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.
The C-5 remained the world's largest plane until the introduction of the An-124, and the C-5 has since been surpassed by the An-225, enlarged models of the 747, and the new A380 as well. The current ranking of the world's largest aircraft by maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) is shown in the following table.