Large aircraft allow the transportation of large and/or heavy payloads over long distances. Making an aircraft design larger can also improve the overall fuel efficiency and man-hours for transporting a given load, while a greater space is available for transporting lightweight cargoes or giving passengers room to move around.
However, as aircraft increase in size they pose significant design issues not present in smaller types. These include structural efficiency, flight control response and sufficient power in a reliable and cost-effective installation. Large aircraft also require specialized ground facilities, and some countries have special regulatory environments for them.
Here are the top 20 biggest aircraft ever built.
| Rank | Aircraft | Wingspan | Length | Max takeoff weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Stratolaunch Roc | 385 ft / 117.1 m | 238 ft / 72.5 m | 1.3M lbs / 590,000 kg |
| 2. | Hughes H-4 Hercules (“Spruce Goose”) | 320 ft / 97.5 m | 218 ft / 66.6 m | 400,000 lbs / 181,437 kg |
| 3. | Antonov An-225 Mriya | 290 ft / 88.4 m | 275 ft / 84 m | 1.4M lbs / 640,000 kg |
| 4. | Airbus A380-800 | 261 ft / 79.8 m | 239 ft / 72.7 m | 1.2M lbs / 575,000 kg |
| 5. | Antonov An-124 Ruslan | 240 ft / 73.3 m | 226 ft / 69.1 m | 892,000 lbs / 405,000 kg |
| 6. | Boeing 777-9 | 235 ft / 71.8 m | 251 ft / 76.7 m | 775,000 lbs / 351,535 kg |
| 7. | Convair B-36 Peacemaker | 230 ft / 70.1 m | 162 ft / 49.4 m | 410,000 lbs / 186,000 kg |
| 8. | Boeing 747-8 | 224 ft / 68.4 m | 250 ft / 76.3 m | 987,000 lbs / 447,700 kg |
| 9. | Lockheed C-5M Super Galaxy | 223 ft / 67.9 m | 247 ft / 75.3 m | 840,000 lbs / 381,000 kg |
| 10. | Antonov An-22 Antei | 211 ft / 64.4 m | 190 ft / 58.1 m | 551,000 lbs / 250,000 kg |
| 11. | Airbus Beluga XL | 197 ft / 60.3 m | 206 ft / 63.1 m | 502,700 lbs / 227,000 kg |
| 12. | Boeing B-52 Stratofortress | 185 ft / 56.4 m | 159 ft / 48.5 m | 488,000 lbs / 221,353 kg |
| 13. | Tupolev Tu-160 “Blackjack” | 183 ft / 55.7 m | 177 ft / 54.1 m | 606,000 lbs / 275,000 kg |
| 14. | McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender | 165 ft / 50.4 m | 181 ft / 55.4 m | 590,000 lbs / 267,600 kg |
| 15. | Ilyushin Il-76 | 165 ft / 50.5 m | 151 ft / 46.6 m | 418,900 lbs / 190,000 kg |
| 16. | Super Guppy | 156 ft / 47.6 m | 143 ft / 43.8 m | 170,000 lbs / 77,110 kg |
| 17. | Boeing 707-320 | 145 ft / 44.2 m | 152 ft / 46.6 m | 336,000 lbs / 152,400 kg |
| 18. | Beriev A-40 Albatross | 137 ft / 41.8 m | 146 ft / 44.1 m | 198,400 lbs / 90,000 kg |
| 19. | Lockheed C-130 Hercules | 132 ft / 40.4 m | 97 ft / 29.5 m | 155,000 lbs / 70,300 kg |
| 20. | Lockheed C-141 Starlifter | 160 ft / 48.8 m | 168 ft / 51.2 m | 344,000 lbs / 156,000 kg |
