The military is consistent when it comes to having some of the best equipment known to mankind, and their vehicles are definitely not an exception. The commercial passenger planes which you take from LA to Detroit are about to appear extremely small after you see how huge these military planes are. From six-engine rigs to wingspans longer than a football field, to double-decker layouts — it’s amazing some of these planes can even take off in the first place. A plane that towers over a building is not just a plane anymore, it’s a spectacle. Take a look at the most massive military aircrafts that ever hit the skies.
Lockheed C-5 Galaxy
The absolutely incredible C-5 Galaxy of the U.S. Air Force is a heavy intercontinental airlift that is capable of carrying massive loads with ease. Among the world’s largest military aircrafts, C-5 is very expensive to build, with the cheapest model going for roughly $100.37 million and as high as $224.29 million. Although it was originally introduced back in 1970, it is still active today.
Lockheed C-5 Galaxy
Convair XC-99
It’s pretty interesting that one of the world’s largest planes is also among the oldest. The Convair XC-99 was designed to carry 100,000 lbs or 400 soldiers who are fully equipped on the double cargo decks of the aircraft. First taking flight back in 1947, the XC-99 was retired in 1957. It was used by the U.S. Air Force as a plane for heavy cargo. The XC-99 was the largest piston-engined and land-based transport plane that was ever constructed.
Convair XC-99
Antonov An-124
In the 1980s, the Antonov Design Bureau built this 226-foot aircraft, which has since been used in both commercial and military aviation. Over 50 of them were produced and used worldwide. A strategic airlift quad-jet, the Antonov An-124 used to be the heaviest cargo airplane for three decades. The Antonov AN-225 may have surpassed it, but it still remains as one of the world’s heaviest cargo aircrafts.
Antonov An-124
HK-1
The HK 1 was more widely known as the “Spruce Goose” because it was practically made out of birch. It was originally intended to be used during World War II as a transatlantic transport aircraft, but the problem was that they didn’t finish it in time to put it into service. In the end, the U.S. military only flew it once, back in 1947, and there was only one prototype ever built. It’s on display in Oregon’s famed Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum.
HK-1
Blohm And Voss BV 238
The German flying boat Blohm and Voss BV 238 was built during the Second World War and first flew in 1944. At the time, the aircraft was the heaviest ever built, with a 120,769-pound empty weight. However, only one was built due to the resources needed to put it together. What’s more, out of all the aircraft the Axis powers produced during the war, the Blohm and Voss BV 238 is the largest.
Blohm And Voss BV 238
Antonov AN-225 Mriya
Six turbofan engines powered this particular strategic airlift cargo aircraft, which is the heaviest and longest plane ever built. Originally, it was developed to transport the USSR’s Buran spaceplane in the 80s. Its maximum weight for takeoff is 640 tons. Out of all the aircraft in the world that are currently operational, the Antonov AN-225 has the longest wingspan.
Antonov AN-225 Mriya
Ilyushin Il-76
Built during the tensest period of the Cold War, this aircraft remains active until now and there are actually 1,000 of them still in operation all over the world. The multi-purpose Ilyushin II-76 was developed for the USSR and was a four-engine turbofan airlifter which was originally intended for commercial freight but ended up being used by the Russian military. This aircraft is capable of transporting some of the heaviest military vehicles and machinery in the world.
Ilyushin Il-76
Convair B-36 Peacemaker
The United States Air Force operated the Convair B-36 Peacemaker from 1949 to 1959 and while its lifespan may be fairly short, it still remains the largest piston-engined aircraft that was mass produced. Out of all the combat aircraft built at 230 feet, the B-36 had the longest wingspan. This aircraft was special because it was capable of transporting any nuclear weapons that were in the U.S. arsenals during that time without any sort of modifications. However, near the latter part of the 50s, the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress ended up replacing the B-36.
Convair B-36 Peacemaker
Boeing C-17 Globemaster III
The C-17 Globemaster III is among the biggest military planes that have hit the skies. It first flew in 1991 and its production continued until 2015. It was developed by McDonnell Douglas for the United States Air Force and its per-unit cost was roughly $218 million. The Globemaster III was used for tactical and strategic airlift missions. This often included airdrops of people or heavy machinery and immediate medical evacuations, which adds to it being an absolute beast.
Boeing C-17 Globemaster III
Zeppelin-Staaken R.VI
Going back to the First World War, one of the largest wooden planes produced in the early 20th century was the Zeppelin-Staaken R.VI. Built in Germany, this aircraft was a strategic bomber with four engines and was one of the first military aircraft that had a closed cockpit. Out of the 18 that were produced, only six ended up surviving the war since six were destroyed in crashes, four others were shot down, and two others encountered technical difficulties.
Zeppelin-Staaken R.VI
Kawanishi H8K
The flying boat Kawanishi H8K was used by the Imperial Japanese Navy mainly for maritime patrol activities. This aircraft was built to fly over long ranges and usually flew solo over the ocean without any backup. During the war, the Americans gave this patrolling plane the nickname “Emily”, so whenever “Emily” was said over the radio, the person was always referring to the H8K. Actually, it was only fully functional towards the end of the Second World War since it only saw combat in 1942.
Kawanishi H8K
Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules
Any aircraft with “Hercules” in its name, never mind “Super Hercules,” is surely going to be something that people don’t want to mess with. It was in 1996 when the U.S. Air Force first flew the C-130J and since then, it has been delivered to 15 more nations that have placed orders for it. This four-engine turboprop transport plane has been in production longer than all the other military aircraft in history. This exact model may be about two decades old, but the first ever Hercules actually first took flight six decades ago.
Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules
Martin JRM Mars
A four-engine seaplane, the Martin JRM Mars was popularized during the Second World War and was the largest seaplane used by the Americans as well as other Allied forces in the War. In spite of how impressive and effective these planes were, only seven of them was ever built. After the war, four of the flying boats left transitioned into civilian use and became fire fighting water bombers, making them even more useful. However, those models have been retired.
Martin JRM Mars
Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker
While refueling strategic bombers may not be easy, that’s exactly what the task of the KC-135 Stratotanker is. During the Vietnam War, this aircraft was used a lot for the Americans and became a very big strategic benefit in Operation Desert Storm. Interestingly, both the Boeing 707 and the KC-135 was derived from the Boeing 367-80. The 136-feet Boeing KC-135 became revolutionary in a way that it was the very first jet-powered refueling tanker of the United States Air Force.
Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker
NASA Super Guppy
This plane was the first ever aircraft made by Aero Spacelines and succeeded the Pregnant Guppy. A quick glance at it would immediately tell you that it was designed for cargo. Five planes have been built in the Guppy’s two different variants, both of which have been called “Super Guppy” and all of them are currently still in service. Since it’s quite obvious how this plane got its name, we simply won’t go there.
NASA Super Guppy
Caspian Sea Monster
In the 1960s, the Soviet Union developed the Caspian Sea Monster, which went through continuous testing until 1980 when it got damaged after a testing accident. Back then, it was the heaviest and largest aircraft in the world and held that record for roughly two decades. During the Cold War, many U.S. missions had a sole purpose – figuring out the capabilities of the Sea Monster. It was almost undetectable to a lot of radar systems since it would always fly below the altitude where aircraft can be detected. It may be an aircraft, but it entered service with the Soviet Navy and was operated by pilots of the Soviet Air Force.
Caspian Sea Monster
Xian H-6 Bomber
First delivered in 1958 to the Chinese military, the H-6 Bomber is a variant of the Tupolev Tu-16, the twin-engine bomber originally created for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force. The Chinese may not have ended up getting a lot of use out of the H-6 Bomber but it still had a pretty successful and impressive career, with the Egyptian and Iraqi Air Forces getting the most use of it. As a matter of fact, the Iraqi Air Force used it in both the Iran- Iraq War and the 1991 Persian Gulf War, where all of the remaining H-6 Bombers were destroyed. The Egyptian Air Force, on the other hand, retired the plane back in 2000.
Xian H-6 Bomber
Boeing E-3 Sentry
The American airborne Boeing E-3 Sentry is an early warning and control plane. The U.S. Air Force uses it to provide all-weather surveillance, control, command, constant updates and communications. The distinctive rotating radar domes that are above the fuselage distinguish the E-3 and a total of 68 were built until production was stopped in 1992. A pulse-Doppler technology was used in the radars and this played an important role in Operation Desert Storm, where coalition aircraft was directed against the enemy.
Boeing E-3 Sentry
Junkers JU-390
The Junkers JU 390 has a unique spot in the category of heavy military aircraft. This German-built plane just flew for two years for the Luftwaffe during the Second World War (1943-1945). The six engines of this aircraft made its design quite iconic, giving it a unique spot in military history. It was meant to be a patrol plane, a heavy transport aircraft and a long-range bomber for the Germans. For the time, it was revolutionary.
Junkers JU-390
Kalinin K-7
In the 1930s, the Soviet Union designed and tested the heavy experimental aircraft Kalinin K-7. It came with twin booms, plus it had large underwing pods which housed machine gun turrets and fixed landing gear. Originally, it was also supposed to have a passenger version with seats inside the wings. The Kalinin K-7 first flew in 1933, but by the seventh flight, the aircraft crashed because of structural failure after several months, which ended up killing one person on the ground and 14 people aboard.
Kalinin K-7
Boeing B-52 Stratofortress
The American long-range Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a jet-powered, strategic bomber. Since the 1950s, the United States Air Force has been using this aircraft, which has the capability to carry weapons of up to 70,000 pounds and this bomber can travel 8,800 miles without needing to refuel. It was originally built to transport nuclear warheads in the times of the Cold War and it took the place of the Convair B-36. Since 1955, the B-52 has remained in service and as of 2015, there were 58 still in active service and 18 in reserve.
Boeing B-52 Stratofortress
Airbus Beluga
The Airbus A300-600ST, also known as the “Beluga,” is an airliner with a wide body which has been modified to transport aircraft parts as well as oversized cargo that many other planes couldn’t fit. Its official name is the Super Transporter, but its nickname stuck since it looks like a beluga whale. In 1995, it entered service and primarily replaced the Super Guppy, which served many countries in Europe. Its payload bay is 124 feet long and enables the aircraft to carry nearly 52 tons.
Airbus Beluga
Kawasaki XC-2
The XC-2 is a military transport aircraft that was made by Kawasaki Aerospace Company for the Japan Air Self Defense Force. Its maximum take-off weight is roughly 141 tons and it is superior to other aircraft like the C-1 and similar planes in many ways.
The aircraft first took flight in January 2010 at the Gifu base of the Japan Air Self Defense Force. These days, it is deployed for airlift missions in international operations and disaster relief.
Kawasaki XC-2
TU-154 Special Missions Aircraft
The Russian plane TU-154 Special Missions Aircraft was introduced back in the early ‘70s and has become a popular aircraft for Russian passenger airlines. In the USSR, this medium-range, three-engine airliner was used for many years. For decades, the aircraft was the preferred plane for passenger aircraft and former Soviet countries until the mid-2000s. As a matter of fact, it was so popular that more than fifty percent of the airline Aeroflot’s passengers flew in one of the TU-154.
TU-154 Special Missions Aircraft
Linke-Hofmann R.II
The Linke Hofmann came into existence in 1917, back when aviation was pretty new. These planes were among the first bomber planes built at a time when Germany was still called the German Empire. It’s amazing to note that two of these beasts have been made. Unsurprisingly, these planes were unreliable, extremely difficult to control, and riddled with some serious problems, having had numerous structural weaknesses, and both planes ended up crashing.
Linke-Hofmann R.II
Antonov An-22
The Antonov An-22 was produced for just a ten-year period from 1966 to 1976, but the model which was introduced at the Paris Air Show in 1965 was actually different from the others that were produced. These planes ended up with a nose-mounted radar. The Antonov Design Bureau designed it in the USSR. The aircraft comes with four turboprop engines that power contra-rotating propellers and it was the first ever transport aircraft with a wide body.
Antonov An-22
Boeing B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress was manufactured from 1943 to 1946 and were designed for use in the Second World War. They were by far the most expensive weapons project that the United States undertook during World War II. With a four-engine prop, these planes were so effective in the war, that they were also used in the Korean War. When it was first produced, it was among the most highly technological aircraft in the sky and more money went into its design process compared to what went into the Manhattan Project.
Boeing B-29 Superfortress
Douglas XB-19
Up until 1946, the biggest aircraft which had been made and the United States Army Air Force used was the Douglas XB-19. As technology kept progressing, by 1949, the whole aircraft had been scrapped. This plane’s purpose was to test different design elements that could be used in oversized bombers. Once a prototype of the XB-19 had been created, technology had already surpassed what the aircraft had been equipped with, so it was deemed unsuitable.
Douglas XB-19
Tupolev Tu-160
Currently, the heaviest and largest combat aircraft in use, the Tupolev Tu-160 belongs to the Russian Air Force. This plane first went into service in 1987, which makes it one of the final strategic bombers that were designed for the Soviet Union prior to its dissolution. The supersonic plane is primarily a strategic bomber and it is currently the largest and heaviest military-type aircraft which has the capability to surpass the Mach 2’s speed.
Tupolev Tu-160
Messerschmitt ME 323
The Messerschmitt ME 323, also known as the “Giant,” was a military transport aircraft used by the Germans during the Second World War. During the war, 213 of them were built and a few of them were modified from their predecessors, the ME 321. The aircraft was designed and built for the invasion of Great Britain by Germany is known as Operation Sea Lion. Because the Germans had to carry weapons, vehicles, and tanks across to England, they needed to build a plane that had the ability to transport as much as possible.
Messerschmitt ME 323
Antonov An-12
The military version of the Antonov An-10, the Antonov An-12 first took flight in 1957. However, it was in 1959 when it was produced for mass use. Over 900 of them had been built prior to the halt in Soviet production of the planes. Oftentimes, it is compared to the Lockheed C-130 Hercules when it comes to the plane’s function and size. Most Antonov An-12s came equipped with a tail gun turret.
Antonov An-12
Airbus A400M Atlas
The enormous European military transport plane Airbus A400M Atlas was initially designed by Airbus Military as a tactical airliner. In addition, it was designed to replace the Lockheed C-130 Hercules and the Transall C-160. Aside from transport, the plane also has other uses, such as to refuel other planes and to be used for medical evacuations. The aircraft’s size is estimated to be somewhere in between the C-17 and C-130.
Airbus A400M Atlas
The Scaled Composites Stratolaunch
Announced back in 2011, the Scales Composite Stratolaunch was finally unveiled in 2017. Scaled Composites designed it for Stratolaunch Systems and the aircraft was intended to carry rockets for air launch to orbit.
By wingspan, it is the biggest plane and it has the size of one American football field. The aircraft can also carry a payload of 250 tons for a maximum take-off weight of 590 tons and is scheduled for a 2019 first launch demonstration.
The Scaled Composites Stratolaunch
Airbus A380-800
Technically, it isn’t a military aircraft, but the Airbus A380-800 is just too large not to be discussed. It is capable of carrying up to 850 passengers, but the double-decker aircraft normally carry only about 450 to 550 passengers. The United Arab Emirates commonly utilize the aircraft. Airbus is actually surprised that they sold fewer of these planes than they initially anticipated, so it is still unclear if the company will keep the plane on the market.
Airbus A380-800
HAV Airlander 10
While it may look like an aircraft from the past, the HAV Airlander 10 actually isn’t. It’s a hybrid helium airship which was originally designed and made for the American military. The United States eventually dropped the project, but soon after, the project found a new home in Hybrid Air Vehicles of Britain. The airship is currently the world’s largest flying object.
HAV Airlander 10
Mil Mi-26
The Mil Mi-26 is the biggest helicopter ever produced in large numbers and it is Soviet-made and designed to carry and transport soldiers and cargo. The helicopter is still being used in different parts of the world up to this day. At around maximum capacity, this massive helicopter can carry 20 tons of cargo, which is roughly the same amount of space that 90 people can occupy. Interestingly enough, this helicopter was used to transport a block of ice which had a woolly mammoth’s remains preserved in it.
Mil Mi-26
Aeroflot Mil V-12
Design on this massive helicopter started in 1959 after the USSR came to the conclusion that they were in need of a helicopter which could lift more than 25 tons of cargo. And so, the largest ever helicopter was built – the Aeroflot Mil V-12. Actually, they had no idea they would create a behemoth of a helicopter whose maximum take-off weight is 115 tons. Currently, it holds various world records for being able to fly to the highest altitude while carrying the most weight. In addition, it has been utilized in transporting intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Aeroflot Mil V-12
Myasishchev VM-T
The VM-T in the Myasishchev VM-T means Vladimir Myasishchev-Transport. This aircraft is a variation of the Myasishchev M-4 bomber which has been modified to be a strategic-airlift airplane. The modifications were made to be able to carry rocket boosters as well as the Soviet space shuttles which are included in the Buran program. In 1978, the design became real, and it first took flight in 1981 and if it was first flown with cargo in 1982. The Antonov’s An-225 eventually replaced them over time.
Myasishchev VM-T
XB-70 Valkyrie
Made in North America, the XB-70 Valkyrie was a nuclear-armed bomber which the US Air Force Strategic Air Command intended to use. It was designed and constructed in the late ‘50s, and has the capability to be as fast as Mach 3 or faster, at a 70,000 feet altitude, covering distances that are thousands of miles. This aircraft was so advanced it nearly seemed to be indestructible and surpassed other bombers that were being built at the time. The XB-70 Valkyrie set the standard for aviation during that time and still does to this day.
XB-70 Valkyrie
Hughes XH-17
The Hughes XH-17 is also called the “Flying Crane” and first took to the skies back in 1952. Its 129-feet rotor is the largest ever that was used in a flight. It may look incredibly strange, but it was built at a time when there was great experimentation in aviation. Its record for using the largest motor has not been broken and its size allows it to fly with a weight of more than 50,000 pounds. There only one ever built was its prototype due to the aircraft’s size and shape.
Hughes XH-17