Antonov An-225 Mriya
The Antonov An-225 Mriya [a] was a Russian/Ukrainian Aircraft, and the largest airplane by weight in the world. It had 6 engines, which was necessary for its sheer size. It was manufactured by a company called Antonov. The Mriya was designed to transport the Russian Shuttle, Space Shuttle Buran. The Buran only flew once, and was successful. However, the funding of Buran was insufficient, and, the project quickly ended. The remaining plane, registration UR-82060, was used to carry very large items that were not efficient by train, to be carried by the Antonov.
An-225 Mriya | |
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The An-225 in its old livery, Circa. 2012 | |
Role | Buran Carrier, Cargo Transport |
National origin | Soviet Union |
Design group | Antonov |
Built by | Antonov Serial Production Plant |
First flight | 21 December 1988 |
Retired | February 5th, 2022 |
Status | Destroyed |
Primary user | Antonov Airlines |
Produced | 1985 |
Number built | 2, one as UR-82060, the other, uncompleted. |
Unit cost | 250 Million USD- 300 Million USD |
Developed from | Antonov An-124 |
The company ownership was changed, due to the collapse of the Soviet Union. The ownership of Antonov was switched to the country of Ukraine, and all assets were shipped to Kyiv, or Kiev. It was modelled from the Antonov An-124 Ruslan. This plane is big enough to carry a Boeing 747's fuselage. During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the last aircraft, UR-82060, was destroyed in the hangar of the airport of the Antonov Serial Production Plant in Ukraine.
Antonov An-225 Mriya Media
Antonov An-225 with Buran at Le Bourget, 1989, Manteufel
Three of six Ivchenko Progress D-18T turbofan engines on the An-225
The Antonov Airlines An-225 landing at Hostomel Airport, 2014
An-225 at Tianjin Binhai International Airport
The Antonov An-225 Mriya taking off at Hostomel Airport
Notes
- ↑ Ukrainian: Антонов Ан-225 Мрія, lit. 'dream' or 'inspiration' , NATO reporting name: "Cossack"