Antonov An-225

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

An-225 Mriya

The Antonov-225 at Munich Airport
Type Strategic airlifter
Manufacturer Antonov
Maiden flight 21 December 1988
Status Operational
Primary user Antonov Airlines (1)
Produced 1988
Number built 2
Developed from Antonov An-124

The An-225 Mriya (Ukrainian: Антонов Ан-225 Мрія, NATO reporting name: Cossack) is a strategic airlift transport aircraft which was built by the Antonov Design Bureau, and is the largest flying airplane ever built by the most commonly accepted measure,[1] maximum gross takeoff weight. The design, built to transport the Buran orbiter, was an enlargement of the successful An-124 Ruslan. Mriya (Мрія) means "Dream" (Inspiration) in Ukrainian.

With a maximum gross weight of 640 tonnes (1,411,000 lb), the An-225 is the world's heaviest and largest aircraft. The Hughes H-4 Hercules, known to most as the "Spruce Goose", had a greater wingspan and a greater overall height, but was considerably shorter, and due to the materials used in its construction, also lighter. In addition, the Hercules only flew once and never climbed above 21.3 m (70 ft), making the An-225 the largest aircraft in the world to take off multiple times.[2] The An-225 is also larger than the Airbus A380 airliner, and considerably bigger than the Antonov An-124, Boeing 747 Large Cargo Freighter, and Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, the nearest equivalent heavy airlifters.

In November 2004, FAI placed the An-225 in the Guinness Book of Records for its 240 records.

The Antonov An-225 is commercially available for flying any over-sized payload due the unique size of its cargo deck. Currently there is only one aircraft operating but a second mothballed airframe is being reconditioned and is scheduled for completion around mid to late 2008.[3]

Contents

[edit] Development

Space shuttle Buran being carried by the An-225
Space shuttle Buran being carried by the An-225

The An-225 was designed for the Soviet space program as a replacement for the Myasishchev VM-T. Able to airlift the Energia rocket's boosters and the Buran space shuttle, its mission and objectives are almost identical to that of the Airbus Beluga and the United States' Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.[4]

The An-225 is an extension of Antonov's earlier An-124. To meet the needs of its new role, fuselage barrel extensions were added fore and aft of the wings, which received root extensions.[4] Two more Lotarev D-18 turbofan engines were added to the new wing roots, bringing the total to six, and an increased-capacity landing gear system with 32 wheels was designed. The An-124’s rear cargo door and ramp were removed to save weight, and the empennage was changed from a single vertical stabilizer to a twin tail with an oversized horizontal stabilizer. The twin tail was made necessary by the requirement to carry very large and heavy external loads, which would disturb the aerodynamics of a conventional tail. Unlike the An-124, the An-225 was not intended for tactical airlifting and is not designed for short-field operation.[4]

The An-225 first flew on December 21, 1988. The aircraft was on static display at the Paris Air Show in 1989. Two aircraft were ordered, but only one An-225 (tail number UR-82060[5]) is currently in service. It is commercially available for carrying ultra-heavy and oversize freight, up to 250,000 kg (550,000 lb) internally[4] or 200,000 kg (440,000 lb) on the upper fuselage. Cargo on the upper fuselage can be 70 m long.[6] A second An-225 was partially built during the late 1980s for use by the Soviet space program. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990 and the cancellation of the Buran space program, the lone operational An-225 was placed in storage. The six Lotarev engines were removed for use on An-124s, and the second An-225 airframe (nearing completion and awaiting engines) was also mothballed.

[edit] Operational service

In the late 1980s, efforts were begun by the Soviet government to generate revenue from its military assets. In 1989, a holding company was set up by the Antonov Design Bureau as a heavy airlift shipping corporation under the name "Antonov Airlines", based in Kiev, Ukraine and operating from London Luton Airport in partnership with Air Foyle HeavyLift.[6][7].

The company initiated operations with a fleet of four An-124-100s and three Antonov An-12s, but by the late 1990s a need for aircraft larger than the An-124 became apparent. In response, the original An-225 was re-engined, modified for heavy cargo transport, and placed back in service under the management of Antonov Airlines.

On May 23, 2001, the An-225 received its type certificate from the Interstate Aviation Committee Aviation Register (IAC AR).[8] The type's first flight in commercial service departed from Stuttgart, Germany on January 3, 2002, and flew to Thumrait, Oman with 216,000 prepared meals for American military personnel based in the region. This vast amount of ready meals was transported on some 375 pallets and weighed 187.5 tons.[9] Since then, the An-225 has become the major workhorse of the Antonov Airlines fleet, transporting objects once thought impossible to move by air, such as locomotives and 150-ton generators, and has become a valuable asset to international relief organizations for its ability to quickly transport huge quantities of emergency supplies during disaster relief operations.[10]

By 2000, it had become apparent that the demand for the An-225 had exceeded the airline's booking capacity, and in September 2006 the decision was made to complete the second An-225. Assembly is scheduled to complete in 2008.[11]

Beginning in June 2003, the An-225, along with An-124s, delivered over 800 tons of equipment to aid humanitarian efforts in Iraq.[12]

The An-225 has also been contracted by the Canadian and U.S. governments to transport military supplies to the Middle East in support of Coalition forces.[10]

The An-225 and Buran at Le Bourget Airport 1989
The An-225 and Buran at Le Bourget Airport 1989
An-225 main landing gear
An-225 main landing gear
The An-225 at Manchester Airport in 2006
The An-225 at Manchester Airport in 2006

[edit] Operators

Former

Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union

Current

Flag of Ukraine Ukraine

[edit] Specifications (An-225)

Orthographically projected diagram of the An-225 Mriya.

Data from Vectorsite[4], Antonov's Heavy Transports[13]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 6
  • Payload: 250,000 kg (550,000 lb)
  • Door dimensions: 440 x 640 cm (14.4 x 21.0 ft)
  • Length: 84 m (275.6 ft)
  • Wingspan: 88.40 m (290 ft 2 in)
  • Height: 18.1 m (59.3 ft)
  • Wing area: 905.0 m² (9,743.7 ft²)
  • Empty weight: 175,000 kg (385,800 lb)
  • Max takeoff weight: 600,000 kg (1,322,773 lb)
  • Powerplant: 6× ZMKB Progress D-18 turbofans, 229 kN (51,600 lbf) each
  • Takeoff run: 3,500 m (11,500 ft) with maximum payload

Performance


[edit] See also

A size comparison between four of the largest aircraft
A size comparison between four of the largest aircraft

Related development

Comparable aircraft

Related lists

[edit] References

  1. ^ Aerospaceweb.org | Largest Plane in the World
  2. ^ Antonov An-225 Mryia (Cossack). The Aviation Zone.
  3. ^ Antonov An-225 Mriya at warplanes.com
  4. ^ a b c d e Greg Goebel. Antonov An-225 Mriya ("Cossack"). The Antonov Giants: An-22, An-124, & An-225. Retrieved on 2006-02-18.
  5. ^ Photo on airliners.net
  6. ^ a b Mriya. Antonov ASTC. Retrieved on 2004-05-27.
  7. ^ An-225 Mriya, Nato: Cossack. Goleta Air & Space Museum. Retrieved on 2004-03-31.
  8. ^ TYPE CERTIFICATES FOR AIRCRAFT
  9. ^ Antonov Airlines:An-225 Mriya.
  10. ^ a b Antonov An-225. Aircraft-Info.net. Retrieved on 2004-02-15.
  11. ^ http://www.dutchops.com/AC_Data/Antonov/Antonov_225/An_225.htm DutchOps.com
  12. ^ The World’s Largest Aeroplanes. Military Zone - British Council. Retrieved on 2004-10-14.
  13. ^ Gordon, Yefim (2004). Antonov's Heavy Transports: Big Lifters for War & Peace. Midland Publishing. ISBN 1-85780-182-2. 

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
v • d • e
Antonov aircraft
Airliners
An-10 · An-24 · An-26 · An-28 · An-74 · An-140 · An-148 · An-174 · An-180 · An-218
Transports
OKA-38 · An-2 · An-3 · An-4 · An-8 · An-12 · An-14 · An-22 · An-30 · An-32 · An-38 · An-70 · An-72 · An-124 · An-225
Reconnaissance and surveillance
An-6 · An-71 · An-88
Experimental
SKV
Gliders
A-2 · A-7 · A-11 · A-13 · A-15 · A-40
Unknown
An-204
v • d • e
Giant aircraft (Heavier-than-air)
Production
Prototypes
Concepts
Other Aircraft Types

Biggest Airship: Luftschiffbau Zeppelin LZ 129 Hindenburg  · Biggest Blimp: Goodyear ZPG-3W  · Biggest Helicopter: Mil Mi-12
v • d • e
Lists relating to aviation
General
Military
Accidents/incidents
Records