What is an-225?

The Antonov An-225 Mriya ("Dream") was a strategic airlift cargo aircraft designed and manufactured by the Antonov Design Bureau in the Ukrainian SSR within the Soviet Union during the 1980s. It was powered by six turbofan engines and was the heaviest aircraft ever built, with a maximum takeoff weight of 640 tonnes (705 short tons). It also had the largest wingspan of any aircraft in operational service.

• Purpose and Design: The An-225 was originally designed to transport the Buran%20spaceplane and its Energia rocket boosters. Its design was an enlargement of the Antonov An-124 Ruslan.

• Unique Features: Some of its unique features included its six engines, a twin-tail design to enable carrying large, external payloads, and a heavy-duty landing gear system with 32 wheels.

• Operational History: Only one An-225 was ever completed. It entered service in 1988. After a period of being out of service after the collapse of the Soviet Union, it was refurbished and re-entered commercial service with Antonov Airlines, carrying oversized and heavy payloads.

• Destruction: Tragically, the only completed An-225 was destroyed in the Battle%20of%20Antonov%20Airport near Kyiv in February 2022, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

• Potential Reconstruction: There have been discussions and plans for a possible second An-225 to be completed, utilizing existing components from the unfinished second airframe, but these plans face significant challenges and uncertainties due to cost and feasibility.