Antonov An-225

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The Antonov An-225 Mriya (NATO code name 'Cossack') is a heavy-lift transport aeroplane that was built by Antonov (ASTC). It was designed for the Soviet space program, for carrying the Energia rocket's boosterss and to also be able to carry the Buran space shuttle on piggy-back. Mriya means "dream" in Ukrainian.

The An-225 is an extension of the earlier An-124 design. The following items were changed:

Barrel extensions before and behind wings
Wing root extensions
Two extra engines, both on the wing root extensions
No rear ramp/door assembly
32-wheel landing gear system
Two tails offset from the centerline, and an oversized tailplane, as opposed to the smaller tailplane and single centerline tail of the An-124

The An-225 first flew on 21 December 1988. Only one An-225 Mriya is currently in service. It is commercially available for carrying ultra heavy and/or oversize freight. It can carry up to 250 tons (551,155lbs) of cargo. A second Mriya had originally (i.e in connection with the Soviet space program) been partially built but was never completed. The idea of possibly completing the 2nd Mriya and bringing it into service has been floated by Antonov, though this will likely depend strictly on (oversize cargo) market demand.

The An-225 Mriya is the world's largest aircraft in service and the second largest aircraft ever. The largest aircraft ever is the "Spruce Goose", Howard Hughes' flying boat, which never went beyond a single short low-altitude test flight. It has repeatedly been claimed that the US C-5 Galaxy was the world's largest aircraft, however this is not correct. Both the An-124 and the An-225 are bigger than the Galaxy, and significantly so in case of the An-225.

Interestingly and maybe ironically, the Mriya has recently (in 2003) been spotted at Shannon Airport, Ireland and in various US airports. It is assumed that US authorities and/or the US military hired the Mriya for transporting cargo to the Gulf in connection with the 2003 Iraq war and/or the occupation of Iraq.

Specifications; Engines; (six) ZMDB Progress D-18 turbofans 229.5 kN. (51,590 lbs. st.), Wing Span 88.74 m. (290'), Length; 84 m. (275 m.), Maximum take off weight; 600,000 kg. (1,322,770 lbs.), Cruising speed; 850 km/h (530 mph.), Range with 200,000 kg. (440,000 lbs.) - 4,500 km. (2,795 miles).

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See Also:List of civil aircraft