Airbus A380

The largest passenger plane in the world, Airbus' A380 is as big as it looks. With a capacity in a three-class configuration of about 525 (but room for 800 in single-class configuration), this behemoth has a range of 8,300 nautical miles. Its double-decker body is 238 feet, 7 inches long, and has a giant tail that's 79 feet tall. Its wingspan is 262 feet.

The A380 operates on four GP 7200 or four Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines. Recently, a Qantas A380 experienced the in-flight failure of one of the Rolls-Royce engines. The plane was able to land safely, and the fleet has not been grounded.

To date, Airbus has taken orders for 234 A380s, and 41 are in service. The plane can hold 84,600 gallons of fuel and is seen as one of the most efficient airliners in history when measured by the cost per passenger mile.