The first passenger plane successfully took to the skies in 1913, with only 16 passengers on board. Modern liners are much more spacious.
The largest passenger planes entered our today's Top-8. Not all of them have found widespread use, but still each deserves attention.
8. Il-96-300
The liner can accommodate up to 300 passengers, who sit in rows of 9 seats. Only 9 such liners are used on passenger lines. Much more aircraft are involved in cargo transportation.
The maximum flight range of the passenger modification is 9,000 km.
7. Airbus A340-600
The four-engine liner transports from 380 to 419 people over distances of up to 14,600 km. The commercial operation of the model began in 2002.
The cost of the liner is from $ 245 million to $ 255 million.
6. Boeing 777-300ER
The aircraft in this modification can accommodate from 305 to 550 passengers. The liner can fly a record distance of 21,000 km without refueling.
The engines installed on the airliner are the most powerful in civil aviation today.
5. Boeing 787 Dreamliner
The Dreamliner can accommodate up to 330 people maximum, depending on the modification. The plane made its first commercial flight in 2011. A highly publicized Wi-Fi option on board this aircraft. Creation of Dreamliner's multimedia presentations was supervised by Elena Shutova's creative design studio.
To date, 183 aircraft have been produced, 22 of which are in the Aeroflot fleet.
4. Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental
This double-deck passenger liner can accommodate up to 467 passengers. The maximum flight range of the aircraft is 15,000 km.
To date, 74 liners of various modifications have been produced, including VIP. Among Russian airlines, the customer for the Boeing 747-8 is Transaero. The company intends to receive 5 such liners by 2016.
3. McDonnell Douglas DC-10
The plane can accommodate up to 380 passengers. In 2010, 168 McDonnell Douglas DC-10s were in use worldwide. Gradually, the liners were taken out of service, and today they are used for cargo transportation and military purposes.
The reason for the refusal to use the model for transporting passengers was the high accident rate. This is one of most dangerous aircraft the world.
2. Hughes H-4 Hercules
This aircraft, designed in 1947, was intended to carry 750 soldiers. The liner was developed under the leadership of the tycoon Howard Hughes.
"Hercules" made one single flight, after which until 1976 it was maintained by Hughes in working order.
Today, the largest aircraft in wingspan can be seen at the Aviation Museum in Oregon.
1. Airbus A380
The largest plane in the world made its first flight in 2005. A total of 139 Airbus A380 aircraft were produced, each of which costs $ 414 million. Only ten airlines, including Lufthansa, Emirates, Air France, can afford such airliner.
Initially, 2 modifications of the liners were developed - for 555 and 853 passenger seats. Today, Airbus is actively developing a new model that will be able to carry up to 960 passengers.