Antonov An-225

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The An-225 Mriya (Антонов Ан-225 Мрія, NATO reporting name: Cossack) is a strategic airlift transport aircraft built by Antonov, and is the world's largest powered aircraft. Mriya (Мрія) means "dream" (inspiration) in Ukrainian.

With a maximum gross weight of 640,000 kg (1,400,000 lb), the An-225 is the world's heaviest aircraft. Although its wingspan is less than that of the Hughes H-4 "Spruce Goose", the latter never went beyond a single short low-altitude test flight, making the An-225 the largest aircraft in the world to take off more than once. Both the An-124 and An-225 are larger than the C-5 Galaxy, the largest aircraft in the U.S. inventory. The An-225 is also larger than the Airbus A380.

In November 2004, FAI placed the An-225 in the Guinness Book of Records for its 240 records.

Contents

1 Development
2 Operational history
3 Specifications (An-225)
4 References
5 External links
6 Related content

Development

The An-225 was designed for the Soviet space program as a replacement for the Myasishchev VM-T. Able to airlift the Energia rocket's boosters and the Buran space shuttle, its mission was almost identical to that of the United States' Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.

An-225 main landing gear

The An-225 is an extension of Antonov's earlier An-124. To meet the needs of its new role, fuselage barrel extensions were added fore and aft of the wings, which received root extensions. Two more Lotarev D-18 turbofan engines were added on the new wing roots, bringing the total to six, and an increased-capacity landing gear system with 32 wheels was designed. The An-124’s rear cargo door and ramp were removed to save weight, and the empennage was changed from a single vertical stabilizer to a twin tail with an oversized horizontal stabilizer. The twin tail was made necessary by the requirement to carry external loads, which would disturb the aerodynamics of a conventional tail. Unlike the An-124, the An-225 was not intended for tactical airlifting and is not designed for short-field operation.

Operational history

The An-225 first flew on December 21 1988. Only one An-225 is currently in service. It is commercially available for carrying ultra heavy and/or oversize freight, up to 250,000 kg (550,000 lb) internally or 200,000 kg (440,000 lb). A second An-225 was partially built during the late 1980s, in connection with the Soviet space program. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990, and the cancellation of the Buran space program, the lone operational An-225 was placed in storage, its engines removed for use on An-124s. The second An-225 airframe, nearing completion and awaiting engines, was also mothballed.

In the late 1980s efforts were begun by the Soviet government to generate revenue from its military assets. In 1989 a holding company was set up by the Antonov Design Bureau as a heavy airlift shipping corporation under the name "Antonov Airlines", based in Kiev, Ukraine and operating from London Stansted Airport in partnership with Air Foyle HeavyLift. The company initiated operations with a fleet of four An-124-100s and three Antonov An-12s, but by the late 1990s it was apparent that there was a need for aircraft larger than the An-124. In response to this need, the original An-225 was re-engined, modified for heavy cargo transportation, and placed back in service under the management of Antonov Airlines.

A size comparison between four of the largest aircraft.

On 26 May 2001, the An-225 received its type certificate from the Interstate Aviation Committee Aviation Register (IAC AR). The type's first flight in commercial service departed from Stuttgart, Germany on January 3, 2002, flying to Thumrait, Oman with 216,000 prepared meals for American military personnel based in the region. This vast quantity of ready meals was transported on some 375 pallets and weighed a total 187.5 tons. Since then the An-225 has become the major workhorse of the Antonov Airlines fleet, transporting objects once thought impossible to move by air, such as locomotives, and 150 ton generators, as well as becoming a valuable asset to international relief organizations for its ability to quickly transport huge quantities of emergency supplies during disaster relief operations. By 2000 it had become apparent that the demand for the An-225 had exceeded the airline's capacity to book, and in 2004 the decision was made to complete the second An-225. This should be accomplished by mid-2006, with certification expected later in 2006.

Beginning June 2003, the An-225, along with An-124s, delivered over 800 tonnes of equipment to aid humanitarian efforts in Iraq. The An-225 has also been contracted by the U.S. government to transport military supplies to the Middle East in support of Coalition forces. American use of a Soviet-designed aircraft can be seen as a testament to the success of Soviet heavy lift design, as no comparable U.S. aircraft has ever been developed. The U.S. government is currently considering a long term contract with Antonov Airlines for the additional production and use of ten An-124s and one An-225, which could be operated considerably cheaper than the six smaller C-17s originally purposed for the same duties.

Design work is currently under way to use the aircraft as a flying launch system for future aerospace systems. One of the most interesting and promising projects is the MAKS joint Russian/Ukrainian multipurpose aerospace system. When used as a space vehicle air launcher, the aircraft will be fitted with the equipment required for prelaunch preparation of aerospace systems. Implementation of these projects will considerably reduce the cost of injecting payloads into space.

The An-225 is so large that it often can easily been seen on satellite photos of the Gostomel Airport, west of Kiev.

Antonov An-225

Development

Operational history

Specifications (An-225)

References

External links

Related content