The World's Largest Plane Wasn't What You Think
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Published 2021-02-25
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Starting in the late 1970’s, engineers began studying options to develop a much more capable strategic heavy lift transport. The aircraft’s primary mission would be to carry Energia-Buran components, but engineers also planned on using the new airplane to serve as a launch platform for a small air-launched reusable spacecraft called the MAKS (Multipurpose aerospace system). The Antonov An-124 Ruslan Cargo Transport, under development in the 1970’s and early 1980’s, was a logical starting point. The strategic lift cargo plane was already set to be the largest and most capable transport to ever enter service, and it was expected to be ready in time for Energia-Buran. But even the An-124 wasn't quite large or powerful enough.
Rather than design an entirely new aircraft from scratch, engineers lengthened the An-124’s fuselage and added a new center section to increase the aircraft’s overall wing span. To give the plane more power, they added two additional engines, giving the plane a total of 309,600 pounds of thrust. Engineers also redesigned the vertical stabilizer to accommodate larger components, and designed a new landing gear to distribute the plane’s immense weight across 32 wheels. The new supersized jet would be designated as the AN-225 Mriya.
The enormous plane made its first flight on December 21, 1998, one month after the first launch of an unmanned Buran spacecraft. But the successes of the Energia-Buran and the An-225 were soon overshadowed by the fact that the Soviet Union was going bankrupt. It meant the Buran would never launch again, and the An-225 no longer had a mission.
Today the An-225 is used to transport cargo that would otherwise be impossible to fly. But the plane’s outsized cargo lifting capabilities also come with an outsized cost. At upwards of $30,000 an hour to operate, the An-225 only flies when no other aircraft can do the job. But as a one of a kind aircraft in a class of its own, the An-225 still draws crowds wherever it lands.
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All Comments (21)
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I'm saddened to learn that Ukraine's Antonov An-225 was destroyed by Russian forces on Feb 27, 2022. As of today, going forward all ad revenue from this video will be donated to The Revived Soldiers Ukraine charity to help rehabilitate the wounded. If you have the means, I encourage you to donate if you can: www.rsukraine.org/
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RIP Antonov An-225, I hope someone will be able to salvage it so it can at least be displayed in a museum. Sad to see a flying historical monument be destroyed like this.
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Rest In Peace, Mriya. The greatest plane in the world.
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The worst thing about this video that it has been published EXACTLY one year before the antonov 225 was destroyed. It's a heartbreaking coincidence.
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"It burns up to 20 tons [an absurd amount] of fuel an hour-" Concorde: "First time?"
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"How many engines do you want on the plane, komrade?" "Da."
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God, coming back after 27th of Feb hearing the news that the plane was destroyed. Really breaks my heart that we lost this engineering marvel. RIP, AN-225, 1988-2022.
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So sad to see that this masterpiece of engineering has left this world due to conflict. Something i'd never expected to see in my life...
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No one's gonna talk about how this video about the An-225 was released on 2/25
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Infographics show: Quantity over Quality. Mustard: Quality over Quality.
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It was a sad day for aircraft enthusiasts around the world. F to the legendary Antonov An-225 Mriya, thank you to all the Soviet engineers who worked on this aircraft.
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I nearly shed a tear of happiness when they put the An-225 back into service. Even if it is only used for specific tasks, the fact that she was rescued from the scrapping yard made me very happy. No creation like the An-225 deserves to die like that.
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The visuals on this channel never cease to be amazing...
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AN-225 really did attract crowd. It made into news when it was about to land in our country and lots of people sat on hills nearby the airport to see it land and take off
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Rest in peace Mriya, your memory and legacy will never be forgotten
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Rest In Peace An-225, you’ve been a big success in the aviation community, and we will all miss you
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JUST WHEN I THOUGHT MY DAY COULDN’T GET ANY BETTER.
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During the 2020 Pandemic the An225 came to Shannon Ireland to deliver PPE. It drew people to watch it land and take off. As a goodbye it gave it a salute to the crowd.
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9:04 best Moment: they gave the vintage russian computer the name редис ("radish"), in contrast to the American "Apple". The beautifully matching icon is hilarious!
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Such a blessing to see the Antonov 225 in the flesh land in my hometown. A gracious giant. Makes it so hard to learn about it being destroyed earlier this year. RIP Mriya.
