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The Antonov AN-225: A True Giant of the Sky

Image of Terry SmithTERRY SMITH tells us about this interesting aircraft.

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The Ukrainian-built Antonov AN-225 is the largest operational cargo plane and one of the biggest aircraft to ever take to the sky. Built in 1988, it was hoped to be the first of many, with its primary function to carry the Soviet Space Shuttle Buran and its Energiya carrier rocket. It features 6 huge turbofan engines each rated at 52,000lbs of thrust and no less than 32 undercarriage wheels.

This is a stunning view of the rear of AN-225 'Mriya'.

Shortly after introduction of the aircraft, however, the Soviet Union collapsed and work on the second airframe was halted due to lack of funding. The lone plane, known as Mriya (Ukrainian for 'dream') appeared at the 1989 Paris and 1990 Farnborough Airshows; I was lucky to see the plane display at Farnborough, in all its huge glory. As the Soviet Shuttle programme was also halted, the plane that was owned by the military seemed to have a bleak future and she lay dormant for some years.

A snapshot taken of the AN-225 at Farnborough over 30 years ago.

Eventually, the aircraft was bought by a Ukrainian company known as Antonov Airlines in 2001 and it started hauling cargo around the globe. It holds around 30 world records, including airlifting the heaviest single payload, when she took off from Frankfurt Airport in 2009 carrying a huge power plant generator weighing 188 tonnes.

A profile drawing of how the plane looks today.

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The AN-225 is also the heaviest,and the longest, aircraft to ever fly, however it's wingspan was eclipsed by the Hughes Spruce Goose and the space transport launch aircraft the Stratolaunch. An unusual feature is the tail which allows large bulky items to be placed on top of the plane and the fact that she has no rear door in an effort to keep down the weight.

The impressive landing gear, there are 32 wheels in total.

All interior cargo is loaded from the front through the hinged nose. The AN-225 Mriya still enthrals crowds at air shows around the globe when it is not earning her keep hauling heavy loads into the sky. Although the second airframe still exists, it’s not certain that it will ever get finished.

One of the original functions of the Mriya was to transport the Buran Space Shuttle.

Antonov, however, plans to keep the lone example flying to at least 2033, but if you don’t get to see the real thing the plane featured heavily, albeit in CGI form, in the end-of-the-world motion picture, 2012.

In the 2009 disaster film 2012, the plane was portrayed as being the Antonov 500.