Powered by six powerful engines, capable of carrying a spaceship, the Antonov An-225 “Mriya” is the world’s largest cargo plane in operation at the present time.
Possessing a wingspan of up to 88.4 meters, a body length of 84 meters, “Mriya” (the name given by the host company to the Antonov An-225 ) is a real monster of the sky. One more parameter that will make you even more amazed about this giant is its unladen weight of up to 285,000kg.
At the time of its launch in 1988, the Antonov An-225 aircraft was at least 50% larger in size than any aircraft that had appeared before. It is known that the “Mriya” began to be put into service. trade in Ukraine since 2001 . “Mriya” is powered by six Ivchenko Progress D-18T super-sized turbojet engines, each capable of generating up to 23,000 kg of thrust. Besides the large capacity, one of the advantages of the series This engine is low fuel consumption, easy to maintain, low emission and quite quiet in operation.
More than just engines, the landing system of “Mriya” will also amaze many, with 32 wheels allowing it to turn around on a 60-meter runway.It is the largest cargo plane in the world. Still in operation, does not mean that the “Mriya” is the world’s largest cargo plane ever produced. A good example is the Hughes H-4 Hercules aircraft with a wingspan of up to 97.54 meters (compared to 88.4 meters of the Antonov An-225) or the Stratolaunch with a wingspan of up to 117 meters. However, these giants are now either in museums or no longer in operation.
Looking back at history, the Antonov An-225 aircraft was built by the (former) Soviet Union to act as a super-heavy carrier, replacing the outdated Myasishchev VM-T aircraft. The design of the Antonov An-225 is aimed at transporting rocket engines, as well as spacecraft.
Antonov An-225’s first flight was made in 1988, departing from Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, and lasted 74 minutes. After the breakup of the Soviet Union, the Antonov An-225 was forgotten for many years, until it was bought by a Ukrainian company.
As a specialized transport aircraft, the Antonov An-225 continuously sets world records with its incredible capabilities. Accordingly, in 2009, with the carrying of more than 170 tons of cargo, mainly turbines of the power plant, the giant entered the Guinness book with the title of “Heaviest cargo ever transported by road. air”. Besides this title, Antonov An-225 also currently holds about 30 other world records.
In fact, “Mriya” is the Antonov An-225 aircraft that has been completed in the world, there is still an Antonov An-225 but the assembly process has never been completed. ” will continue to be used until at least 2033.