C-5 Galaxy vs A380: Which giant is bigger?

The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy and the Airbus A380 are two of the largest aircraft ever built, but they serve very different purposes. Simple Flying recently ran the numbers to settle which is truly the bigger machine.

In overall length, the C-5M Super Galaxy beats the A380. Simple Flying reports the Galaxy measures 247.8 feet, 8.3 feet longer than the A380's 239.5 feet. But the Superjumbo wins on wingspan (261.8 feet vs 247.8 feet), height (79.1 feet vs 65.0 feet), and fuselage width (23.5 feet external vs 19.0 feet internal for the Galaxy).

The two aircraft share a common origin story. Simple Flying notes that in the early 1960s, Boeing, Douglas, General Dynamics, Lockheed and Martin Marietta all competed for the US Air Force's Heavy Logistics System program. Lockheed won with a cheaper design; Boeing took elements of its rejected proposal and developed the 747. The first Galaxy flew in 1968 and entered service in 1970, about four decades before the A380.

When it comes to cargo volume, the C-5M is the clear winner. Simple Flying calculates the Galaxy has 34,000 cubic feet of space, more than five times the A380's 6,190 cubic feet. That volume lets the C-5M carry up to two M1 Abrams main battle tanks or six AH-64 Apache helicopters. The A380 is a passenger aircraft first; its cargo space is limited to belly holds. A planned freighter version (A380F) would have offered around 40,000 cubic feet, but it was never built.

Payload numbers also favor the Galaxy. Simple Flying states the C-5M has a maximum payload of 280,000 pounds, compared to the A380's 185,000 pounds. The proposed A380F would have carried up to 330,000 pounds. The A380, however, has a higher maximum takeoff weight: 1,268,000 pounds versus the C-5M's 840,000 pounds in wartime (the Air Force often operates it lighter in peacetime to preserve the airframe).

Range is the A380's strength. Simple Flying reports the Superjumbo can fly about 8,000 nautical miles carrying 525 passengers, while the Galaxy manages only about 2,300 nautical miles with a full load. Empty, the C-5M's range stretches to around 7,000 nautical miles. The Galaxy can also refuel in midair, giving it effectively unlimited range when needed.

Both planes have four engines, but the A380 produces far more thrust. Simple Flying says the A380's Rolls-Royce Trent 900 or Engine Alliance GP7200 turbofans each generate about 78,000 pounds of force, totaling around 312,000 pounds. The C-5M's upgraded General Electric F138-GE-100 engines deliver 51,000 pounds each, or about 204,000 pounds total.

Simple Flying's verdict: the Airbus A380 is larger by almost every measure except length. It has a wider wingspan, wider fuselage, is taller, has a higher maximum takeoff weight, longer range, and more thrust. The C-5M's advantages are in payload, cargo volume, and the ability to carry oversized military equipment.

• Airbus A380
• aircraft comparison
• C-5 Galaxy
• commercial aviation
• Lockheed
• military aviation