Sprouting trucks like barnacles, the whale-like A380 is serviced in Sydney after its maiden voyage on October 25, 2007.

The up-to-560-ton flyer is sending ripples through many of the world's airports, which are expanding runways and ordering bigger trucks to tow and resupply the giant.

With one flawless commercial flight behind it, the A380 looks like a world-beater today.

But Boeing's upcoming 787 Dreamliner—a much-ballyhooed medium-size jet meant for regional flights—may soon prove that size isn't everything.

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