A380 To Be Carried By An124

The A380 is making news all around the world as the world's biggest passenger airplane. So how come one is about to be transported from west coast USA to London Heathrow inside an Antonov An124?

The answer lies in Acacia Street in downtown Rancho Cucamonga, Los Angeles, where an 80-foot long model of an A380 is being constructed by Penwal Industries. At one third the size of the actual aircraft, the replica has a wing span of 88 feet and is the size of a Boeing 737 – far too big for any conventional aircraft.

Penwal Industries has been building large scale model projects for all sorts of locations for nearly three decades. This one is for United Emirates Airlines to display in the spot at London Heathrow airport's main entrance previously occupied for many years by a Concorde model until it left commercial service.

The model A380 is scheduled to be finished by the end of the month and travel to London via LA/Ontario International Airport. Despite the internal dimensions of the Antonov at 36.5 x 6.4 x 4.4 metres, Penwal is still having to build the model in three sections to allow it to be dismantled so it can fit inside.

The A380 model is scheduled to leave Ontario on the Antonov An124 on July 3. It will take another week after arriving in London to assemble the plane for display.