Does “largest” always mean wingspan?
No. Length, wingspan, takeoff weight, payload and capacity answer different questions. That is why Large Planes publishes separate, clearly labelled rankings.
Database ranking · verified 9 September 2026
Largest aircraft by wingspan
The widest aircraft in this verified database, measured wingtip to wingtip.
Only completed aircraft in our launch database with a published value for wingspan m are included. Variant-specific values are retained rather than mixed into a theoretical maximum.
RankAircraftCategoryMeasured value
01RocStratolaunchexperimental117.35 m02H-4 HerculesHughes Aircrafthistorical97.51 m03An-225 MriyaAntonovhistorical88.4 m04A380-800Airbuspassenger79.8 m05An-124 RuslanAntonovcargo73.3 m06747-8Boeingpassenger68.4 m07C-5M Super GalaxyLockheed Martinmilitary67.89 m08747-400 DreamlifterBoeingspecial-purpose64.44 m09BelugaXLAirbusspecial-purpose60.3 m10C-17 Globemaster IIIBoeingmilitary51.75 mHow to read this ranking
Why can figures differ elsewhere?
Aircraft families contain variants, and manufacturers sometimes quote optional or certified maximums. Each profile explains the definition used and links the supporting sources.