Tin Man
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THE ANTONOV
Currently the world's largest airplane, the An-225 Mriya (dream) is an enlarged version of the An-124. The original purpose of the An-225 was to ferry large components used in the Soviet space program. These duties were formerly performed by a modified M-4 Molot bomber, but this aircraft did not have the payload capabilities required by the rocketry developments of the 1980s. Antonov was called upon to develop a new aircraft capable of carrying the Buran space shuttle, components of the Energiya rocket, or other large cargos required by the construction and mining industries.
To minimize the An-225 development effort, Antonov used the existing An-124 as a starting point. This design was modified by lengthening the fuselage, increasing the wingspan, adding two engines, and redesigning the tail with twin vertical fins. The rear cargo doors were also removed to reduce weight although the An-225 retains a nose door. The greater weight of the An-225 also required four additional pairs of main landing gear tires.
The An-225 took to the air for the first time in 1988 and quickly set 106 world records in just one flight. The massive plane, complete with the Buran orbiter attached, also made quite a stir at the Paris air show in 1989. However, the abandonment of the Buran program after the collapse of the Soviet Union led to the grounding of the sole An-225.
The An-225 remained in storage in Ukraine for several years until 2000. At that time, Antonov spent $20 million to upgrade the aircraft with new avionics and other modern equipment. The updated An-225, referred to as the An-225-100, entered service in 2001 as a commercial transport for heavy and oversized freight. The plane was operated jointly by Antonov and the British firm Air Foyle until 2006 when Antonov instead partnered with Volga-Dnepr.
Construction of a second An-225 had also begun during the 1980s but was stopped in 1994. However, demand for the first plane proved large enough that Antonov has discussed completing the second An-225 to the same refurbished standard as the An-225-100. This new cargo transport was said to be due for completion in mid-2008, but no further work has been performed.
HISTORY:
First Flight (An-225) 21 December 1988
(An-225 with Buran) 13 May 1989
Service Entry originally 1989
returned to service in 2001
CREW: six: pilot, co-pilot, four cabin crew
PASSENGERS: 70
ESTIMATED COST: $300 million [2005$]
AIRFOIL SECTIONS: Wing Root unknown supercritical
Wing Tip unknown supercritical
DIMENSIONS:
Length 275.58 ft (84.00 m)
Wingspan 290.00 ft (88.40 m)
Height 59.67 ft (18.20 m)
Wing Area 9,742 ft² (905.00 m²)
Canard Area not applicable
WEIGHTS:
Empty 628,315 lb (285,000 kg)
Normal Takeoff unknown
Max Takeoff 1,322,750 lb (600,000 kg)
Fuel Capacity 661,375 lb (300,000 kg)
Max Payload
internal: 440,925 lb (200,000 kg)
external: 551,150 lb (250,000 kg)
PROPULSION:
Powerplant six Lotarev D-18T turbofans
Thrust 309,540 lb (1,377 kN)
PERFORMANCE:
Max Level Speed at altitude: 530 mph (850 km/h)
at sea level: unknown
cruise speed: 495 mph (800 km/h)
Initial Climb Rate unknown
Service Ceiling unknown
Range typical: 2,430 nm (4,500 km)
ferry: 8,310 nm (15,400 km)
g-Limits unknown
KNOWN VARIANTS:
An-224
Original designation for the An-225 except it retained the rear cargo door of the An-124; not built
An-225
Heavy transport designed to ferry the Buran space shuttle and components of the Energia rocket; 1 built
An-225-100
New designation for the An-225 after being modernized with updated communications gear, navigation equipment, a collision avoidance system, and noise reduction features for use as a heavy commercial transport; 1 converted
An-325
Proposal for an enlarged variant of the An-225 with an additional engine mounted on each inboard pylon and able to carry an increased payload, proposed primarily as a possible launch platform for Russian or foreign space vehicles; not built
KNOWN COMBAT RECORD: none
KNOWN OPERATORS:
Civil Air Foyle
Antonov Airlines
Volga-Dnepr Airlines
Military Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Voyenno Vozdushniye Sili (Soviet Air Force)
The reduction of the ground structures on Baikonur and the beginning of making heavy launchers have increased the air load transports. The plane VM-T "Atlant" can transport loads of 50 t, but the future projects planned to carry loads of 200 t to Baikonur. Antonov studied the way of building a transport plane of greater capacity by making modifications on the An-124 model, it created the An-225. The An-225 Mriya ("Мрiя" means Dream in Ukrainian) has a load capacity of 250 t (initialy 225 t), is 84 m long, 88.4 m of scale and 18.1 m in height. It made its first flight on December 21, 1988 (breaking 106 world records) and transported Bourane (60 t) to Le Bourget (France) in 1989.
It is until now the largest working plane in the world, there is only one specimen of it and it is used by Antonov Airline for exceptional transport missions (An-225 at Gostomel airport). Mriya now has the Ukrainian flag painted on its drift and is recorded under the name UR-82060. Moreover, it has undergoes some modifications such as the addition of new safety systems, navigation and communication. According to the manufacturer the fuselage was reinforced to support heavier payloads. Lastly, it was equipped with a new cockpit and a new passengers cabin. Those improvements cost more than 20 million dollars in 2000.
Construction of a second An-225 had also begun during the 1980s but was stopped in 1994. Despite the numerous rumors about the continuation of the assembly of the second plane this one has never been finished.
Even if it is the biggest fret plane in the world the Mriya is not really profitable, it's used only when the load is too voluminous to be put in a An-124. Nobody asked yet to Antonov Airlines to buy this plane. In fact it's more economic to use 2 Russlan (An-124) than the Mriya. But the Mriya is a technological showcase for this company and each move of it come with articles in the local press.
SOURCE :
1. Aerospaceweb.org | Aircraft Museum - An-225 Mriya 'Cossack'
2. Antonov 225 Mriya Description
Currently the world's largest airplane, the An-225 Mriya (dream) is an enlarged version of the An-124. The original purpose of the An-225 was to ferry large components used in the Soviet space program. These duties were formerly performed by a modified M-4 Molot bomber, but this aircraft did not have the payload capabilities required by the rocketry developments of the 1980s. Antonov was called upon to develop a new aircraft capable of carrying the Buran space shuttle, components of the Energiya rocket, or other large cargos required by the construction and mining industries.
To minimize the An-225 development effort, Antonov used the existing An-124 as a starting point. This design was modified by lengthening the fuselage, increasing the wingspan, adding two engines, and redesigning the tail with twin vertical fins. The rear cargo doors were also removed to reduce weight although the An-225 retains a nose door. The greater weight of the An-225 also required four additional pairs of main landing gear tires.
The An-225 took to the air for the first time in 1988 and quickly set 106 world records in just one flight. The massive plane, complete with the Buran orbiter attached, also made quite a stir at the Paris air show in 1989. However, the abandonment of the Buran program after the collapse of the Soviet Union led to the grounding of the sole An-225.
The An-225 remained in storage in Ukraine for several years until 2000. At that time, Antonov spent $20 million to upgrade the aircraft with new avionics and other modern equipment. The updated An-225, referred to as the An-225-100, entered service in 2001 as a commercial transport for heavy and oversized freight. The plane was operated jointly by Antonov and the British firm Air Foyle until 2006 when Antonov instead partnered with Volga-Dnepr.
Construction of a second An-225 had also begun during the 1980s but was stopped in 1994. However, demand for the first plane proved large enough that Antonov has discussed completing the second An-225 to the same refurbished standard as the An-225-100. This new cargo transport was said to be due for completion in mid-2008, but no further work has been performed.
HISTORY:
First Flight (An-225) 21 December 1988
(An-225 with Buran) 13 May 1989
Service Entry originally 1989
returned to service in 2001
CREW: six: pilot, co-pilot, four cabin crew
PASSENGERS: 70
ESTIMATED COST: $300 million [2005$]
AIRFOIL SECTIONS: Wing Root unknown supercritical
Wing Tip unknown supercritical
DIMENSIONS:
Length 275.58 ft (84.00 m)
Wingspan 290.00 ft (88.40 m)
Height 59.67 ft (18.20 m)
Wing Area 9,742 ft² (905.00 m²)
Canard Area not applicable
WEIGHTS:
Empty 628,315 lb (285,000 kg)
Normal Takeoff unknown
Max Takeoff 1,322,750 lb (600,000 kg)
Fuel Capacity 661,375 lb (300,000 kg)
Max Payload
internal: 440,925 lb (200,000 kg)
external: 551,150 lb (250,000 kg)
PROPULSION:
Powerplant six Lotarev D-18T turbofans
Thrust 309,540 lb (1,377 kN)
PERFORMANCE:
Max Level Speed at altitude: 530 mph (850 km/h)
at sea level: unknown
cruise speed: 495 mph (800 km/h)
Initial Climb Rate unknown
Service Ceiling unknown
Range typical: 2,430 nm (4,500 km)
ferry: 8,310 nm (15,400 km)
g-Limits unknown
KNOWN VARIANTS:
An-224
Original designation for the An-225 except it retained the rear cargo door of the An-124; not built
An-225
Heavy transport designed to ferry the Buran space shuttle and components of the Energia rocket; 1 built
An-225-100
New designation for the An-225 after being modernized with updated communications gear, navigation equipment, a collision avoidance system, and noise reduction features for use as a heavy commercial transport; 1 converted
An-325
Proposal for an enlarged variant of the An-225 with an additional engine mounted on each inboard pylon and able to carry an increased payload, proposed primarily as a possible launch platform for Russian or foreign space vehicles; not built
KNOWN COMBAT RECORD: none
KNOWN OPERATORS:
Civil Air Foyle
Antonov Airlines
Volga-Dnepr Airlines
Military Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Voyenno Vozdushniye Sili (Soviet Air Force)
The reduction of the ground structures on Baikonur and the beginning of making heavy launchers have increased the air load transports. The plane VM-T "Atlant" can transport loads of 50 t, but the future projects planned to carry loads of 200 t to Baikonur. Antonov studied the way of building a transport plane of greater capacity by making modifications on the An-124 model, it created the An-225. The An-225 Mriya ("Мрiя" means Dream in Ukrainian) has a load capacity of 250 t (initialy 225 t), is 84 m long, 88.4 m of scale and 18.1 m in height. It made its first flight on December 21, 1988 (breaking 106 world records) and transported Bourane (60 t) to Le Bourget (France) in 1989.
It is until now the largest working plane in the world, there is only one specimen of it and it is used by Antonov Airline for exceptional transport missions (An-225 at Gostomel airport). Mriya now has the Ukrainian flag painted on its drift and is recorded under the name UR-82060. Moreover, it has undergoes some modifications such as the addition of new safety systems, navigation and communication. According to the manufacturer the fuselage was reinforced to support heavier payloads. Lastly, it was equipped with a new cockpit and a new passengers cabin. Those improvements cost more than 20 million dollars in 2000.
Construction of a second An-225 had also begun during the 1980s but was stopped in 1994. Despite the numerous rumors about the continuation of the assembly of the second plane this one has never been finished.
Even if it is the biggest fret plane in the world the Mriya is not really profitable, it's used only when the load is too voluminous to be put in a An-124. Nobody asked yet to Antonov Airlines to buy this plane. In fact it's more economic to use 2 Russlan (An-124) than the Mriya. But the Mriya is a technological showcase for this company and each move of it come with articles in the local press.
SOURCE :
1. Aerospaceweb.org | Aircraft Museum - An-225 Mriya 'Cossack'
2. Antonov 225 Mriya Description
. One of its features i find fascinating is its ability to keel at the front. Obviously being a lumbering giant ,it is not suitable for military ops.
