industry, in particular for transporting the Buran spacecraft. At the same time, during development, specialists laid down two aircraft, but only managed to complete one. After the collapse of the USSR, the engine was removed from the operational aircraft and Mriya was mothballed for a long time. However, seven years later the air giant saw the sky again. Today, the An-225 aircraft is used exclusively for commercial cargo flights of Antonov Airlines.
To understand how huge this aircraft is, let’s look at the dimensions and characteristics of the AN-225.
1. Cargo compartment dimensions:
- width – 6.4 m;
- length – 43 m;
- height – 4.4 m.
At the same time, the aircraft’s cargo cabin is completely sealed, which allows it to transport a wide variety of cargo. Judging by the size of the cargo compartment, it can easily transport 16 standard containers or the entire body of a Boeing 737.
2. The cabin for crew members can accommodate up to 6 people.
Please note that a special staircase leads to the cabin.
3. There is also a separate room on board for 18 people (as a rule, these are people who accompany the cargo). Here you can relax, hold negotiations and conferences.
4. Maximum cargo weight – 250 tons.
5. Wingspan: 88.4 m, height -18 m, length - 84 m.
6. Launch is carried out by 6 engines, each of which at takeoff mode develops a thrust of 23.4 tons.
7. Weight of fuel in tanks – 365 tons. Mriya can stay in the air for 18 hours and cover a distance of 15,000 km, but when fully loaded the plane stays in the sky for about 2 hours without refueling. To refuel this aircraft it takes up to one and a half days, and from 7 to 70 tankers.
8. Total wheels - 32. Wheels require replacement every 90 landings.
9. Cruising speed – 850 km/h. Takeoff/landing speed – 240-280 km/h.
In total, the An-225 holds about 250 world records. The most famous are transportation:
- heaviest cargo - 253 tons;
- the heaviest monolithic cargo – 188 tons;
- the longest load.
For example, loading a cargo weighing 170 tons from Zurich to Bahrain with refueling in Athens and Cairo.
The farthest point that the An-225 managed to visit is the island of Tahiti (16,400 km). Given the high fuel consumption and expensive operation, cargo transportation on this aircraft is rarely carried out when it is not possible to deliver cargo by sea. To complete the construction of the second Mriya, funding in the amount of $120 million is required.
And these are the traces that remain on the runway when this air giant takes off.
The largest passenger aircraft
But the largest aircraft for transporting passengers is the Airbus A380. Its parameters:
- height – 24 m;
- wingspan - 79.4 m;
- length – 73 m;
- capacity – 555 people, but the charter version can accommodate up to 853 people.
In addition to its impressive spaciousness, the Airbus A380 is also distinguished by its low fuel consumption: 3 liters per 100 km. Moreover, this aircraft can fly non-stop flights up to 15,000 km. The development of this second air giant took 10 years and 12 billion euros.
But, perhaps, the designers decided not to stop there, and at the end of May 2017, the largest aircraft in the world left its hangar. world The Stratolaunch. Judge for yourself:
- wingspan - 117 m;
- height – 15 m;
- weight – 226 tons;
- load capacity – 250 tons.
According to experts, this plane is longer football field, heavier than a blue whale, and the launch is carried out by six engines, the power of which corresponds to the power of Boeing 747 engines.
This development belongs to a private American company led by Paul Allen, who at one time was one of the founders of Microsoft Corporation.
This super giant was created for one purpose only - to launch launch vehicles to a high altitude, from where they could continue their flight, which in turn would reduce the cost of launching spacecraft.
However, despite this development, the AN-225 aircraft, better known as the Mriya, still remains the largest aircraft in the world, since its competitor The Stratolaunch has never taken off the ground, and its first demonstration flight is planned only for 2019
Undoubtedly, most of has enough planes big sizes. Although there are also very small private planes, they are not yet very popular in our country, and you don’t often see them in the sky. But among all these big “steel birds” there are real giants. Which one is the largest on the planet?
1. AN-225 “Mriya”. Length - 84 meters
Designed in the USSR and built in Kyiv in 1988, this air giant is the longest and heaviest aircraft in the world. Its length is 84 meters and its height is 18 meters, which is comparable in size to a 6-storey building with 4 entrances. The wingspan of this airliner exceeds 88 meters and the weight is 640 tons. The plane exists in a single copy and is a cargo plane. It was originally created for the Soviet space program, namely the transportation of the Buran spacecraft.
2. Boeing 747-8. Length - 76.25 meters
The airliner was created by the American company Boeing and put into operation in 2011. There are 3 versions of this model: cargo, passenger and VIP, while the aircraft holds the title as the longest passenger aircraft in the world. Its length is 76.25 meters, wingspan – 68.5, height – 19.5 meters. The passenger aircraft is capable of carrying up to 581 passengers, and the cargo aircraft can carry over 134 tons of cargo. Currently, there are 42 passenger, 72 cargo and 9 VIP aircraft of this model in operation.
3. Lockheed C-5 Galaxy. Length - 75.5 meters
The American military transport aircraft is the largest military aircraft in the world. Measuring 75.5 meters long, 68 meters wide and almost 20 meters high, it is capable of carrying up to 345 soldiers or more than 122 tons of cargo. It began production in the 1970s, and the last new version began operating in 2014.
4. Airbus A340-600. Length - 75.3 meters
Manufactured from 1991 to 2011 by Airbus SAS, the aircraft is the second longest passenger aircraft in the world. In total, more than 370 aircraft were produced during this time. Currently widely used among European transcontinental carriers such as Lufthansa, Iberia and Airfrance. Capable of carrying up to 475 passengers. The length is 73.3 meters, the wingspan is 63.5, and the height is 17.2 meters.
5. Boeing 777-300ER. Length - 73.9 meters
Another representative of Boeing can boast a length of 73.9 meters. This aircraft is capable of carrying up to 365 passengers at a time and transporting them without additional refueling over a distance of up to 21,600 kilometers, which is absolute record range for passenger aircraft. Having made its first flights in 2004, it is currently actively operated by Asian and North American carriers. The wingspan is 64.8 meters, the height is 18.7 meters.
6. WIG "Lun". Length - 73.8 meters
Neither a cargo nor a passenger aircraft, this huge aircraft, however, can be classified as an airplane, or rather a seaplane. Built in the Soviet Union in a single copy, it was launched in 1986. Its main purpose was to launch missile strikes against enemy surface ships, mainly aircraft carriers. The length of the ekranoplan is 73.8 meters, the wingspan is 44 meters, and the height is 19.2 meters. Served by a crew of 10 people, in the 90s it was part of the 236th division of the Caspian Flotilla. By 2001, it was decommissioned, and is currently located on the territory of the Dagdizel plant in Kaspiysk.
7. Airbus A380. Length - 72.75 meters
Despite the fact that it occupies only 7th position in terms of length, this aircraft can also claim to be a winner in several categories. Firstly, it is the largest passenger aircraft in the world in terms of capacity, capable of carrying up to 853 passengers. And secondly, this is the largest passenger airliner, the production of which has been mass-produced; more than 100 aircraft of this model are currently in operation. Its length is 72.75 meters, height is 24 meters, and its wingspan is almost 80 meters.
8. Boeing 747 LCF Dreamlifter. Length - 71.68 meters
This wide-body cargo aircraft, currently produced in 4 copies, is used for very specific purposes. Namely, for the transport of parts of the Boeing 787 aircraft, which are manufactured by third party suppliers in different countries world, to the company's assembly plants. It entered service in 2007. This aircraft has an unusual, slightly awkward appearance determined by the specifics of the cargo being transported. Length – 71.68 meters, wingspan – 64.4, height – 21.5 meters.
9. Boeing 747-400. Length - 70.6 meters
This model of the American manufacturer has become one of the most recognizable and sold all over the world. Over the years of its production, from 1988 to 2009, 694 airliners were produced; it exists in 6 modifications, 4 of which are passenger and 2 are cargo. Currently, the aircraft is in operation with more than 60 airlines around the world, the largest operator being British Airways. Passenger versions can carry up to 624 passengers and reach speeds of up to 988 km/h. This makes it one of the fastest passenger aircraft in the world. The aircraft is 70.6 meters long, 64.4 meters wide and 19.4 meters high.
10. AN-124 “Ruslan” Length – 69.1 meters
This is one of the few giant aircraft currently in operation in Russia. Production began in the mid-80s, and was originally intended for the transportation of heavy and bulky cargo for military and civilian purposes. In total, over the years of production (1984-2004), 55 units were produced, which, in addition to transporting cargo, are capable of carrying 880 soldiers in full uniform. Currently, 18 of them are in operation by Russian and Ukrainian commercial companies. The length of the aircraft is 69.1 meters, height – 21.1 m, wingspan – 73.3 meters.
Ukrainian aircraft "Mriya" An - 225
It is the largest in the world and the only flying example of the An-22 model.
The huge transport plane can carry up to 250 tons of cargo, which is four times the maximum payload of a Boeing 747. There is enough space inside the An-225 to fit the entire body of a Boeing 737. It also surpasses in various respects the world's largest passenger aircraft, the A380-800: While the latter has four engines, a wingspan of 80 meters, and a take-off weight of 560 tons, the giant An-225 has six engines, a wingspan of 88 meters, and the starting weight is 600 tons. The largest aircraft in the world also has a record number of wheels - as many as 32! The machine was put into operation in 1988. Plans to fly another plane never materialized. Its construction began in the 1990s, but was never completed. There were attempts to resume it several times, but in 2012 the project was frozen because, due to the financial crisis, the number of orders for transport services decreased significantly. The second copy of the An-225 is still in the hangar to this day.
Construction of the first An-225 began in Kyiv during the “ cold war"between the USA and the USSR, when both superpowers invested huge amounts of money in the development of new weapons and vehicles.
Giant's story
The aircraft was intended to transport military goods, as well as components of Soviet missiles and the Buran spacecraft to Baikonur. In December 1988, the giant made its first flight. But soon the Soviet Union collapsed, and with it the military’s dreams of creating a whole series of huge transporters collapsed. After the fall of the Iron Curtain, worldwide disarmament began, and the need for such machines disappeared. We also had to save on space flights. In 1994, funding for the Energia-Buran space program ceased, and the aircraft was mothballed. The engines were removed and installed on a smaller model - the An-124. And only seven years later the huge machine was again fit for flight. Later it was planned to develop a project for a larger version of the aircraft - the An-325 with eight engines, but the idea was not realized. Projects for aerospace systems around the world are being developed on the Antonov base.
The An-225 is not only the largest, but also the heaviest aircraft in the world How does he fly
The six super-powerful D-18T engines installed on it consume three tons of kerosene per hour. Despite its enormous weight, Mriya has enough power to accelerate runway three kilometers long. The total area of the wings, each of which is almost 90 m wide, is equal to the area of a football field. The giant's speed is 805 km/h. It can stay in the air for 18 hours and cover a distance of over 15,000 km. However, when fully loaded, an aircraft in the world is only capable of flying from 2,500 to 3,000 km. Its tanks hold 300 tons of fuel.
The maximum payload of the machine is 250 tons, which corresponds, for example, to the weight of more than 200 cows. What can fit in the cargo area?
The giant plane is controlled by a crew of six people. It is serviced by 11 technicians. In 2009, Mriya delivered from German city Khan in Yerevan (Armenia) generator weighing 190 tons, designed for a gas turbine power plant. This achievement is recorded in the Guinness Book of Records. Transportation of cargo that does not fit into the cargo compartment of the AN-225 occurs using the “hookpack” system, that is, they are attached to the top. In the passenger version, Ukrainian designers planned to make three decks with seats for 800 passengers.
Video of one of the largest aircraft in the world
Every flight is a big event
The huge machine is used to transport special cargo. Much more often, transportation is carried out by a smaller aircraft - An-124. “Mriya” is usually remembered when it is necessary to transport a large cargo entirely. When a giant arrives at its destination, it is always a special event. Journalists and crowds of curious people gather at the airport. This was the case, for example, in June 2013, when Mriya first landed at the airport in the Swiss city of Basel.
These planes were also once record holders.
1.Dornier Do X (1929). It was the largest, fastest and after the First World War. Designed by the German company Dornier. In 1933, Germany abandoned the use of these machines, as they were considered insufficiently economical and safe, and also unsuitable for military purposes. After this, only two examples were built and sent to Italy. German designers planned to create a new, improved model based on the Do X - the Dornier Do 20, but due to World War II this project was not implemented.
2. Tupolev ANT-20 “Maxim Gorky” (1934) A 1930s behemoth with eight engines and a wingspan almost like a modern Boeing 747. It was built in Voronezh and was intended primarily for propaganda. It was equipped with a film installation, a darkroom, a printing press, etc. Additionally, the vehicle could transport up to 72 passengers.
The largest machine with turboprop engines, which is still the most commonly used. It flies at high subsonic speeds. - a “hump” in which the pilot’s cabin is located above the main passenger deck. For transport models it is somewhat shorter.
Previously it was the most powerful transport aircraft. When he lands in foreign airports, then probably arouses no less interest than “Mriya”. The wingspan is 64 meters and the unloaded weight is 114 tons.
Before its introduction, the A-380 was the second largest aircraft in mass production. It remains the world's largest military aircraft. It is called the “little brother” of the An-225. The An-124 made its first flight abroad in 1985. It was presented to the public at the Paris Air Show. The vehicle is highly valued by both Russian military aviation and commercial cargo transportation organizations. The upper deck can accommodate 88 passengers.
Since there are no limits to human imagination and ingenuity, more and more new and modern aircraft models are appearing. They are becoming better, more economical, safer, and of course, more massive.
Airbus A380
This aircraft has two decks and is the largest for carrying passengers.
The height of the aircraft is 24 meters, the wingspan is 80 meters, and the length is 73 meters.
The aircraft carries up to 555 passengers, in a single-class modification - 853 passengers.
This aircraft is capable of covering 15,000 kilometers non-stop, while at the same time being very economical. The creation of the Airbus A380 took 10 years at a project cost of 12 billion euros. The first commercial flight took place in October 2007. Then 455 passengers boarded the flight from Singapore to Sydney.
During construction, the main sections of the airliner are transported by ground and surface transport, although some parts are transported by An-124 aircraft.
This model was created as an alternative to what was previously considered the largest for 35 years. But Airbus moved its “colleague” from its place of honor due to its efficiency not only in fuel, but also in cost.
The developers also achieved a reduction in the weight of the aircraft. The highlight of the design is that 40% of the Airbus A380 body is graphite (wings and fuselage). The cost of the aircraft itself is about 390 million euros.
This airliner is the leader in flight range. It is capable of flying more than 21,000 km without refueling. Operation began in 1995. The aircraft can carry from 300 to 550 people in the cabin. The 777-300 ER is powered by two General Electric gas turbine engines, the most powerful engines in its class.
It has a maximum speed of 965 km/h with an impressive weight of 250 tons. One of the main distinguishing features is efficiency. A cargo modification was also created on the basis of the passenger aircraft. The symbol "ER" stands for Extended Range.
A modification of the well-known 747 appeared in 2005. The body has become longer, and at the same time the aircraft has become more economical. This model is the leader in the number of special orders for billionaires and top government officials. It is used by 19 heads of state. The 747-8 version is the largest commercial aircraft in the world. The first owner of the commercial model 747-8 is the German company Lufthansa.
Officially, this is the longest plane in the world!
Hughes H-4 Hercules
This huge car is one of the record holders for the number of passengers (750), but is now a museum. The plane was created under the leadership of the famous millionaire Howard Hughes, and was made of wood. The creator of Hercules himself maintained the aircraft in working condition until his death. In 1993, the plane found its permanent home in Oregon, and is visited annually by more than 300 thousand tourists.
The Hercules was designed as a wooden flying boat weighing 136 tons. At the same time, the aircraft was the widest aircraft until May 2017 - its wingspan was 98 meters.
The most spacious of Russian airliners, accommodates 435 passengers. IN this moment used only by the transport company "Russia" as VIP transport and Cubana, including for the President of Cuba. It has a modification 96-300PU (control point) - like the aircraft of the President of the Russian Federation. Now, based on the IL-96M, the IL-96-400 has been created, with the same capacity as its predecessor.
Unfortunately, mass production of this model never took place, despite the fact that it was designed by Western and domestic specialists.
This airliner has proven itself well over long distances since 2002. Its capacity is 380 passengers in three classes, 419 in two classes. Flight range – 14,800 km. Initially developed as an alternative to early Boeing models. Although the number of passengers the aircraft is identical to Boeing's 747 model, the luggage compartment is twice as large as that of its competitor. Serial production ceased in 2011.
Cargo aircraft
- the most load-lifting aircraft in the world. The aircraft was created at the Design Bureau named after. Antonov. The basis for the creation of "Mriya" was.
The development of Mriya was closely related to the Buran program. It was with the help of the An-225 that parts for the shuttle and subsequently the ship itself were transported. Since the dimensions of the launch vehicle blocks and the Buran itself were larger than the cargo compartment of the Mriya, the An-225 was provided with external fastenings for such cargo.
There is one copy, but joint Ukrainian-Chinese construction of another Mriya is underway.
The aircraft's original mission was to transport ballistic missiles. But the result was impressive. The An-124 began to be used to transport military equipment. Aircraft option for civil aviation can operate at any latitude and transport many types of cargo, including large cargo.
The cost of one copy is $300 million, which is more than many passenger airliners.
The aircraft was developed in the USA for military transportation back in 1968. Capable of transporting up to 345 soldiers or several units of military equipment.
It was the most load-carrying aircraft until the appearance of the An-124 in 1982.
Reason for creation of this aircraft served by the location of Airbus factories in several places and the need to transport individual parts of Airbus aircraft. A total of 5 copies have been created and they all work on Airbus. Currently, a similar device based on the A340 is being developed to transport parts of the Airbus A380.
The name comes from the beluga whale, whose shape resembles a flying machine.
This aircraft is designed to transport parts of the Boeing 787 aircraft. Previously, individual spare parts were transported by sea, which was extremely inconvenient. Thus, supplies from Japan of wings for the 787 Dreamliner were reduced from 30 days to 8 hours. Only 4 copies have been released so far.
Military aircraft
The short history of military aviation includes many cases when gigantomania came into fashion. The result was the construction of huge flying machines. Some representatives of the largest military aircraft will be described below.
The German aircraft from World War II was the heaviest land aircraft at that time. Widely used in North Africa to supply troops. Load capacity is 23 tons. Unlike the predecessor Me.321, which flew only one way and was subsequently blown up by the crew, the Me.323 was equipped with engines and landing gear.
The aircraft became the basis for many engineering solutions that are still used in military aviation. It can and should be called the first military transport aircraft.
The aircraft was created in 1943 in Germany. The basis for its creation was the Ju 290. Created to perform many tasks, including as a strategic bomber that could even bomb US territory. The Germans planned to build 26 aircraft, but in fact only two were built.
The aircraft had a unique flight range for its time - 9,700 km, which allowed the Germans to seriously think about bombing the territory of the United States.
The plane was created in the USA, like a flying boat. The Navy used it as an ocean patrol aircraft. A total of 5 devices of this type were created. In terms of wingspan, the JRM Mars is the largest production seaplane in history (the H-4 Hercules was produced in only one copy).
The last of the aircraft of this type is still in operation as a firefighting aircraft.
The aircraft was created by Boeing in 1941 to counter enemy Japan. Entered mass production in 1943. The B-29 embodied all the latest engineering solutions of the time and was a model for the current military aircraft industry. He became widely known after the use of atomic weapons in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.
To establish military balance, by order of I.V. Stalin, an analogue of the B-29 was created, an unlicensed copy of the Tu-4.
Initially, the B-52 was created as an intercontinental strategic bomber, but, being a means of delivering nuclear weapons, it was used in military conflicts only for training. Having an altitude ceiling of up to 15,000 m, it was capable of delivering two thermonuclear bombs to any point in the USSR.
The B-52 saw active use in many military conflicts, most notably in Vietnam from 1965 to 1973.
The US military plans to operate B-52 aircraft well into the 2040s with appropriate upgrades.
The legendary Soviet strategic bomber, which still remains in service with the Russian Air Force. This is the world's only turboprop missile carrier. There are still 60 vehicles of this type in service, capable of carrying X-101 missiles, which, with a range of 5,500 km, allow the Tu-95 to completely calmly attack targets without detecting itself on enemy air defense systems. Despite the fact that many of the modern strategic bombers are powered by jet engines, the Tu-95 is not obsolete, on the contrary, this is its advantage, since some satellites track bombers using jet exhaust.
Various test aircraft were created on the basis of the Tu-95, such as the passenger Tu-114 and reconnaissance Tu-126.
Video about the Tu-95 - one of the best bombers of our time.
A supersonic missile carrier with variable sweep wings was developed at the Tupolev Design Bureau in the 70-80s. Many prefixes “most” can be applied to an airplane. Tu-160 is the largest military aircraft, which also has the largest maximum take-off weight. The Russian Air Force includes 16 Tu-160 aircraft based in Engels, Saratov region.
In 2017, a decision was made to completely modernize the Tu-160.
The history of aircraft construction, both military and civilian, does not go back very long, however, during this time a huge leap has been made in the technologies used. Capacity increases over time passenger airliners, their flight range, military aircraft are faced with increasingly complex tasks, from transport to combat. One way or another, aircraft manufacturing will remain one of the most high-tech industries.
The plane itself is already a genius of engineering. Making hundreds of tons of iron rise above the ground is a non-trivial task. Even the smallest details matter, it takes the highest precision and the hard work of hundreds of people to create even the simplest aircraft by modern standards.
The greater the challenge for aircraft designers to experiment with materials, sizes, and technologies in order to create aircraft that are lighter, more economical, and larger than their predecessors. This article will focus on the largest passenger aircraft. Now in the world there are two main players producing huge passenger aircraft - Boeing and Airbus.
The competition between them led to the creation of colossal machines. Among them, the recognized leader is the Airbus A380. The span of its huge wings reaches almost 80 m, and its length is 73 m. Read about it, as well as other flying giants, below.
Airbus-A380
- Wingspan - 79.75 m
- Length - 72.75 m
- Height - 24.08 m
- Weight - 280 t
- Takeoff weight, max. - 560 t
- Number of engines - 4
- Passenger capacity, max. - 853 people
Production of this aircraft began in 2005, and was put into operation in 2007. Since that time, it has officially taken first place in the series passenger aircraft not only in size, but also in capacity, as well as in many other parameters. For example, for aircraft of this category it is the most economical. Its fuel consumption is only 3 liters per passenger per 100 km.
Such a huge aircraft would not be able to take off if it were built from traditional materials - it would simply be too heavy, and the lifting force of the wings would not be enough to lift it off the ground. Therefore, the main challenge for engineers and designers was the task of reducing its mass as much as possible.
The solution to this problem was made possible through the use of the latest composite materials, some of which were specially developed for this aircraft. For example, the central and main part of the wing (which itself weighs 11 tons!) consists of 40 percent carbon fiber. Laser technology was used to weld structural elements, which significantly increased the reliability of connections and reduced the number of fasteners.
Among other things, the designers also took care of environmental friendliness. By reducing the amount of fuel consumed by 17% compared to the Boeing 747, they also achieved a reduction in CO2 emissions - they amount to 75 g per passenger per 1 km of travel.
Boeing 747
- Wingspan - 68.5 m
- Length - 76.3 m
- Height - 19.4 m
- Weight - 214.5 t
- Takeoff weight, max. - 442.2 t
- Number of engines - 4
- Passenger capacity, max. - 581 people
- Manufacturer - Boeing
The Boeing 747 held the lead among passenger aircraft for more than 36 years, from 1969 to 2005. The introduction of this aircraft into mass production in 1970 was a breakthrough because the construction of such a new model entailed a whole series of changes in the production process, technology, operational requirements and even in pilot training methods.
Initially, it was not planned to produce a large number of 747s, but when this model proved its reliability, many world airlines began to order it, because the volume passenger transportation began to increase sharply, and it was profitable to maintain spacious aircraft. Currently, 1.5 thousand 747s fly in the world in companies such as British Airways, Korean Air, China Airlines. In Russia, the 747 is operated by the Rossiya company. She “inherited” five 747s from the collapsed Transaero company.
The 747 also holds significant records: in 1989, this particular aircraft, owned by the Australian Qantas Airways, made a direct flight to Sydney from the British capital, covering 18 thousand km in just over 20 hours. True, it was flying empty: without cargo or passengers. Another record is related to the number of passengers: in 1997, 1,112 people flew on it to Israel during the military Operation Solomon.
The 747 was also used to transport Space Shuttle spacecraft. For such transportation, space shuttles are mounted on the aircraft's back.
The most characteristic detail of the 747 is the “hump” on the fuselage. It was originally planned that the fuselage would be double-decker along its entire length, but this option had to be abandoned for technical reasons. Therefore, the second deck of this Boeing is short.
This superstructure was designed so that the bow of the ship could be modified into a cargo ramp, because the 747 was intended to be used primarily for cargo transportation.
There are 7 modifications of the Boeing 747, almost all of them have both passenger and cargo and cargo-passenger versions. It would not be a mistake to say that the 747 is one of the most common aircraft of this type in the world.
Airbus A340-600
- Wingspan - 63.45 m
- Length - 75.36 m
- Height - 17.22 m
- Weight - 177 t
- Takeoff weight, max. - 380 t
- Number of engines - 4
- Passenger capacity, max. - 419 people
- Manufacturer - Airbus S.A.S Concern
The Airbus S.A.S concern owns another giant aircraft. This is the Airbus A340-600, which, before the release of one of the Boeing 747 modifications, was the world's longest passenger aircraft.
Its commercial release began in 2002, but was stopped in 2011. Over 9 years, 97 aircraft of this modification were produced. 340-600 was created specifically for intercontinental flights. Its declared flight range is 14,600 km without refueling.
Boeing 777-300ER
- Wingspan - 64.8 m
- Length - 73.9 m
- Height - 18.7 m
- Weight - 166.9 t
- Takeoff weight, max. - 351.5 t
- Number of engines - 2
- Passenger capacity, max. - 365 people
- Manufacturer - Boeing
The letters ER in the name of the modification stand for Extended Range - increased range. It is capable of flying 14,690 km without refueling thanks to an increase in fuel reserve compared to the previous modification of the “three sevens”. This aircraft is the main competitor of the Airbus A340-600 and the best-selling 777 in the world. There are currently about 400 aircraft of this modification in operation around the world.
Airplanes of this model have the most powerful turbofans in the world. jet engines General Electric 90-115B, which give a maximum thrust of 513 kN. The 300ER modification has reinforced structural elements compared to its predecessors: landing gear, tail, wings, as well as additional fuel tanks.
