China’s aircraft carrier with an electromagnetic catapult
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Top 10: Most powerful aircraft ever made
The current most powerful version of the 747-400, the ER (Extended Range) and Extended Range Freighter (ERF, pictured) boast a whopping 1124 kilonewtons from their four engines. The 747-400ERF has a maximum take-off weight of 910,000 pounds (412,769 kg) and can carry a maximum payload of 248,600 pounds (112,763kg).
A little-known company based in Boulder, Colorado, is pursuing an ambitious, borderline outlandish goal: creating the world’s largest airplane. When completed, the incredibly long 108-meter plane (roughly the length of an NFL football field) is expected to have a wingspan of over 260 feet and could offer 12 times the cargo space of Boeing C-17 Globemaster III.