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Photo from AntonovThe largest plane ever built held its title for nearly 40 years. Now, 35 years after it took its first flight, we look back on the iconic aircraft, the Antonov AN-225 Mriya. The massive plane was developed to transport materials as part of the Buran Space Shuttle Program and won the title of the world's largest fixed-wing aircraft in the late 1980s. By 2022, the world saw the shocking images of its remains in a hangar following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the battle for Hostomel Airport. The word Mriya means dream or inspiration in English, an accurate representation of what this aircraft meant and the decision to rebuild after its destruction.
The History of the AN-225
Development and first flight
The Soviet Union ran into a problem when transporting the spacecraft for the Buran Space Shuttle Program - it could not travel by road or rail due to its size. The Soviets needed a large cargo aircraft to carry the spacecraft from the factory in Moscow to the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, according to Military Today. On Oct. 16, 1986 Antonov Design Bureau received approval of the Requirements Specifications for the development of a multi-purpose aircraft for the aerospace system, including the Buran shuttle orbiter and the Rassvet carrier. The mission was similar to the Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. The first AN-225 was completed in 1988, making its maiden flight on Dec. 21 of that year.RELATED STORIES:Antonov An-225 Mriya, world's largest plane, reportedly destroyed at Ukraine airportVideo documents final mission of Antonov An-225 MriyaUkraine vows to complete second Antonov An-225
Mriya, or Dream, was developed to be transportation for the Buran shuttle orbiter and components of the Energiya carrier rocket and also expected to be used as a flying space launching site in the reusable aerospace transport system, according to Antonov. The AN-225 can deliver heavy and oversized aircraft around the world, carrying it either inside the fuselage or in external stores. It was designed to perform military and civil operations under various weather conditions. The AN-225 has three variants according to Aerospace Technology, beginning with the AN-224 which features an additional rear cargo door. The AN-225-100 is an improved version with better communication gear, navigation equipment and a traffic collision avoidance system for use in commercial operations. The AN-325 is an extended variant, fitted with an additional engine on each inboard pylon to increase payload carrying capacity.
Development of the AN-225 began in 1984 and it was rolled out of the Antonov assembly shop on Nov. 30, 1988. The AN-225 took its first flight on Dec. 21, 1988, taking off from the factory aerodrome in Svyatoshyn. The crew was headed by Oleksandr Galunenko and included Sergii Gorbik as the co-pilot, Sergii Nechayev as navigator, Oleksandr Shuleshchenko as senior flight engineer, Volodymyr Gusar as flight engineer, Vyacheslav Belousov as radio operator and Mykhaylo Kharchenko as leading test flight engineer. In February 1989, Mykhaylo Gorbachov, the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, visited the Mriya at the Kyiv Boryspil Airport. While on board the AN-225, the historic decision was made to place two AN-124s at the disposal of the Antonov ASTC. This welcomed commercial transport operations for Russians and served as incitement for setting up Antonov Airlines, the air transport division of the ASTC.
While two of the AN-225 aircraft were built, the construction was only completed on one. The second AN-225 was upgraded with a rear cargo door and a redesigned tail with a vertical stabilizer, according to Aerospace Technology. Work on the prototype ended in 1993 due to a lack of funds and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. After the Buran Space Shuttle Program ended the AN-225 was placed in storage for over ten years until a new need for heavy freight transport aircraft arose and the development resumed in 2006. According to Military Today, the work was again abandoned in 2009. The work remained about 60 to 70 percent complete and it was estimated an additional $300 million was required to finish it.
On March 22, 1989 the AN-225 took off with 156.3 tons of cargo and achieved 110 world speed, altitude and weight-to-altitude records within three hours and 45 minutes of flight. On May 13, 1989 the plane took off from the Baikonur aerodome carrying the Buran orbiter, weighing about 60 tons, carrying it piggyback. There were 13 test flights completed in such a configuration in the Baikonur area. In June of 1989 the AN-225 showed off its impressive size and capability at the 38th Paris International Aerospace Show at Le Bourget in France. In May 1990, Mriya made its first commercial flight carrying a T-800 tractor weighing over 110 tons from Chelyabinsk to Yakutia. By 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed and the AN-225 was passed on to Ukraine.
The 1990s and 2000s - the record-breaking years
The Buran space program was taken over by Russia until it was canceled due to funding problems. Without any need to transport large shuttles and rocket components, the AN-225 lost the role it was designed for. The smaller AN-124 was still used to carry tanks and other military equipment, according to Military Today. The only AN-225 was left in storage from 1994 until 2000, with parts stolen to keep other AN-124 aircraft operational. In 2000, Mriya was re-engined, refurbished and modified for heavy cargo transport, flying again in 2001. After achieving over 100 world records within its first year of flight, the AN-225 continued to leave its mark on aviation history. On May 7, 2001 the AN-225 took its first flight following a reconditioning overhaul after a seven-year-long downtime on the aerodome, according to Antonov. On May 26, 2001 the AN-225 Type Certificate was handed in during a runway opening ceremony at the Boryspil airport and on September 11 of that year, Mriya set 124 world and 214 national speed, altitude and weight-to-altitude records.
After flying with 247 tons of cargo on June 16, 2004 the AN-225 set six world records. On June 10, 2010 the plane reached another milestone when it made history for carrying the longest cargo item in the history of air transportation, two wind turbine blades over 138 feet each, delivered from China to Denmark for special testing. On the opening day of the AviaSvit-XXI Aerospace Show the AN-225 lifted the Globus Gallery art exhibition, featuring 500 paintings by 120 Ukrainian artists and set up in the cargo compartment, to an altitude of over 33,000 feet. This creative flight was recorded in the Guinness Book of Records. In 2016, Mriya carried a cargo item weighing 182 tons. The 155-ton electric turbine was accommodated in a special-purpose 27-ton carcass and flown from São Paulo, Brazil to Santiago, Chile.
The end of the Antonov AN-225
The aircraft has gained worldwide recognition for its size but has also been monumental in the transportation of large materials or vehicles. What would take months by road or rail would not have been possible due to size restrictions, can be achieved with one, much shorter, trip. For years Mriya was used for special missions to carry massive cargo that other aircraft were not capable of. The Antonov AN-225 was the largest flying aircraft until it was destroyed in 2022.
According to a tribute by FlightRadar24, beginning in 2018 the AN-225 spent over one year undergoing major upgrades to its power plant control systems. Additionally, it had electrical modifications like LED lighting. In April 2020, as the world locked down for the COVID-19 Pandemic, Mriya began flights carrying medical supplies from China to Europe. The last ever flight of the AN-225 was carrying PPE to Denmark on Feb. 4-5, 2022. The largest aircraft ever to fly was unfortunately destroyed weeks later at the start of the Russo-Ukrainian War.
On the morning of Feb. 24, 2022 Russian forces fought to seize control of the Hostomel Airport, where the AN-225 sat in a hangar. According to War on the Rocks, Russian forces began an attempt to seize control of Kyiv. The Battle of Antonov Airport, or the Battle of Hostomel Airport, began merely hours after President Vladimir Putin announced the start of a special military operation in Ukraine. Russian Airborne forces began an air assault on the airport. The goal was to take control of the city in a matter of days, but the Ukrainian forces fought back.
In the aftermath of the battle, the destroyed AN-225 was shown in pictures online. A press release from Ukroboronprom said it would be restored at the expense of the occupant, meaning Russia.
"The occupiers destroyed the airplane, but they won't be able to destroy our common dream," the Ukroboronprom release said. "Mriya will definitely be reborn. The restoration is estimated to take over 3 bln USD and over 5 years. Our task is to ensure that these costs are covered by the Russian Federation, which has caused intentional damage to Ukraine's aviation and the air cargo sector."
According to FlightRadar24, in November 2022 Antonov announced it had begun work on the new AN-225. The unfinished frame was not damaged in the fighting and assembly will begin after the war.