Antonov AN-225 Mriya Test Flight Configuration (1:500)

Antonov AN-225 Mriya Test Flight Configuration (1:500)

This Herpa 539029 Antonov AN-225 model is a precision 1:500 scale die-cast replica, representing the aircraft in its early test flight configuration under the provisional registration CCCP-480182.

The model depicts the AN-225 fitted with a prominent nose-mounted data probe, used during flight testing to gather aerodynamic and performance data such as air pressure, altitude, and airspeed. This configuration reflects the aircraft’s development phase prior to official certification in 1989.

The AN-225 itself was originally designed by the Antonov Design Bureau to transport the Soviet Buran space shuttle system, and later became the largest and heaviest aircraft ever built, as well as a holder of multiple world records.

With a wingspan of 177 mm, this 1:500 model delivers an imposing presence for its scale, capturing the aircraft’s enormous proportions and unique six-engine configuration in miniature form. It is constructed from die-cast metal with precise printed detailing, typical of Herpa’s Wings series.

Unlike standard AN-225 models, this version captures the aircraft in its most experimental and historically significant phase, making it essential for serious aviation history collections.

Features

• Aircraft Type: Antonov AN-225 Mriya
• Operator: Antonov Design Bureau
• Registration: CCCP-480182
• Configuration: Test flight with nose-mounted probe
• Material: Die-cast metal
• Wingspan: 177 mm
• Colour Scheme: White prototype finish
• Role: Buran transport aircraft development program

Historical Background

The AN-225 “Mriya” (meaning Dream) was developed in the 1980s within the Soviet Union as an enlarged derivative of the AN-124, specifically to transport the Buran space shuttle and oversized payloads.

Before entering service, the aircraft underwent extensive flight testing. During this phase, it flew under the temporary registration CCCP-480182, equipped with a long instrumentation probe on the nose used to collect aerodynamic data.

These early test flights were critical in validating the aircraft’s unprecedented design, including its six-engine configuration and massive airframe. The program ultimately led to the AN-225 setting over 200 aviation records and becoming a global icon of heavy transport aviation.

Although only one complete aircraft was ever finished, the AN-225 became synonymous with extreme airlift capability, Soviet aerospace ambition, and engineering scale unmatched in aviation history.