The Worlds Biggest Manmade Things

Mankind has built some pretty big things in the past. Three thousand years ago I am sure some people would have sworn that nothing would ever rival the pyramids of Egypt. But here today in 2009 humans have pushed the limits of the word "biggest" and produced some really, really large things:


1. Airplane
When a man drives a big vehicle it is commonly believed that he is compensating for something. So we can assume that the person who sits at the cockpit of the 276-foot-long Antonov An-225 must have an unhappy wife. This HUGE Russian cargo transport airplane was built in 1988 and still rules the skies today. Without cargo, the An-225 weights 385,000 lbs and is capable of carrying another half a million pounds in payload weight.


2. Helicopter
Everything really is bigger in Russia! This especially holds true with land mass, poverty rates, and helicopters. The Russian-made, twin rotored Mil Mi-12 holds the record as the world's largest helicopter. Although only two prototypes were built in 1968 and the flying beast was never put into production, the Mi-12 has received it's fair share of attention over the years. In March, 2009, the Mi-12 was the center of a popular viral April Fools joke dubbed "The Hotelicopter." Even yours truly feel for it.


3. Land Vehicle
It's ugly. It's expensive. And it's big. Really, really big. It's called the Takraf RB293 and it was built to destroy things- specifically the Earth. This 31 million pound monster is called a bucket-wheel excavator and was built in Australlia for strip mining and eating bad children. It's 310 ft tall and 722 ft long, which is two thirds as long as the world's shortest commerical airport runway.


4. Building
Sure, everyone knows that the world's tallest building is the Burj Dubai, but most don't know that the Boeing Jetliner Factory in Everett, Washington holds the title of the largest building on Earth. This MASSIVE structure makes even Boeings largest planes (747, 777, & 787) look minuscule in comparison to the 93 acres of space the factory covers.


5. Bridge
When you think of the longest bridge in the world, you probably imagine a suspended road hanging over water, rivers, or vast amounts of nothingness. Odds are the Bang Na Expressway doesn't come to mind. But this viaduct toll-road in Thailand holds the record as the longest bridge in the world. In fact, Bang Na is quite impressive when you consider it supports a 33.5 mile-long road at an average height of 138 ft.

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6. Boat
Right off the bat I can tell you that pictures do no justice to how big the cargo ship Knock Nevis really is.This floating mini-city measures in at a whopping 1,500 ft and 225 ft wide. That is bigger than the Eiffle Tower and the Empire State Building! Although it has lost the title of largest seafaring ship after its retirement in 2004, the Knock Nevis is still the largest vessel to float the seven seas. Holy ship!


7. Ball of Twine
When you thought small towns with nothing to do couldn't get anymore boring, in comes Darwin, Minnesota. This tiny town of 276 boasts the world's largest ball of twine. The ball weighs in at an astounding 19,336 pounds and measures 41 feet across. That equates to roughly 70 lbs of twine per lucky Darwin citizen.


8. Man
Imagine not being able to go through any doorway without hitting your head every time you walk through and you will know what it's like to be Bao Xishun. All 7' 5" of him. This 58-year-old giant wouldn't only stick out in a crowd of shorter, fellow Chinese folk, but would be easily recognizable anywhere in the world... and he is. After Guinness World Records appointed him as the tallest man in the world in 1991, media attention has been anything but scarce.

-- Chad Waite. The Daily Derbi









Chad Waite