The world’s largest cargo plane, the Antonov AN-225, can swallow a Boeing 737 whole!
Anyone who has seen the Airbus A380 knows how incredibly large that plane is. Certified to carry up to 868 passengers across two decks, the aircraft measures 80 meters (262 feet) from wingtip to wingtip and 73 meters (239 feet) nose to tail. But did you know that there are much larger aircraft gliding in the sky?
The Antonov AN-225 cargo lifter is a truly unique product. In fact, only one has ever been built. Originally built by the Soviet Union to carry the space shuttle, the massive aircraft is now operated on charter cargo flights by Ukraine-based Antonov Airlines.
Whether you need to transport an airliner across a continent without getting on a plane, piggyback a space shuttle to a launch site, or ship Snoop Dog’s mega tour stage to Nigeria, you need the world’s largest and most powerful aircraft, the Antonov An-225.
General characteristics and specifications of Antonov AN-225 Mriya
ship: 6
length: 84 m (275 ft 7 in)
wingspan: 88.4 m (290 ft 0 in)
key: 18.1 m (59 ft 5 in)
Wing Area: 905 m2 (9,740 square feet)
Aspect Ratio: 8.6
Empty Weight: 285,000 kg (628,317 pounds)
Maximum takeoff weight: 640,000 kg (1,410,958 pounds)
Fuel Capacity: Over 300,000 kg (661,000) pounds[52]
cargo compartment – Volume 1,300 m3 (46,000 cu ft), length 43.35 m (142.2 ft) × width 6.4 m (21 ft) × height 4.4 m (14 ft)
Powertrain: 6 × Progress D-18T turbofans, each producing 229.5 kN (51,600 lbf)
Performance of Antonov AN-225 Mriya
Maximum speed: 850 km/h (528 mph, 459 knots)
Cruising Speed: 800 km/h (497 mph, 432 knots)
range: 15,400 km (9,569 miles, 8,315 nmi) on full fuel; Payload 200 tons Range: 4,000 km (2,500 miles)
Service limits: 11,000 m (36,000 ft)
Wing Load: 662.9 kg/m2 (135.8 pounds/square foot)
Thrust/Weight: 0.234
Few people have even seen the beast, as it is the only aircraft of its type. Few people have seen it in the field. Even fewer people have the opportunity to see her inner self. But thanks to the last-minute surprise appearance of the An-225 at ILA Berlin, we got the chance to take a closer look at this unique cargo transport aircraft.
First, let’s talk about the outside. The aircraft is 88.4 meters (290 feet) long from wingtip to wingtip and 84 meters (276 feet) nose to tail. That’s 8.4 meters (22.5 feet) wider than Airbus’ A380.
The aircraft is powered by six Ivchenko Progress D-18T turbofan engines (three on each side).
Designed at the end of the Cold War, the An-225 was built to replace the Myasishchev VM-T to transport the Soviet Union’s Buran space shuttle between launch and landing sites. The An-225 is based on the previous An-124 “Ruslan”, but has an additional turbofan engine, a reinforced floor, and a more powerful 32-wheel landing gear set than its predecessor. In total, the An-225 uses six Progress D-18 turbofans, each producing 51,600 lbf of thrust to carry massive payloads. The massive plane holds the world record for airlifting a single-item payload (a gas station generator weighing 418,834 pounds) and a total payload of 559,577 pounds.
It’s not just the giant wings. The horizontal stabilizer itself is 32.65 meters (107 feet) wide. For reference, the Airbus A320 family has a wingspan of 35.8 m (117 feet), which is slightly larger than the horizontal stabilizer of the An-225.
To load cargo, the massive nose opens upward and a tongue-shaped cargo loading ramp unfolds. Here’s a speedup and reversal of a process that took over 7 minutes.
Only one part of this process is performed manually. That means unfolding the last part of the ramp.
For cargo that cannot be rolled, the cargo hold is equipped with two cranes capable of lifting 10 tons at a time. Supplementary equipment allows the crew to load up to 30 tons of non-movable cargo at a time.
Inside, the massive cargo compartment measures 43.32 meters (142 feet) long, 6.4 meters (21 feet) wide, and 4.4 meters (14.4 feet) high, boasting an impressive volume of nearly 1,300 cubic meters (45,000 cubic feet) / 34,000 gallons. To give you an idea of how long this cargo compartment is on an aeronautical scale, the Wright brothers’ first flight (120 feet) was shorter than this cargo compartment.
The gear consists of 32 wheels. The 28 wheels of the main gear are organized in 7 rows of 4 each.
There are four wheels on the nose gear.
And with so many wheels and the only aircraft of its kind, Antonov Airlines is sure to have spare wheels. Five spare parts were brought on board during the visit to ILA Berlin.
Curious about America West decals? There are many decals on a flat metal surface.
Since it’s not meant for passengers, there aren’t many windows in the cargo area. There are only four portholes strategically placed to allow visual inspection of the wings and engines during flight.
There is a main deck dedicated to the cargo area, so you have to climb a ladder to get to the cockpit.
Although an incredibly impressive machine, the An-225 does not have a modern cockpit.
Flying this massive aircraft requires a cockpit crew of six, including two pilots and four engineers.
Recommended reading: Top 5 largest aircraft in the world
As with many aircraft, the pilot controls the yoke.
But not many cockpits have six thrust levers!
Of course, we couldn’t miss the opportunity to take pictures in the cockpit.
The cabin behind the cockpit has six beds where the pilot and crew can relax. There are two mini cabins with two fixed beds and one bed that folds down onto a table.
The cockpit requires a crew of six, but more are needed to operate this cargo transporter. In total, 19 or 20 crew members travel full-time aboard the An-225.
Non-flying crew members have a private cabin and rest area accessed via a narrow staircase in the tail.
Inside, there are 20 economy-style crew seats arranged in two or three-seat configurations.
The pitch is narrow at 30 inches.
The cabin has 12 crew berths forward of the seats.
The pilot rest area is separated from the crew rest area by an avionics area. This means that the only way to get from this crew area to the cockpit is through the cargo bay.
Soon the An-225’s reign as the world’s largest operational aircraft will end. The 385-foot-wide Stratolaunch, with six turbines, is expected to make its first flight this summer. But the An-225 will still be number one in terms of cargo capacity… and in the hearts of many AvGeeks.
What does Antonov 225 carry?
AN-225 Mriya. The world’s largest cargo aircraft, with a maximum payload of more than 250 tons and a cargo hold capacity of 1,100 m3, is the Antonov AN-225. Six Ivchenko Progress D-18T turbofan engines are required to transport the payload into the air. Maximum gross weight is 640 tons (1,410,000 pounds). The largest single airlift ever recorded was the Antonov An-225.
The Antonov An-225 requires a runway or airstrip of 3000+m or 9000+ feet to take off. You will need a runway or airstrip of 3400+m or 11000+ feet to land. And the runway width must be at least 200 feet.
How much does Antonov AN 225 cost?
The cost of one sample for one shipment from Denmark to Kazakhstan was approximately €266,000. Mriya is priced at $250 million. The Antonov fleet has two AN-25 aircraft.
What is the world’s largest airliner?
The Airbus A380 is a two-decker, wide-body, four-engine jetliner manufactured by European manufacturer Airbus. It is the world’s largest passenger aircraft, and the airports it serves are equipped with upgraded facilities to accommodate it.
Antonov AN-225 landing video
Our story related to Antonov AN-225
We got to see the world’s largest airplane up close and personal this weekend in Peoria, Illinois. We were in our backyard on the banks of the Illinois River when we saw this huge monster fly overhead. We had a feeling it was something special, so we jumped in the car and cruised to Peoria International Airport, hoping to catch a glimpse of it from the tarmac. We came to three different vantage points. The first was about 500 yards behind a chain link fence (pictured from behind), the second was about 200 yards away (pictured with nose closed), and the third was when we convinced a state trooper to drive us onto the tarmac! We only had about five minutes on the tarmac with it because they started loading it. Between the second photo shoot and the drive out with the trooper, they opened the nose up and lowered the entire plane about 4 feet. As soon as we got out there they were rolling out the ramp and the trucks were pulling up. We weren’t 100% sure at the time, but seven trailer-sized generators were being loaded quickly, with no expense spared, for any emergency… We assumed we would receive relief from Sumatra. This was confirmed in the newspaper the next day. The Antonov AN-225 is an airplane built by Russia in the 80s to transport the space shuttle. Although it has a smaller wingspan (29 feet) than the Spruce Goose, it is the largest airplane in the world due to its overall length and volume. Oh, and this is the only one ever made!
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