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Biggest Commercial Airplanes
Here are some of the biggest planes in the world today - including one that can carry up to 850 passengers
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Instead of flying large numbers of passengers at once with behemoth planes, smaller, more fuel-efficient planes offer more flights to more places.
However, the world's largest plane isn't going away anytime soon. The largest passenger aircraft ever built - and will continue to fly for years to come - commercial freighters and military transports continue to reach new heights (and length, wingspan and weight).
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These aircraft are marvels of modern engineering, ranging from purpose-built jets built to transport parts for new types of aircraft, to double-decker aircraft that can carry more passengers.
The largest aircraft in the world, only one of these jumbo cargo jets was ever built. It first flew in December 1988 and is still in service today.
FILE PHOTO: The world's largest plane, built by the late Paul Allen's company Stratolaunch Systems, makes its first test flight in the Mojave Desert Reuters
The Stratolaunch is a distinctive aircraft with six engines, a twin fuselage and the longest aircraft wingspan in history, which is 385 feet.
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Stratolaunch, which first flew in April 2019, will be a flight launch platform for rockets into orbit.
The A330-743L, or affectionately known as the "Beluga XL," is based on Airbus' A330-200 aircraft, but has been significantly modified to transport oversized cargo, such as parts for smaller aircraft. It first flew in July 2018 and is expected to enter regular service by 2020.
The Airbus A300-600ST (Super Transporter) or "Beluga" was the predecessor of the Beluga XL, designed to replace the aging original. It first flew in September 1994, and all five jets built are still in service today. It is shorter and narrower than the Beluga XL and cannot carry as heavy a load.
The Airbus A380 is Airbus' modern answer to Boeing's famous 747, the largest aircraft ever built. Depending on the seating arrangement, the plane can carry up to around 850 passengers, but is usually closer to 575 or more.
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The aircraft, which entered commercial service in 2007, represents Airbus' bet that a "hub-and-spoke" model will be the future of commercial air travel.
However, Airbus has announced that production of the A380 will end in 2021, as airlines increasingly lean towards offering more frequent direct point-to-point flights using smaller, more fuel-efficient aircraft.
The 747-8 is the latest and largest version of Boeing's popular 747. The first -8 flew in 2010, entered cargo service in 2011 and passenger service in 2012. The three-class configuration can carry up to 467 passengers and has a range of more than 8,000 nautical miles.
The Antonov An-124 is commonly used in cargo and military air transport. It first flew in 1982 and is one of the largest military aircraft ever built.
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The An-22 first flew in 1965 and remains the largest turboprop ever built. Civilian cargo and military transport aircraft, only a few aircraft are still in service, most of them are in service with the Russian Air Force.
The -600 variant of the venerable A340 was the longest commercial aircraft until 2010, when the Boeing 747-8 claimed that title - it is even longer than the Airbus A380. It first flew in 2001 and can carry 379 passengers in a typical three-class layout.
The Dreamlifter is built on a modified larger 747-400 airframe. It is used to transport parts for Boeing 787 aircraft from parts suppliers to Boeing assembly plants.
The Galaxy C-5 is a military transport aircraft that first flew in 1968. It is used to support military operations around the world and deliver humanitarian aid and assistance during evacuations.
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The Tupolev Tu-160 is the largest and heaviest fighter currently flying. The aircraft, which first flew in 1981 but did not enter service until 1987, is flown entirely by the Russian Air Force, which pioneered flight more than a century ago. In fact, the wingspan of these planes alone is wider than the entire distance of 120 feet that the Wright Brothers flew.
The idea that engineers have built machines of this magnitude that can exploit the laws of physics is nothing short of amazing and continues to fascinate aviation enthusiasts around the world.
Originally developed to transport the Soviet Buran space shuttle, the An-225 is owned and operated by Antonov Aviation and is used to transport oversized and extremely heavy equipment such as steam generators and transformers high voltage power.
Airbus mistakenly believed that superjumbos would bring huge long-term profits to passenger airlines. But new designs of twin-engine transport class aircraft with highly efficient engines have reduced the viability of these double-decker wonders. Production ends in 2021 after 251 A380s have been produced. Emirates, British Airways and Singapore Airlines are among the few airlines that continue to operate them.
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Boeing's initial iteration of the iconic jumbo jet, the 747-100, was the world's first double-decker, entering service with Pan Am in 1970. Earning the nickname "Queen of the Sky," the 747 transformed its own the airline industry, making international travel possible for the middle class for the first time. Over 1,500 were built in multiple variants. The last 747 - a 747-8F freighter - is due for delivery in 2022.
The idea behind Boeing's 777X program was to produce a larger twin-engine aircraft without having to start from a completely new design. (The original 777-200 first flew in 1994.) What sets these new planes apart are their huge, lightweight carbon-fiber wings, which allow for increased range while using less of fuel.
Thom is a former senior editor at FLYING. His freelance reporting has previously appeared in aviation industry journals. Thom also spent 30 years as a television and digital reporter for CNN's Washington and Atlanta bureaus, eventually specializing in aviation. He has reported from the Oshkosh, Farnborough and Paris air shows. Follow Thom on Twitter @thompatterson.
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