Seven of the largest flying objects in history
Seven of the largest flying objects in history
Learn about seven of the largest things that ever took flight.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Learn about seven of the largest things that ever took flight.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.The Royal Air Force fending off German bombers during the Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.The world's first military airplane is demonstrated for the U.S. Army in 1909 by Orville Wright, shown here climbing into the pilot's seat. Wright and Lieutenant Frank Purdy Lahm are catapulted down a rail and launched into the air. The machine circles the field for 1 hour 12 minutes, setting a new world's record for time aloft with pilot and passenger.
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NASA/Dryden Research Aircraft Movie CollectionU.S. Air Force SR-71 Blackbird taking off from Edwards Air Force Base in California, c. 1991. The Blackbird was once the world's fastest and highest-flying aircraft.
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World War I is remembered for its terrible combination of technological ingenuity and strategic indecisiveness. The growth of army sizes, and the introduction of new weapons like long-range heavy artillery and chemical gas, turned combat into mechanized carnage on an unprecedented scale. It also made it more essential than ever for armies to gather information about enemy troops and weapons. Stationary balloons were used for observation and artillery spotting as early as the American Civil War but found widespread use in World War I. This video shows the view from a balloon over the Western Front.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.On May 20–21, 1927, the Spirit of Saint Louis became the first plane to fly nonstop from New York to Paris. This video shows the plane and its pilot, Charles Lindbergh. The plane was a modified five-seat passenger plane, adapted for long-distance flight, with the passenger seats replaced by extra fuel tanks. Gains in flying time came at a cost: as one can see, Lindbergh had to dress heavily to stay warm in the cold, thin air.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Revisit the Battle of Britain's with 1963 documentary The Second World War: Triumph of the Axis.
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Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, MainzOverview of the Hindenburg.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.The origins and diversification of unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, from early military models to modern consumer-level devices.
Transcript
Defying Gravity: 7 of the Biggest Things That Ever Flew
The H-4 Hercules (also known as the Spruce Goose) was a massive wooden eight-engine flying boat, proposed as troop transport during WWII.
The Antonov An-225 is the largest aircraft in use today. Powered by six turbofan engines, the transport was initially designed to serve as a carrier for the Buran, the Soviet space shuttle.
The Russian Mi-26 is the world’s biggest helicopter. The twin-turbine eight-rotor helicopter can carry cargoes up to 20 tons while taking off vertically.
The Hindenburg was the largest rigid airship ever built, and its spectacular demise spelled the end of commercial airship use for generations.
Flying foxes (genus Pteropus) are the largest bats; some attain a wingspan of 5 feet (1.5 meters) with a head and body length of about 16 inches (40 cm).
During the Cretaceous Period a group of flying reptiles known as pterosaurs ruled the skies. The largest pterosaur was Quetzalcoatlus, which had a 35-foot (11-meter) wingspan and was as tall as a giraffe.
The Insect Museum of West China recently displayed a dobsonfly from Sichuan province with a wingspan that stretched more than 8 inches (21 cm). It was declared the world’s largest flying insect.
The H-4 Hercules (also known as the Spruce Goose) was a massive wooden eight-engine flying boat, proposed as troop transport during WWII.
The Antonov An-225 is the largest aircraft in use today. Powered by six turbofan engines, the transport was initially designed to serve as a carrier for the Buran, the Soviet space shuttle.
The Russian Mi-26 is the world’s biggest helicopter. The twin-turbine eight-rotor helicopter can carry cargoes up to 20 tons while taking off vertically.
The Hindenburg was the largest rigid airship ever built, and its spectacular demise spelled the end of commercial airship use for generations.
Flying foxes (genus Pteropus) are the largest bats; some attain a wingspan of 5 feet (1.5 meters) with a head and body length of about 16 inches (40 cm).
During the Cretaceous Period a group of flying reptiles known as pterosaurs ruled the skies. The largest pterosaur was Quetzalcoatlus, which had a 35-foot (11-meter) wingspan and was as tall as a giraffe.
The Insect Museum of West China recently displayed a dobsonfly from Sichuan province with a wingspan that stretched more than 8 inches (21 cm). It was declared the world’s largest flying insect.