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These Mega-Planes Are Too Massive to Believe
From six-engine Soviet cargo titans and bulbous rocket transporters to a twin-fuselage behemoth with a 385-foot wingspan, explore the 13 largest airplanes ever to conquer the skies.
7 hours agoVerified Editorial
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◫14 Verified Slides
These Mega-Planes Are Too Massive to Believe 
13. Aero Spacelines Super GuppyNASA’s bulbous cargo plane features a 25-foot-wide hinged fuselage that swings open 110 degrees to swallow entire spacecraft stages. 
12. Boeing B-52H StratofortressSpanning 185 feet across with eight turbofan engines, the iconic 'BUFF' has dominated long-range heavy aviation for over 70 years. 
11. Airbus A330-743L BelugaXLPainted like a smiling whale, this 207-foot-long super-transporter carries two full-sized A350 jet wings inside its cavernous upper deck. - AdvertisementSwipe or tap ▶ to continue countdown
10. Boeing 777-300ERStretching 242 feet long with a 212.6-foot wingspan, this twinjet is powered by the most massive commercial jet engines ever flown. 
9. Airbus A350-1000Measuring 242.1 feet in length with a 212.4-foot carbon-fiber wingspan, this ultra-long-range giant can fly 10,000 miles nonstop. 
8. Boeing 747-400LCF DreamlifterHolding 65,000 cubic feet of cargo space, this swollen 747 features a hinged tail that swings open to load 787 Dreamliner wings. 
7. Convair B-36 PeacemakerWith a 230-foot wingspan and ten engines—'six turning, four burning'—the B-36 had wings thick enough for crew to crawl inside in flight. - AdvertisementSwipe or tap ▶ to continue countdown
6. Lockheed C-5M Super GalaxyAmerica’s 247.8-foot strategic military airlifter can swallow two M1 Abrams battle tanks or six Apache helicopters in a single load. 
5. Antonov An-124 RuslanBoasting a 240.5-foot wingspan and a 330,000-pound payload capacity, the An-124 is the world’s heaviest active production cargo plane. 
4. Boeing 747-8At 250 feet and 2 inches long with a 224.6-foot wingspan, the final evolution of the 'Queen of the Skies' is the longest airliner flying. 
3. Airbus A380-800The undisputed king of passenger aviation spans 261.8 feet wingtip-to-wingtip across two full-length decks certified for up to 853 flyers. - AdvertisementSwipe or tap ▶ to continue countdown
2. Antonov An-225 MriyaWith six turbofan engines, 32 wheels, and a 640-ton maximum takeoff weight, 'The Dream' remains the heaviest airplane ever built. 
1. Scaled Composites Stratolaunch RocWith an astonishing 385-foot wingspan—wider than a football field—the twin-fuselage 'Roc' is the largest airplane ever flown by wingspan. - Advertisement
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