Antonov An-225 'Mriya'
The Antonov An-225 'Mriya' (Dream - NATO-codename 'Cossack') is the biggest aircraft in the world in operational service. The airplane was developed to carry the Russian Space Shuttle 'Buran' on its back, but the only example of the type is now in service for the transportation of heavy and outsize cargo. The aircraft has the ability to transport cargo that no other aircraft can carry, up to loads of 250 tons.
Antonov is specialised in building cargo aircraft. For the An-225 Antonov used the already very big An-124 'Ruslan' as a starting point for a much bigger aircraft. The designers stretched the fuselage, increased the wingspan, added two extra engines under the wing (to a total six), increased the number of wheels of the undercarriage to 32 (including fourteen main wheel bogies) and introduced a tail-section with two vertical tail-planes. Like the An-124 the 'Mriya' has a hinged nosedoor and it can 'kneel' to ease front loading of the aircraft. Unlike the An-124 it has no rear ramp door. The An-225 is larger than the Airbus A380 and with its 600 metric tons maximum take-off weight also heavier.
The Antonov An-225 first flew on December 21 1988 and entered service in 1989. After the collapse of the Soviet-Union the Buran space shuttle program was cancelled, however, and in Spring 1994 the world's only An-225 was stored in Kiev. Late in the 1990s the Antonov Design Bureau saw unique commercial applications for the aircraft and started to make the aircraft airworthy again. On May 7 2001 the renewed aircraft flew for its 'second maiden flight'. In January 2003 the giant made its first commercial flight from Stuttgart to Thumrait in Oman. The aircraft is operated by Antonov Airlines, a subsidiary of the Antonov Design Bureau.
Antonov has partly built a second An-225 for the Buran-program, but this aircraft became stored before it was finished. However, Antonov considers finishing the aircraft depending on market demand.
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Antonov An-225 - Specifications
Wingspan: 88.4 m (290 ft 2 in). Length: 84 m. (275 ft 6 in). Height: 18.1 m (59 ft 3 in).
Empty weight: 285,000 kg (628,317 lb). (Max. take-off weight: 600,000 kg (1,322,773 lb).
Payload: 250,000 kg (550,000 lb). Range: 4,000 km (2,160 nm). Cruise speed: 850 km/h (460 kts).
Engines: 4 ZMKB Progress D-18 turbofans, 229 kN (51,600 lb). Crew: 6.
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