The Antonov An-225 Mriya would undoubtedly be at the top of most people’s lists if they had to choose the undisputed heavyweight champion in the world of airplanes. The An-225 is the biggest freight plane in the world and has six engines, sixteen pairs of landing gear wheels, and a huge cargo compartment. Few people are aware, however, that the Soviet Union only ever produced ONE aN-225 Mriya with the intention of using it to transport its own replica of the space shuttle in the 1980s. The plane now flies goods all over the world. According to a 2018 CNN story, by the end of the 1970s, enormous and heavy goods need to be transported from their points of assembly to the Baikonur Cosmodrome, the sprawling spaceport in the Kᴀᴢᴀᴋʜsᴛᴀɴi desert from where Yuri Gargarin’s historic space flight in 1961 was launched.
This airplane still holds the record for being the heaviest ever built, and its specifications are as impressive as one could expect. The An-225 has a wingspan of two hundred ninety feet, is about sixty feet tall, and is two hundred seventy-five feet long. Do keep in mind that the iconic Boeing 747-8 has a wingspan of 224 feet, while the C-5 Galaxy used by the US Air Force has a wingspan of 223 feet.
The aircraft’s maximum takeoff weight is xis hundred forty tons, while its empty weight is three hundred fourteen tons. With a maximum range of 10,000 miles, it has a total freight carrying capacity of 250 tons. The maximum speed of 530 miles per hour is seen to be highly amazing for such a massive aircraft. Additionally, the An-225 is built to do military and civilian activities successfully even in extremely unfavorable weather conditions.
According to Antonov Airlines, a Ukrainian freight carrier that owns the sole completed Antonov An-225 Mriya, the An-225 has achieved two hundred fourteen national and one hundred twenty-four world records, including carrying the biggest payload ever carried, at 253,820 kg. On September 11, 2001, the An-225 simultaneously broke a number of world records, including one for carrying the biggest cargo ever—nearly 560,000 pounds. After only nine years, another world record was broken.
Two test wind turbine blades measuring 42.1 meters each were transported by the An-225 in 2010 from Skrydstrup, Dᴇɴᴍᴀʀᴋ, to Shijiazhuang, Cʜɪɴᴀ, according to a statement from Antonov Airlines. Altitude-related world records have also been established. At 10,150 meters above sea level in 2012, the An-225 set a new Guinness World Record for the highest art show. According to the firm, five hundred works of art from one hundred twenty artists were featured in the aerial exhibition.
Let’s see the world’s Heaviest aircraft: Antonov An-225 Mriya Stunning take-off from Toronto Pearson Airport in the ᴀᴡᴇsome video below.
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Video resource: Ross’ Aviation World
