The largest plane in the US Air Force is a beast that cost $168m to build
- The Lockheed C-5 is the biggest US military plane
- It can transport helicopters, tanks, and armoured vehicles
- Each one costs $168 million to make
Published on Feb 14, 2024 at 7:33 AM (UTC-5)
by Tom Wood
Last updated on Feb 15, 2024 at 11:36 AM (UTC-5)
Edited by
Kate Bain
This is the largest plane in the US Air Force, capable of picking up huge tanks and transporting them across the world – the Lockheed C-5.
This beast can fit two tanks, 10 light-armoured vehicles, or six Apache helicopters on board, with a nose that flips up to accommodate huge amounts of cargo.
It covers a range of 12,000 kilometres and can take on 50,000 gallons of fuel.
The Lockheed C-5 has both rear and front loading ramps to get things on and off quickly, and is built for exactly that.
At 247 feet long and 65 feet tall, it is equivalent to the length of a seven storey building, and costs just about $168 million to make.
The Lockheed C-5 isn’t just the largest plane – that we know about – in the US military, it is also one of the most remarkable.
