Tech & Auto
10 Of The Most Massive Jets Ever Made
By MARK COWLEY
BelugaXL
As its name suggests, the Airbus BelugaXL looks like a beluga whale. First assembled in 2018, the BelugaXL was designed to replace the company’s existing Beluga aircraft.
The aircraft is 207 ft long and 197 ft in wingspan for a total of 40,956 square feet. The BelugaXL is also capable of carrying a maximum payload of 51 tons.
A330-900
The largest Airbus A330neo variant is the A330-900, which has a capacity of up to 460 passengers and a total size of 43,855 square feet.
The A330-900 is one of the more popular variants and is operated by 18 airlines. The aircraft also emits 25% less carbon dioxide than older models.
747 Dreamlifter
Boeing’s answer to the Airbus BelugaXL is the 747 Dreamlifter, an aircraft designed to haul 787 Dreamliner parts between the company’s global facilities.
The 49,703 square-foot aircraft is occasionally lent out to transport oversized cargo, including a large shipment of PPE from Chinese suppliers to America during the pandemic.
A340-600
The Airbus A340-600 is one of the firm’s largest aircraft in production, capable of transporting up to 475 passengers in its high-density configuration and 320 in its standard.
At 51,469 square feet, it’s the longest variant of the A340 line and boasts a range of 7,800 nautical miles, enabling it to connect many of the world’s largest hubs.
An-124-100 Ruslan
Although its transporting capacity falls slightly short of its successor, the 54,480 square-foot Antonov An-124-100 Ruslan is still a formidable cargo carrier.
In 1994, it set the world record for carrying the heaviest piece of cargo, a General Motors locomotive, from Canada to Ireland. Today, the aircraft is still in use by some countries.