LARGEST AIRPLANE(S)




World’s Largest Airplane(s)

Videos and illustrations list of the world’s largest airplane(s) throughout aviation history. Includes, specifications, and a guide to RC airplanes.

One of the questions most often asked of Aviation Trivia is what is the largest airplane. That brings up more questions. What factors should be used to determine what is the largest airplane? Would it have the longest wingspan, the longest length, or the heaviest weight? Should it be the largest airplane ever built, or the largest airplane during a certain era? Maybe it should be classified by the number of engines, or number of wings, or even the size of the propellers.  Or, should it be the largest airplane by type, such as fighters, bombers, seaplanes, or transports. We have decided to use the longest wingspans and lengths.
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TO FIND YOUR FAVORITE LARGEST AIRPLANE ON THIS PAGE: Enter “Ctrl F” on your computer. A box will open on your screen that says “Find.” Type in the airplane that you are looking for and it will be highlighted on the page.
BOEING ULTRA
boeing-ultra world's largest airplane(s)
Boeing ULTRA (Ultra Large Transport Airplane) is the largest airplane being developed as a high capacity cargo transport. Rather than flying high in the sky, similar to the the Russian Ekranoplane, it is designed to use ground effect to skim over water or the ground at an altitude as low as 20 feet.  It can adjusting altitude according to sea conditions, or obstacles, for a smooth ride.
500 foot wings, 2,800,000 pounds
STRATOLAUNCH
The Stratolaunch, largest airplane by wingspan currently flying, first took to the sky on April 13, 2019.  Its primary mission is as an airborne platform to launch satellite bearing rockets into orbit. 
385 ft. foot wings, 500,000 lbs.
LZ-129 HINDENBURG

The longest vehicle ever to take to the sky was the Hindenburg Air Ship. In its final configuration it carried a crew of about 60 and had 72 sleeping berths. Its cruising speed was 76 mph. Its first flight was on March 4, 1936. On May 6, 1937 it met its demise.
803.8 feet long, 511,500 pounds

HAV  AIRLANDER 10

The Hybrid Air Vehicles  Airlander 10 has been built for long surveillance endurance of up to five days. Its engines produce a total of 10,000 shp and can push the vehicle at speeds up to 92 mph and altitude up to 16,000 feet. Range with a 2,000 lb. payload is about 3,000 miles.
365.5 feet length, 44,000 pounds

SPRUCE GOOSE

If largest airplane is determined by wingspan, one has to include the Hughes H-4 Spruce Goose. You can rank the Spruce Goose in the category of largest propeller driven airplane and largest seaplane.
320.1 foot wings, 300,000 pounds

ANTONOV AN-225

The Antonov An-225 has the second longest wingspan of any airplane flying today.  It is also the largest jet plane, by weight.
291.1 foot wings, 1,179,500 pounds

AIRBUS A380

Airbus A380’s are the largest commercial airliners, and largest passenger airplanes in their class.  They are the largest passenger airplanes now flying. The Russian An-225 cargo airplane is larger overall.
261.7 foot wings, 608,400 pounds

ANTONOV AN-124
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Antonov An-124 is the second largest jet airplane ever mass produced after the A380. However, unlike the A380 passenger jet, the An-124 is used for hauling cargo.
240.5 foot wings, 385,000 pounds 

CONVAIR XC-99

The Convair XC-99 was a one of a kind experimental cargo transport, based on the B-36. It was the world’s largest airplane for cargo ever built to operate from land, that was driven by propellers. Although very successful, the U.S.A.F. felt that they didn’t need such large cargo carriers at the time and no other aircraft of its type were produced.
230 foot wings, 135,230 pounds 

LOCKHEED C-5 GALAXY

The still deployed Lockheed C-5 Galaxy airplanes have the ability to carry all air certified cargo and have among the greatest cargo capacity of any aircraft.

Some of the things which make the C-5 interesting are its ability to fly great distances on internal fuel. Its tail rises some 65 feet in height. When fully loaded, the C-5 weighs about as much as five Washington Monuments, and a single engine of the C-5 can generate enough power to lift 43,000 lbs. straight up.
222.7 foot wings, 380,000 pounds

SAUNDERS ROE PRINCESS

Saunders Roe Princess airplanes were the largest all-metal seaplanes ever built.
219.5 foot wings, 190,000 pounds 

DOUGLAS XB-19

Douglas XB-19’s were the largest U.S. bombers when first produced.
212 foot wings, 140,250 pounds 

ANTONOV AN-22

Antonov An-22 is the largest airplane being mass produced using turboprop engines, and one of the heaviest aircraft ever to fly.
211.3 foot wings, 251,350 pounds 

TUPOLEV ANT-20

Tupolev ANT-20  were the largest airplanes of their time.
206.7 foot wings, 62,700 pounds 

BOEING 777

Boeing 777’s are the largest twin jet engine airplanes. They are even larger than three jet engine powered aircraft.  They are, however, smaller than the largest Boeing 747 jets.
199.9 foot wings 367,000 pounds 

LOCKHEED R6V CONSTITUTION

Note: Narration begins after 60 seconds.

Lockheed R6V Constitution are the largest airplanes ever deployed by the U.S. Navy. Two of the land based aircraft were built and flown as passenger and cargo transports from 1948 to 1953.
189.1 foot wings, 113,780 pounds 

MYASISHCHEV 3MT

Two Myasishchev 3M-T (VM-T) aircraft were built. They were the largest airplanes used by the Soviet Union as transports until the An-225 went into service.
174.4 foot wings, 167,000 pounds 

AERO SPACELINES SUPER GUPPY

The Super Guppy is a Boeing C-27J with a lengthened fuselage and larger diameter cargo compartment. It’s able to carry the most massive cargo and has been used to transport parts for the International Space Station.
156.3 foot wings, 101,500 pounds 

BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTRESS

Boeing B-29 Superfortress the largest airplanes flown as U.S.World War II bombers.
141.2 foot wings, 70,000 pounds 

CASPIAN SEA MONSTER

The Soviet Caspian Sea Monster KM ekranoplan is the second heaviest airplane to fly, and the heaviest and largest to fly in ground effect.
141,1 foot wings, 839,594 pounds 

FLEXTOWE FURY

felixstowe_fury world's largest airplane(s)

The Felixstowe Fury was the largest triplane seaplane ever built.
123 foot wings, 18,550 pounds

BRISTOL BRAEMER

bristol_braemer world's largest airplane(s)

The Bristol Braemer was the largest triplane bomber ever produced. During World War I, two Braemer aircraft were tested. Their test flights were successful, but the war ended and they did not go into mass production.
81.7 foot wings, 10,650 pounds

PZL M-15

PZL M-15 are the largest jet powered biplanes dedicated as  agricultural aircraft.
73.5 foot wings, 6,812 pounds

ANTONOV AN-2 COLT

Antonov An-2 Colt aircraft are the largest biplanes of their type, by weight. Popular with bush pilots, as parachuting planes, and as crop dusters, they have been in production since 1947 and are still being produced to this date.
59.7 foot wings, 7,600 pounds
Convair B-36 Peacemaker aircraft were the largest airplanes ever flown as United States bombers. The B-36 is the world’s largest bomber that was ever produced, if you go by wingspan.
230.1 foot wings, 171,000 pounds.
The Boeing 747 makes our list of largest airplanes because it was the largest passenger plane from 1970 to 2005. The 747-8 is the longest mass produced airplane at 250.1 feet.
224.6 foot wings, 472,900 pounds

Airbus A340-600’s are among the largest airplanes. They are the second longest mass produced aircraft.
208 foot wings, 392,000 pounds

Nakajima G10N Fugaku’s were to be the largest airplanes that Japan intended to produce as a long range heavy bombers, able to attack the U.S. mainland from Japan. The war ended before they could be built.
206.7 foot wings, 96,600 pounds

The Martin Mars water bombers are the largest airplanes that were prop driven water bombers, and the largest production seaplanes. The aircraft, which were produced in 1945, were recently retired.
202.5 foot wings, 76,600 pounds

Blohm & Voss BV 238 was a one of a kind Luftwaffe WW II seaplane. It was their largest airplane ever built during World War II.
197.4 foot wings, 120,600 pounds

The Boeing/Evergreen 747 Supertanker, a converted Boeing 747-400, is the world’s largest airplane blaze fighting tanker. It has a capacity of 19,600 gallons.
211.5 foot wings, 404,600 pounds

The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress are the largest airplanes used as U.S. jet bombers and the backbone of today’s U.S. heavy bomber fleet.
184.9 foot wings, 185,000 pounds

Messerschmidt Me-323’s largest airplanes were essentially gliders fitted with motors. They were used as Luftwaffe WW II transports.
183.1 foot wings, 34,000 pounds

Tupolev Tu-160’s are the largest airplanes flown as the world’s heaviest bombers.
182.8 foot wings, 242,500 pounds

Two Northrop XB-35’s were produced. They were the largest prop driven airplanes ever manufactured as flying wings. They never went into production.
172.1 foot wings 90,000 pounds

Junkers Ju 390’s were among the largest airplanes that Germany built as long range WW II bomber prototypes.
165.1 foot wings, 87,100 pounds

McDonnell Douglas DC-10 are among the largest airplanes flying today as cargo planes, water bombers, and USAF air-to-air refueling aircraft.
155.3 foot wings, 267,000 pounds

Blohm & Voss BV 222 Viking aircraft were mass produced and flew during WWII. They were the largest airplanes used by the Luftwaffe as production seaplanes deployed during the War.
151 foot wings, 67,575 pounds

Airbus A300’s are among the largest airplanes flown as passenger carriers. They are the first ever two engine wide cabin aircraft to fly.
147.1 foot wings, 198,500 pounds

Mitsubishi Ki-20’s were the largest airplanes that Japan produced as WW II bombers.
144.3 foot wings, 32,875 pounds

Linke-Hofman R.II were the largest airplanes, single propeller driven biplanes. Two bomber prototypes of the aircraft were produced during WW1. They each had four engines linked together turning a single huge propeller.
138.3 foot wings, 17,640 pounds

Tupolev TB-3Tupolev TB-3 largest airplanes were the first monoplane four engine heavy bombers of the Soviet Union.
137.1 foot wings, 24,700 pounds

Beriev A-40’s are the largest airplanes currently flying as jet powered seaplanes. Thus far two prototypes have been produced.
135.5 foot wings, 127,270 pounds

The Tarrant Tabor was the largest airplane of the time, when produced.
131.1 foot wings, 24,750 pounds

CANT Z511 were the largest airplanes built as seaplanes during World War Two.
130.8 foot wings, 45,000 pounds

Douglas DC-7 were the largest airplanes with piston engines built by the Douglas Aircraft Co.
127.5 foot wings, 72,760 pounds

Curtiss C-46 Commando twin engine U.S. transports were among the largest airplanes with twin engines to serve as transports during World War II.
108 foot wings, 33,000 pounds

The Sikorsky Ilya Murometz were the largest airplanes used as four engine strategic bombers, when first deployed.
97.8 foot wings, 6,930 pounds

Tupolev Tu-144 were the largest airplanes flown as Russian supersonic airliners.
95.5 foot wings, 187,400 pounds

Tupolev ANT-4’s largest airplanes of their time flown as Soviet all-metal bombers .
94.1 foot wings, 9,965 pounds

The Sikorsky Russky Vityaz were the largest airplanes with four engines when first flown.
88.6 foot wings, 7,500 pounds

Short Bombers were the largest airplanes produced as single engine biplanes. They also had a longer wingspan than any single engine monoplanes. They were deployed during World War I as both land based bombers and torpedo bomber seaplanes.
84 foot wings, 5,000 pounds 




3 thoughts on “LARGEST AIRPLANE(S)”

  1. I found your site by searching for “worlds largest airplane”. Excellent work compiling all that info. It was very useful. However, I know of one single engine biplane that is larger than the Antonov An-2 making it the largest single engine biplane. It’s the Short Bomber.

  2. Thank you very much for the information, Arjuna. Indeed, the Short Bomber has a longer wingspan. However, it weighs less than the Antonov An-2 and is no longer in production.

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