Largest ever UK-built aircraft was so big it had a movie theater inside and a wingspan greater than a Boeing 747

Commercial aircraft are growing by the day, but have you ever wondered what the largest-ever UK-built aircraft was? Introducing the Bristol Brabazon.

It was bigger than you can imagine, meaning it struggled to get off the ground.

In fact, it was so big that it had a movie theater inside.

Plus, its wingspan was greater than a Boeing 747.

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Largest UK-built aircraft: the solution to transatlantic travel?

Today’s story takes us back to the 1940s and the final weeks of World War II.

While it was clear that the Allies were going to win the war in Europe, Britain had to figure out how to conquer transatlantic travel.

Americans had aircraft developed for the war effort that could easily be converted to civilian use – namely, jets.

The problem Britain faced was that the majority of its aircraft were large bombers that wouldn’t be useful for civilian use.

At this point, the UK came up with a plan, codenamed ‘Brabazon’, to develop an entire range of airliners – including the world’s largest mode of transport.

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Bristol Brabazon grounded before it takes off

The Bristol Brabazon, built by The Bristol Aeroplane Company, was a behemoth of an aircraft that was going to redefine transatlantic luxury.

Although it could seat more than 300 passengers, the plan was only to seat 50-60 to ensure the utmost luxury and space for each passenger.

It came equipped with a kitchen and a dining room – as well as a 23-seater cinema setup.

Unfortunately, there were two major problems with the Bristol Brabazon.

First was the weight; the aircraft weighed an enormous 170 tonnes and, despite being powered by eight supercharged engines, the plane wasn’t powerful enough.

With barely enough power to get off the ground, the largest-ever UK-built aircraft had a cruising speed of just 250mph.

The first flight was completed in the summer of 1949, wowing gathered crowds.

The second issue was that, despite being designed to steal customers from transatlantic ocean liners, it didn’t attract interest from a single airline.

Had this plane been developed in the early 1940s, it might have worked.

Companies such as Boeing were producing far more powerful aircraft at half the weight.

Aircraft such as the Boeing 707 meant the Bristol Brabazon really ended before it had a chance to take off.