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Q:

Can a bigger airplane carry a smaller airplane?

A:

Yes, and the most popular example of this would be the Antonov An-225 Mriya carrying a space shuttle, Buran, on its back. While technically not a smaller plane, it is an example of one airplane carying a smaller aeronautical machine. To carry another airplane, the only limit would be size and payload, or how much a plane can carry. The An-225 has the largest payload at 280 tons, with the next largest being the A30, with a payload of 150 tons. If smaller airplanes can fit inside the width of the fuselage, or body of the aircraft, the aircraft can, and has, carried smaller airplanes. 

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