Boeing 747 Dreamlifter

YAMAGUCHI YOSHIAKI/WIKIMEDIA

In the 2000s Boeing found that it needed a cargo plane with an enormous amount of storage to transport components for the 787 Dreamliner, which has parts made all over the world. The solution was to take its biggest plane, the 747, and build a custom cargo hold around it.

At 65,000 cubic feet, the Dreamlifter has the largest cargo hold in the world, capable of carrying three times the volume of a 747-400F freighter. The four Dreamlifters Boeing made also use the longest cargo loader in the world, and can haul payloads up to 125 tons.

Antonov An-124 Ruslan​​

SERGEY KUSTOV/WIKIMEDIA

Another monster designed and built by the Antonov Design Bureau in the Ukrainian SSR, the An-124 Ruslan, operated by the Russian Air Force, is the largest military aircraft in the world. For almost 30 years after its introduction in 1984, the An-124 (NATO reporting name: Condor), was the largest and heaviest cargo aircraft in the world other than the single An-225. The 747-8F overtook the An-124 in 2011.

With a reported payload capacity of 165 tons, the An-124 can haul even more than the C-5 Galaxy, though its range is not as long. A surviving engineering triumph of the Soviets, the An-124 continues to fly airlifting missions for Russia.

Boeing B-52 Stratofortress

The B-52 entered service in 1955, and the first B-52H, the currently serving model, was introduced in 1961. B-52 bomber is the grandfather of the air force, aging but still capable of delivering a serious punch.

The BUFF (Big Ugly Fat Fucker) can carry 70,000 pounds of weapons, from precision-guided conventional bombs to nuclear warheads. While the B-2 stealth bomber and B-1 supersonic bomber could be retired when the B-21 is introduced, the Air Force wants to outfit the reliable B-52 with new engines to improve efficiency and range. While the giant bomber enters its sixth decade of service, the technology within its hold is ever-evolving, as the Air Force is also planning to equip the B-52 with the Long Range Stand Off missile, a stealthy nuclear cruise missile.