Hasta La Gadget!

Ugly and sometimes frightening, the largest “gadgets” on Earth help mankind achieve the magnificent. Take, for example, the airplane above, whose hideous looks have earned it the nickname Oscar Meyer Wienermobile. Mock it all you want, but that wiener can carry more cargo than your puny human body ever will.

Last month, Wired.com presented nine of the largest machines roaming the planet. Many of you commented with even better suggestions for enormous gadgets that we somehow missed. We’ve compiled them here, along with several more mechanical marvels we found. In this gallery, you’ll see a machine that simulates earthquakes, a Ferris wheel that takes you as high as the clouds, a giant telescope that keeps an eye on our universe, airplanes that help make space exploration possible, and more.

Boeing 747 Large Cargo Freighter

The mustard-yellow Boeing 747 Large Cargo Freighter (above) transports aircraft parts to Boeing from suppliers all over the world. Also called the Dreamlifter, this plane is a modified version of the commercial 747, also known as the Jumbo Jet. The original 747’s length, height and fuselage (i.e., main body section that holds cargo) were expanded to haul more cargo by volume than any airplane in the world. (One can only imagine how many actual Oscar Meyer wieners the Wienermobile could transport.)

Photo: Drewski2112/Flickr