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 military aircraft
Large military transports ranked by maximum takeoff weight.
Only completed aircraft in our launch database with a published value for max takeoff weight kg are included. Variant-specific values are retained rather than mixed into a theoretical maximum.
RankAircraftCategoryMeasured value
01C-5M Super GalaxyLockheed Martinmilitary381 t02C-17 Globemaster IIIBoeingmilitary265.4 tHow 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.