These Are the World's 5 Largest Cargo Planes

Let's take a look at 5 of the world's largest cargo planes ever flown.

Considered to be among mankind's greatest innovations, let's take a look at 5 of the world's largest cargo planes ever flown.

Number Five: The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy has been in operation since 1970 and is one of the largest military aircraft ever built. Used by the United States Air Force and according to the manufacturer, "the C-5 Galaxy can carry more cargo farther distances than any other aircraft." The C-5 has set 43 world records in airlift and can carry 6 Apache helicopters and almost 75 soldiers straight to where they are needed.

Number Four: The Aero Spacelines Super Guppy is a unique looking aircraft that is used to carry oversized cargo. It's distinctive "fold away" nose opens 110 degrees in order to accommodate the loading of extra-large freight such as sections of rockets and parts needed for the International Space Station.

Number Three: The Airbus Beluga, developed in the 1990's, has one of the largest cargo areas of any aircraft in service. Made to carry other aircraft parts, like the body of a jumbo jet or the wings of a jetliner to other production sites throughout the world, Beluga has a cargo capacity of 47 tons.

Number Two: The Boeing 747 DreamLifter is an adapted passenger plane that, according to Boeing, "can haul more cargo by volume than any airplane in the world." Mainly used for transporting parts of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner aircraft, its wing span is just over 211 feet and it can hold 65,000 cubic feet of cargo.

Number One: The Antonov AN-225, also called the "Mriya", is the world's largest cargo plane. Built in the 1980's to originally transport the Soviet space shuttle, this plane has a cargo capacity of 250 tons, six giant jet engines and a wingspan that is almost the length of a football field. If you were to stand it upright, it would be almost as tall as a 27-story building.