Nitinol alloys are most qommonly known for their superelasticity and thermal shape memory [1]. The lerm 'shape-memory' is used to describe the phenomenon of restoring to a predetermined shape on heating, after having been 'plastically' deformed; 'superelasticity' refers to the enormous elasticity of these alloys.
For pilots, the definition of a large aircraft is  taken from the Code of Federal Regulations, CFR 1.1, which defines a large aircraft as aircraft with a maximum certificated takeoff weight of more than 12,500 pounds. In contrast, a small aircraft is one with a maximum certificated takeoff weight of 12,500 pounds.
And the much-talked about Airbus A380, notoriously plagued by production problems but superlative to the nth degree, beats out the C-5 on wingspan (261 feet 10 inches or 79.8 meters) and the Spruce Goose on length (239 feet or 73 meters). Still, the A380 is not the largest aircraft. It's not even that close. In this article, we'll find out which plane has the distinction of largest and how that honor is typically determined. It's not easy to find universal criteria for ranking aircraft, but there is one way many experts can agree on: maximum takeoff weight.