World’s Largest Aircraft:Antonov An-225 Mriya

The Antonov An-225 Mriya is the world’s largest aircraft. It was designed for the transportation of the Russian Space Shuttle by the Antonov Design Bureau, which the headquarters in Kiev, Ukraine.  Mriya is Ukrainian word for “dream”). This aircraft capable to transport other oversize cargo or item. 

Since this is the largest aircraft, it bigger than a Boeing 747 and Airbus A380, longer and heavier than Hughes H-4 “ Spruce Goose”. The An-225 requires six turbo fan engines to keep its payload in the air.

The Antonov An-225 was originally designed to function as a Russian Space Shuttle carrier aircraft, assisting the Buran space shuttle of the Soviet Space Program with transport. The plans were first laid out by three Antonov Design Bureau in the early 1980s, but the first operational fight wouldn’t occur until December 21^st, 1988.

Only one An-225 was built, initial plans were to build several An-225, but the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 saw the cancellation of the Buran space program and the associated Antonov contracts. Despite this, a second craft was partially constructed but never finished.

By 1994, the lone An-225’s future was in doubt. Too expensive to operate, the engines were removed and it was placed in storage along with the second, unfinished An-225.

In 2000 the international need for the moving of strategic heavy equipment brough the An-225 back into service. Over the next five years demand for the Mriya’s services would row, in 2006 Antonov decided to finish construction of the second aircraft.

Mriya with Buran on its external store performed 14 flights with total duration of 28 hours and 27 minutes. They had been performed from the airfields located in various climatic zones of the USSR: in Gostomel, Akhtoubinsk, Baikonour, Borispol, Vnukovo, Yelizovo, Ramenskoye, Chkalovskaya, Khabarovsk. However, after collapse of the USSR, financing of Energiya-Bouranprogramme was terminated and the project stopped. 

Modernization of the AN-225 was started. The aim was use of the airplane for transportation of commercial cargoes. The decision had been taken due to many applications sent to Antonov Airlines for transportation of cargoes heavier than the AN-124-100 Ruslan’s payload. Than Mriya passed certification tests and on May 23, 2001, Aviation Register of Interstate Aviation Committee (AR IAC) and Ukraviatrans issued type certificates to the AN-225. Since that till present, the airplane has been performing commercial transportations in the fleet of Antonov Airlines, transport subdivision of ANTONOV Company.

     The aircraft has the spacious cargo compartment with length of 43,32 m, width of 6.4 m and height of 4.4 m,that allows carrying a variety of cargoes inside. For instance,

·         sixteen standard aeronautical containers of UAC−10 type;

·         50 cars;

·         Single piece of cargoes up to 200 t (turbines, generators, dump trucks −etc.)

In February 2010, Mriya transported large-size construction machinery (bulldozers, trucks, tractors, loaders) for liquidation of aftermath of earthquake on Haiti. Cargo weighing 108 tons was delivered from Tokyo (Japan) to Santo-Domingo (Dominican Republic) by order of government of Japan, and after it by ground – to Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti. They chose Mriya taking into account necessity of urgent delivery.  Its spacious cabin only could contain such a large cargo.

On March 25, 2011, the AN-225 Mriya delivered to Japan humanitarian cargoes, generators and technique with total mass of 140 t. The AN-225 landed in Narita airport (Tokyo). The flight had been performed by order of French government.

Specifications (An-225)

General characteristics

• Crew: 6
• Length: 84 m (275 ft 7 in)
• Wingspan: 88.4 m (290 ft 0 in)
• Height: 18.1 m (59 ft 5 in)
• Wing area: 905 m² (9,740 sq ft)
• Aspect ratio: 8.6
• Empty weight: 285,000 kg (628,317 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 640,000 kg (1,410,958 lb)
• Fuel capacity: 300000 kg
• Cargo hold – volume 1,300m³, length 43.35m, width 6.4m, height 4.4m
• Powerplant: 6 × ZMKB Progress D-18turbofans, 229.5 kN (51,600 lbf) thrust each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 850 km/h (528 mph; 459 kn)
• Cruising speed: 800 km/h (497 mph; 432 kn)
• Range: 15,400 km (9,569 mi; 8,315 nmi) with maximum fuel; range with maximum payload: 4,000 km (2,500 mi)
• Service ceiling: 11,000 m (36,089 ft)
• Wing loading: 662.9 kg/m² (135.8 lb/sq ft)
• Thrust/weight: 0.234