Home Hygiene The largest aircraft in the world. The largest passenger planes in the world

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The largest aircraft in the world. The largest passenger planes in the world

In the old days, a person could only look into the heavenly expanses and dream of rising to them. Currently thanks to modern technologies, which made it possible to invent airplanes, a seemingly impossible dream became 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 most great view 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 air 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.

To control the air giant, 35 modern computer systems are used. 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.

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The time of fanatical designers has sunk into oblivion. Now it’s even difficult to imagine that once upon a time someone invented various objects just out of love for mechanics or wanting to set a record and get into the news reports.

Today's high-tech mechanisms, which can be called the most qualitative and quantitative in terms of characteristics, are designed to implement certain tasks. And here the largest aircraft in the world are no exception.

Mriya

The heaviest, also the most load-lifting aircraft in the world is called the An-225 Mriya. It was developed in 1984-1988 at the Kiev Aviation Scientific and Technical Complex. Antonov. The aircraft made its first flight on December 21, 1988.

The largest aircraft in the world includes a six-engine turbojet high-wing aircraft, which has a two-tail tail and a swept wing. During the creation of the An-225 aircraft, the An-124 heavy transport aircraft was taken as the basis. In turn, the history of the appearance of the last giant is closely connected with the Buran space program, which was implemented in the Soviet Union. Then for transportation from the assembly site to the cosmodrome spaceship and heavy parts of the launch vehicle, a super-lifting transport was needed. It was assumed that a similar aircraft would be used for the first stage of the spacecraft launch system. According to the assignments, the aircraft's carrying capacity must be at least 250 tons. This is exactly the weight that the An-124 aircraft could lift, but it carried it as external cargo. But the design features of the spacecraft and launch vehicle were such that the transport required the tail unit to be replaced. In this case, the designers considered it necessary to develop a new aircraft model, but take the An-124 as a basis. Then the new model would be ideally suited for its purpose.

The An-225 has the following cargo compartment dimensions: width 6.4 meters, length 43 meters, and height 4.4 meters. And above this cabin there is a cabin for crew members. It can accommodate 6 people. In addition, there is room on board for 88 people, these are those who accompany the cargo.

The control systems are quadruple redundant. The aircraft itself can transport equipment of the most different sizes. However, it can also be placed in the cargo compartment, as well as mounted outside the fuselage. The maximum cargo weight can reach 250 tons.

The wingspan of the largest aircraft in the world is 88.4 meters, its height is 18 meters (this is more than the height of a five-story building), and its length is even greater - 84 meters. In total, specialists laid down two aircraft. But they only managed to complete one. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the engines were removed from the operational aircraft. Therefore, the An-225 stood mothballed for a long time. However, after 7 years the giant aircraft saw the sky again.

History of the legend

Now the An-225 makes commercial cargo flights. Transportation is organized as part of the air transport division of the Antonov complex, this is the Antonov Airlines airline. Conducted in the same way design work to use the huge aircraft for a flying launch facility for aviation systems.

The Antonov plant plans to complete the construction of a second aircraft. The so-called twin brother of the largest aircraft in the world. Its readiness is estimated at 70 percent. By the way, today the completed An-225 is almost a quarter of a century old.

Airbus A380

But this is already the largest aircraft in the world, which is intended for passenger transportation. The double-deck liner has the following dimensions. Its height is 24 meters, its wingspan is 79.4 meters, and its length is 73 meters. The Airbus A380 seats exactly 555 passengers, but the charter version can accommodate 853 people on board. Such an aircraft can make non-stop flights over fairly long distances, up to 15 thousand kilometers.

It is worth noting that the Airbus A380 is also the most economical aircraft of its class. It consumes only three liters of fuel per passenger and per hundred kilometers.

This aircraft model took ten long years to develop. The costs also turned out to be impressive - 12 billion euros. The aircraft was initially announced as an alternative to the Boeing 747. Until the Airbus A380 appeared, the aircraft was the largest airliner for 35 years. But the new product from Airbus immediately displaced the American competitor from the podium. And it’s not even a matter of economy. Boeing is capable of carrying approximately 400 passengers, and also costs 15 percent more.

Airbus A380 in all its glory

The greatest achievement of the designers of the Airbus A380 model is that they were able to significantly reduce weight. And this happened thanks to the use of a new and unique composite material. The wings and fuselage were made from it. The largest aircraft for passengers is almost half, namely 40 percent, made of graphite.

After Airbus introduced the A380, the company also offered a cargo version of the A380F. The aircraft can transport 150 tons of cargo over a distance of 10 thousand kilometers.

By the way, the A380F began to go on sale relatively recently. However, there are already people who want to buy the record holder. And not only airlines, but also individuals want to own such spacious airliners. For example, Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, this is the king's cousin Saudi Arabia don't mind paying $500 million for the developers' achievement. However, only 320 million of this amount was paid for the car itself. The rest of the money is the cost of finishing; the prince wants to make his plane look luxurious - to cover the outside of the fuselage with gold leaf. Inside, there is supposed to be a luxurious lounge-living room, baths with a sauna and a jacuzzi, a dining room for 14 people, as well as bedrooms, a gym and a cinema.

Russian billionaires are not lagging behind foreign oligarchs. For example, Roman Abramovich also bought himself an Airbus A380. His liner costs less, “only” $300 million. As soon as the businessman took ownership of the aircraft, he immediately instructed Lufthansa Technik to redesign the cabin. It is not known what exactly Roman Abramovich wanted to see on board, but most likely the same comfort and luxury as the prince of Saudi Arabia.
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“The desire to fly is an idea passed down to us by our ancestors, who, in their grueling off-road journeys in prehistoric times, looked with envy at the birds soaring freely through space, at full speed, without any obstacles on the endless road of air,” once Wilbur Wright said.

Could the Wright brothers, back in 1903, imagine what their idea of controlled flight in the air would turn into? Now you won’t surprise anyone with supersonic planes and winged colossuses capable of transporting not only people, but also heavy equipment.

Well, we may not be able to fly like birds, but if we want, we can fly on one of the largest aircraft in the world. Choose which of these giants you like best.

Role: multi-role aircraft.

Developer: Tupolev Design Bureau, USSR.

This aircraft, created at the Voronezh Aviation Plant in 1934, became the largest aircraft of its time. Its wingspan reached 63 meters, and its maximum take-off weight was 42,000 kg. The ANT-20 was served by a staff of 5 people, and the aircraft could carry 48 passengers.

When "dad" The Little Prince Antoine de Saint-Exupéry came to the USSR and flew on the ANT-20. But the life of this model was short-lived. In 1935, during a demonstration flight, the aircraft took off together with the I-5 fighter, which was supposed to demonstrate the difference in size for newsreels. While performing aerobatic maneuvers, the I-5 entered the “Nesterov loop”, lost speed and crashed onto the ANT-20 from above. That, in turn, began to fall apart in the sky and fell on the holiday village of Sokol.

As a result of this accident, 49 people died. At the Novodevichy cemetery there is a memorial topped with a huge granite bas-relief of the crashed plane.

Role: transport plane.

Developer: Boeing.

An aircraft unsurpassed in terms of fuselage capacity. The volume of its transport compartment is 1840 cubic meters. It is used strictly to transport parts of the Boeing 787 aircraft, which are designed by third-party suppliers. A total of 4 Dreamlifters were put into operation.

The Boeing 747 LCF is unprepossessing in appearance and has even been compared to the Wienermobile, a bun-shaped car used to promote and advertise Oscar Mayer products in the United States. And Boeing CEO Scott Carson jokingly apologized to Joe Sutter, head of the Boeing 747 development team, for what he did to his plane.

Role: passenger airliner.

Developer: Boeing.

Boeing knows how to develop aircraft that set records. The 747-8 became the longest passenger aircraft in the world. Its length is 76.4 meters.

The Boeing 747-8 is a representative of the new generation of the Boeing 747 series (eighth on our list). It features a longer fuselage, an improved wing and greater economic efficiency.

Role: passenger airliner.

Developer: Boeing.

Once upon a time, when asked what the largest aircraft in the world is in terms of passenger capacity, the designers of the double-deck Boeing 747 proudly answered: “Ours”! Depending on the modification, the aircraft can accommodate up to 624 passengers on board. But then the Airbus A380 appeared and displaced the Boeing 747 from the pedestal of the most spacious aircraft.

If you watched Casino Royale with Daniel Craig as James Bond, you may remember the SkyFleet S570 airliner that terrorists wanted to blow up. This airliner was a Boeing 747-236B, which was built in 1980 and flew until 2002. A worthy end to a career.

And one of the Boeing 747s is connected largest air disasters in the world. It occurred in 1977 on the island of Tenerife. In fog, two Boeing 747s collided with each other on the runway, killing 583 people.

Role: transport plane.

Developer: OKB im. O.K. Antonova.

This winged machine, named Antaeus in honor of the invincible giant from ancient Greek myths, is still the world's largest turboprop aircraft.

Transportation of goods during the war in Afghanistan and during the liquidation of an accident at Chernobyl nuclear power plant, transportation of refugees and military personnel from countries of Eastern Europe and neighboring countries - this is not the complete “track record” of the An-22. And on one of the passenger flights organized during the air bridge between Egypt and Soviet Union in 1972, Antey set a record by taking almost 700 people on board. This is a real hard worker, reliable and unpretentious in operation.

Role: transport plane.

Developer: OKB im. O.K. Antonova.

The top five largest aircraft in the world is opened by a Soviet design, which, until the advent of the Airbus A380 (number four on the list), was considered the largest commercially produced aircraft.

However, no one has yet taken away the title of “largest military aircraft” from the An-124, as well as the title of the world’s most load-bearing serial transport aircraft.

And although the production of “Ruslan”, as Oleg Konstantinovich Antonov called this aircraft, has now been suspended, the existing fleet of aircraft will be modernized. This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov in July 2018.

Role: passenger liner.

Developer: Airbus.

The largest passenger aircraft in the world (of mass-produced ones) and one of the largest aircraft on Earth. When you watch a video of one of the largest aircraft in the world, it’s hard to believe that such a colossus is capable of taking off.

The Airbus A380 is capable of carrying up to 853 passengers in economy class configuration. By comparison, the A380's main competitor, the Boeing 747 passenger airliner, carries only 624 people in full economy class configuration.

It's not just airlines that own the luxurious Airbus A380. By order of the Saudi Prince Al-Walid ibn Talal, a private jet was built, which cost the owner $488 million.

Role: passenger liner.

Developer: Airbus.

It is the largest member of the Airbus A340 family and the third longest aircraft in the world (75.36 meters). Aircraft like the Airbus A340 were produced until November 2011, but could not compete with the Boeing 777. However, they still carry out passenger transportation in various countries around the world.

It is curious that during the entire period of operation (since 1993), only five A340 aircraft were lost. However, not a single passenger or crew member died.

Role: cargo airplane.

Developer: OKB im. O.K. Antonova.

It is the largest transport aircraft ever built. Its maximum take-off weight is 640 tons and its payload capacity is 250 tons.

The An-225 is capable of transporting on its fuselage vehicles, construction and military equipment and other large cargo to different parts of the world. But this giant was intended for a different, much more ambitious purpose. It was created as part of the Buran reusable spacecraft project. It was assumed that the An-225 would transport Buran components and the launch vehicle from the place of creation and assembly to the launch site.

The first flight of the Mriya (dream in Ukrainian) took place in December 1988, carrying a Buran weighing sixty tons. However, after the collapse of the USSR, the “dream” was left without work. It began to be used again (after appropriate modernization) only in 2000, for commercial transportation.

And more recently, in September 2018, the giant aircraft set a new record by making a thirteen-hour non-stop flight from the Ukrainian Gostomel to the American Oakland Airport. He covered a distance of 9800 km.

Role: carrier aircraft.

Developer: Scaled Composites.

This huge plane will not carry regular cargo. Rather, it will serve as another way to deliver objects, namely satellites, into the stratosphere before launching them into space orbit. This type of transport will be more reliable and less expensive than traditional rockets.

Unlike the largest aircraft in the world - the Ukrainian Mriya - the American Stratolaunch does not yet fly. Its first demonstration took place in May 2017. In terms of wingspan - 117.3 meters, it is much superior to the An-225 (88.4 meters, respectively). On this moment Stratolaunch - the aircraft with the largest wingspan in the world.

However, the American is inferior to its Ukrainian “colleague” in terms of maximum take-off weight (589,670 kg and 640,000 kg, respectively) and length (73 meters for Stratolaunch versus 84 meters for the An-225).

ABOUT exact dates new Stratolaunch tests are not yet known. Engineers hope the aircraft will enter service within the next 10 years.

Today, the airplane is considered one of the most common types of transport. Contrary to the opinion that flying it is dangerous, statistics in relation to road, rail and even sea transport indicate the opposite.

More than a thousand types of all kinds of aircraft have been developed in the world. The best of them are considered not only the fastest and most technically equipped, but also the largest and most capacious aircraft: cargo, military and passenger.

The top 15 includes those aircraft that are currently plying our skies, and those that were once created by ambitious engineers, but never found their application.

The list opens with one of the oldest, but nevertheless large aircraft. In 1929, a passenger aircraft - a boat - went into operation in Germany. Its first test became a record flight with 170 passengers on board. But due to low flight characteristics, in 1936. flights stopped. The length of the liner was 40m. wingspan width 48m, weight – 29t.

In 1952, English engineers created a seaplane - a flying boat. The two passenger decks accommodated 105 people. The aircraft had 10 Bristol Proteus engines. Of the three aircraft built, only one was operated, but it completed a total of 45 flights, which amounted to about 100 hours. Subsequently, all three aircraft were dismantled for scrap in 1967. LengthSR 45 was 42m., wingspan – 70m, aircraft weight – 87t.

Year of production 1949. The largest aircraft ever produced in England. It was originally designed as a new generation super-heavy bomber. The experiment turned out to be quite expensive and unsuccessful, so the copy in the amount of one piece was left without continuation. Aircraft length was 54m., wingspan 70m.

The list continues with the most original cargo plane in shape, reminiscent of the Beluga whale. The French aircraft did not commercially justify its existence, so after five aircraft were produced, production was curtailed. Aircraft length 56m., wing span width - 45 m, load capacity only 47 tons.

A Soviet aircraft with impressive dimensions. Bears the title of the largest propeller-driven aircraft. 57 meter giant with 64m. wingspan has been used in the Russian Air Force since 1968 and continues to this day. It has proven itself well in parachute landing of equipment and weapons. The machine is made with four turboprop engines, the power of each engine is 15 thousand l/s. The fuselage is equipped with two fins, and the tail section is equipped with a large cargo hatch. The original development of the An-22 aircraft later served as a model for many modifications. Over 47 years, 68 aircraft were produced, today only 6 are in operation, including 1 by Ukraine.

Another spacious and popular aircraft among airlines different countries. Operation began in 1995. The Boeing 777 can perform long intercontinental flights (17 thousand kilometers), about 18 hours. The modification of this aircraft was the first where traditional paper drawings replaced three-dimensional computer graphics. The capacity of the civil airliner is 300 people, total length – 63m., wingspan – 65m.

Designed in 1947 in the USA in the amount of 1 piece. It has the longest wingspan - 98m. The flying wooden boat was produced for the purpose of transporting 750 paratroopers. At the end of 1947, he made his first and only flight, rising only 21m. and flying 2 km. Currently, Hercules is kept as a museum exhibit. The length of the failed aircraft is 66.5m. Interesting fact– the plane is almost entirely made of birch, for which it bears the nickname “wooden”.

The second name is “Ruslan”. It is in service with the Russian Federation. It is considered the largest production cargo aircraft. Created by joint efforts of engineers from Russia and Ukraine. The aircraft is unique for its endurance, lack of sensitivity to weather conditions, and also, due to its 24 wheelbase, its ability to accelerate and land on unpaved runways. An opening hatch is located both in the tail and in the bow. A feature of this development is the possibility of simultaneous, more convenient and faster unloading and loading processes. In addition to its large payload capacity, the aircraft can accommodate 800 soldiers with full equipment. The total length of the wing span is 73.3 m. The weight of the aircraft is 180 tons. To date, 55 devices have been produced. The plane achieved its greatest popularity when in 1989, with the help of Ruslan, 140 tons of musical equipment of the Pink Floyd group were transported. Aircraft length 69m.

Another representative of French developers. The four-engine passenger, and in some modifications, cargo aircraft has a wingspan of 80 m in length. The total length of the aircraft is 73m., height 24m. The passenger version of the aircraft is striking in its capacity - more than 850 people can simultaneously fly without a transfer over a distance of up to 15 tons. kilometers. This giant, weighing 280 tons, is rightfully included in the Guinness Book of Records for the number of people transported. One of the most expensive aircraft has an advantage in fuel consumption - 3 liters per passenger per 100 km. flight. By the way, developers from the Moscow Engineering Center took part in the latest, more improved modification; their task was to design on-board equipment and strengthen the fuselage parts. An interesting fact is that during the production of such a giant it is necessary to lay more than 530 km. electrical wires. Currently, 180 Airbus A380 aircraft have been produced, only 150 are in operation.

The largest twin-engine aircraft is designed for passenger flights over long distances (flight range ranges from 10 to 17 km). It differs from the previous version of the 777-200 in having a longer fuselage. The impressive capacity of the airliner (from 350 to 550 people) makes it one of the most commercially successful. The number of aircraft produced is 1,385 - an absolute record. The length of the aircraft is 74m., wingspan 71m, weight – 160t.

Pure American. Used in many military conflicts: Vietnam, Yugoslavia, Iraq and Afghanistan. The characteristics of the cargo military-strategic aircraft are impressive: total length – 75.5m., wingspan – 68m, height – 20m, load capacity more than 120t. Just like the An-124, it has the ability to load through the nose of the aircraft. Over the entire production period, more than 130 models were produced. There are currently 62 aircraft in operation.

The title of one of the largest passenger aircraft belongs to a French aircraft with total length more than 76m and a wingspan of 63.5 m. Based on the A330. Distinctive feature is the presence of four engines. The purpose of this innovation was the need for long-distance, intercontinental flights. The modified A340-200 is shortened by 5m, but the non-stop flight range is increased from 12t. kilometers up to 14t. The first record for the longest flight with one landing belongs to the A340 (the flight duration from one place to another was 49 hours). In total, about 400 A340 aircraft were produced. The initial version of the aircraft had a passenger capacity of 260 people; subsequent, more advanced and longer aircraft accommodate up to 400 people (the latest series of Airbus A340-600 has a length of 75 m). Since 2010 due to high prices for fuel and competing aircraft, production of the A340 has been suspended. Despite this, the aircraft is a great success among airlines.

The newest, more improved descendant of the Boeing 747, created in the USA. The longest passenger aircraft in the world, surpassed the Airbus A340-600 by only 125 cm, which is 76.25m. Also, unlike competing models, the developers latest version were able to reduce fuel consumption by 11%, which significantly reduces the cost of the flight. The Boeing 747-8 version of the cargo aircraft is the most commercially successful; more than half of all world flights are carried out by this model. The passenger aircraft can accommodate 470 people on board. Innovative developments on the latest units include private cabins with sliding curtains, entertainment equipment and even beds. Some orders for this assembly are from VIPs, including presidents of several states. The wingspan is 68.5 m. The weight of the cargo plane is 190 tons, the passenger one - 213. In the list of the most large planes ranks first in sales. In more than five years, more than 40 aircraft have been put into operation.

The brainchild of Russian-Ukrainian engineers, the ultra-heavy-lift jet transport vehicle has the title of the largest and most spacious aircraft in the world. The prototype of the aircraft is the An-124, better known as “Ruslan”. The wingspan is 88.4 m. General aircraft length 84m. Today, only one copy is in constant use. A universal transport aircraft with the ability to attach external cargo, it was originally designed to transport parts of a spacecraft with special dimensions. The carrying capacity of this device was supposed to be about 250 tons. The length of the cargo compartment is 43 m, width – 6.5 m, height 4.5 m. The An-225 is also highly convenient for loading and unloading unique and oversized cargo. The giant's mass is 250 tons. Many world records for capacity and transportation of the largest and heaviest cargo belong to this aircraft.

KM "Caspian Monster"

An experimental ekranoplan was developed in Russia in 1966. The unique, largest aircraft in the world, received the name “Caspian Monster” after it was noticed by American satellites. Before the appearance of the An-225 aircraft, it had the title of not only the largest aircraft, but also the heaviest. The aircraft was intended for use by the Navy. IN constant attempts to modernize and improve it, secret tests were carried out for 15 years, but in 1980. Due to a pilot error, the plane crashed and sank. After this, no attempts were made to recreate an exact copy. The length of the giant was 92m., wingspan – 38m, empty weight – 240t, total load capacity – 304t.

During the Soviet era, Soviet engineers designed and implemented many high-tech devices that one could be proud of. But even today, not wanting to lag behind foreign countries, in Russia a project is being developed for the production of the BE-2500 amphibious aircraft. According to the plan, the length of such an aircraft should be 115 m, the wingspan should be 125 m, and the load capacity should be over 500 tons.

The trends of recent developments are directed precisely in the direction where there is the prospect of the most spacious, economical and fast transport. For these purposes, a better invention than an airplane has not yet been invented. We can only hope that the main condition for the production of new giants will always remain safety.

2016.04.16 by

Airbus A380- This is the largest aircraft in the world. More precisely, a passenger plane.

The height of this giant is 24 meters (~ 8th floor of a residential building), the length and wingspan are almost 80 meters. On 2 decks in a three-class cabin, 525 passengers can freely accommodate, in a single-class configuration - 853!

12 billion euros were spent on the development of the Airbus A380. It can make non-stop flights over a distance of up to 15,400 km, and the maximum take-off weight of the aircraft is amazing - 560 tons.

welcome aboard the largest passenger aircraft in the world!

At the beginning of October, another dream related to aviation came true. Lufthansa invited us on a press tour to show off one of its new Airbus A380 aircraft. The demonstration flight took place as part of a promotional campaign for the A380 show in European capitals.

It was possible not only to board the regular A380, but also to make a circular journey on a giant plane along the route Frankfurt - Prague - Budapest - Frankfurt, be with the pilots in the cockpit and film the work of the pilots during takeoff, flight and landing.

In ordinary life, these giants will not land at any such airport, so many were waiting for the arrival of the A380 in the capitals of the Czech Republic and Hungary. Looking ahead, I will say that I did not even expect such ceremonial meetings and such a number of spectators.

“Our” A380 had just arrived from Johannesburg and while the cleaning team was putting the cabins in order. At this time, the co-pilot walked with a flashlight and inspected the engine blades:

The sun rose, it was time for us to take off:

First floor of an A380-800 modification aircraft- these are three economy class cabins for 420 passengers. In total, this A380 carries 526 passengers. By the end of the year, Lufthansa will already have 8 of the 18 ordered. The company is investing about five billion euros in aircraft and airport infrastructure, maintenance, and crew training.

Passenger seats Lufthansa's economy class was developed by the famous German company Recaro. To be honest, I didn’t really like them - the backs are a bit thin and any movement of the passenger in front affects the comfort of the person behind.

Excellent design portholes. With their standard external size inside the aircraft, they appear large due to the enlarged internal frame. This large oval creates the impression of open space inside the cabin.

The plane is very “quiet”, the engines are almost inaudible. I was surprised by the short takeoff run - I was watching the takeoff in Budapest, I thought that we would be running along the runway for a long time, but the plane took off almost immediately.

The multimedia center with a 9″ screen is very good. In addition to the standard set with music, movies and games, the monitor displays images from three external cameras and full information about the flight. Distance between seats 79 cm, seat width 52 cm:

During the flight, the aircraft interiors were completely at our disposal - we could walk everywhere, sit, lie down, press buttons, climb into all the holes.

Standard breakfast and lunch sets were demonstrated. Special thanks, of course, to Lufthansa for the metal devices in economy class. It’s high time for Aeroflot to switch to them.

For ease of photographing, I asked the flight attendant to turn on full lighting in the cabins. It didn't get noticeably better, but still:

On the second floor- two business class cabins. They say that the company's management doesn't really like these seats and they will change them. There are 98 of them here - an incredible number for an ordinary passenger airliner. The set of options is standard for a modern business class - almost horizontal folding, individual light, socket and USB port for each:

In business class monitors size 10.6″, distance between seats from 145 to 152 cm, seat width 67 cm:

Between the business class and first class cabins there is a huge vestibule with a kitchen and seats for flight attendants:

A subject of special pride for any serious airline - first class cabin. In the Lufthansa A380 it is designed for eight passengers. Everything here is done practically, but without frills, such as separate cabins. Eight chairs that transform into beds, each seat has a 17″ monitor. Distance between seats 213 cm, seat width 80 cm:

Lufthansa calls these seats the best in their class:

Each first class passenger has his own wardrobe for clothes and belongings:

First class passengers have two such toilet rooms. There is no shower here; the Germans consider it unnecessary; in their experience, few people use a shower during a flight.