I would’ve guessed that the Boeing 747 was the world’s largest airplane, though I never had reason to confirm the superlative. Last Friday the actual holder of that title landed at Seattle’s Boeing Field on a job for Boeing and GE. With a wingspan over 290 ft, the Antonov An-225 has an empty weight of 385,800 lbs. The giant plane was built to carry the Soviet Buran spacecraft, their version of the Space Shuttle (NASA has modified 747s for the same purpose). The one An-225 that was completed now serves as a commercial cargo plane, thus its Friday appearance to pick up four GE-90 engines for the Boeing 777. With six engines and 32 wheels it made for an impressive photo opportunity for the Seattle PI.