> Thst's rather a pointless comparison - the AN-225 is a
> MUCH more capable aircraft.
> http://www.aviationexplorer.com/Antonov_An-225/an-225.jpg
They stuck the shuttle on a 747, and there's no particular reason to think it couldn't go on an A380.
> When dealing with air cargo dimensions are more
> important usually than weight
Weight and fuel efficiency are by far the most important air-cargo considerations, absolutely dwarfing _every_ _single_ other concern. Awkward loads are a miniscule edge case, which is why there was precisely 1 AN-225 built, 5 Belugas, and 4 Dreamlifters, as compared to the mind-boggling amount of air freighters, and passenger aircraft carrying freight.
> you need to engineer from the outset for a pivoting nose
> and/or full size rear ramp
The Beluga and Dreamlifter both are modified version of existing non-pivoting-nose airframes, and there's even a 747-400 (747-400F) modification where the front lifts up.
