Transport : The Airbus A380

Simply put it's the world's largest passenger plane. It is also the heaviest and the costliest commercial passenger aircraft ever built. The super jumbo is gigantic, like a Titanic in the sky. It's tail stands seven stories high; and the plane is as wide as a soccer field, stretching 260 feet from wingtip to wingtip. It is also as long as two blue whales.

The A380 was unveiled with grand fanfare at the Jean-Luc Lagardere Final Assembly Line Hall in Toulouse, France, on Tuesday. It can seat 555 passengers, about 30 per cent more than a Boeing 747; but it can actually hold 800 people. When fully loaded it will weigh up to 560 tonnes. It has an 118-tonne fuel supply, which is more than two fully loaded Boeing 717s in weight. Yet, it will be one of the fastest aircraft, capable of speeds of about 650 mph (0.85 Mach) and can fly up to 15,000 miles. If you wish to buy it, it will cost you $281 million, but big discounts are available.

Aircraft Dimensions Overall Length 239ft 3in (73m) Cabin Length 166ft 3in (50,68m) Fuselage Diameter 23ft 5in (7,14m) Max. Cabin Width Main Deck 21ft 7in( 5,58m) Max. Cabin Width Upper Deck 19ft 5in (5,92m) Height 79ft 7in (24,1m) Wheelbase 99ft 8in (30,4m) Track 46ft 11in (14,3m)
Wing Dimensions Wing Span (geometric) 261ft 10in (79,8m) Wing Area (reference) 9 100ft2 ( 845m2) Sweep (25% chord) 33,5 degrees

Design Weights Max. Ramp Weight 562 tonnes Max. Take-off Weight 560 tonnes Max. Landing Weight 386 tonnes Max. Zero Fuel Weight 361 tonnes Max. Fuel Capacity 81 890 USg 310 000 Litres Typical Operating Weight Empty 276,8 tonnes Typical Volumetric Payload 66,4 tonnes