Antonov or AN-225 is the world’s heaviest and largest jet ever built with the landing gear system of 32 wheels and a wing span of 291 feet. It was designed for the Soviet space program in 1988 and able to airlift the Energia rocket’s boosters, Buran space shuttle or ultra-heavy and oversize freight, up to 250,000 kg (550,000 lb) internally or 200,000 kg (440,000 lb) on the upper fuselage. Cargo on the upper fuselage can be 70 m long.
Some pictures and the video after the jump.
Information via wikipedia
Breath-taking!
It is always crazy to see the Russian space shuttle Buran.
I always think I’m looking at Discovery, Columbia, or even the Challenger!
@ Wackyruss
That’s because you are looking at Discovery, Columbia and Challenger! Russia completely ripped off our Space Shuttle design.
@ kendall
I dont know the facts about that. but NASA totally ripped off russian rocket engine design, they never thought of using closed-loop designs because they thought it would be too risky. Untill they tested some old soviet engines that had been shoved away in storage for 10+ years and outperformed every engine they had
Some years back I had a chance to speak with a Russian Aerospace engineer traveling with An exhibit as part of “Perestroika”. His explanation of the Bural shuttle was that the engineering behind it was totally Russian but some shapes are simply the best for the job. There were British and French shuttles being developed at that time and they too resembled the Russian and American shuttles.
@Wackyruss and Kendall
Message of Tomcat1147:
Some years back I had a chance to speak with a Russian Aerospace engineer traveling with An exhibit as part of “Perestroika”. His explanation of the Bural shuttle was that the engineering behind it was totally Russian but some shapes are simply the best for the job. There were British and French shuttles being developed at that time and they too resembled the Russian and American shuttles.
It’s not about the copying… It’s about the aerodynamics that shuttle (Buran’s)shape is aerodynamically designed this shape is the best aerodynamically speaking that can carry payload as well. Have you heard about the Aurora Project? Triagular shape for aircraft is the best.
You guys better finish grade school first before you make a comment about aircraft design.
Beautiful monster!
I don’t know about if the Antonov AN-225 is the largest and heaviest aircraft in the world when it is compared to the USA’s Galaxy C-5 aircraft. But, I will say that it is a most beautiful and majestic aircraft. Congratulations to the Russians for this marvelous aircraft design and engineering. It would be interesting to some time park the AN-225 next to the C-5 and observe the difference between the two !
AN-225 is twice bigger than Galaxy C-5 and bigger even than the new European A-380. They should keep it and find some specific use for it, maybe again for space programs, and/or any other specific transport of urgent and outsize cargoes just not to drop such a beauty.
Wladimir Vostrikov
AN-225 is twice bigger than Galaxy C-5 and bigger even than the new European A-380. They should keep it and find some specific use for it. Maybe again for space programs, “Buran” should be kept, it a genius idea! and/or any other specific transport of urgent and outsize cargoes and emergencies military and non military needs just not to drop such a beauty. “Buran” was certainly much more economic than using rockets, system which seem still so dangerous in comparison with this smooth system to reach the stratosphere!
Wladimir Vostrikov
I remember seeing that jet land in Abbotsford B.C. Canada in 1986 during the Abbotsford International Airshow. I am not making this up. The Soviets were giving tours of this aircraft and at the last minute I was turned away when they stopped offering tours. It is indeed an impressive aircraft. I think there was a Lockheed C-5A Galaxy there but this aircraft dwarfed it.How many of these aircraft exist now?
Only 1 AN-225 exists. It created for soviet space programm, not for ordinary cargo tasks.
yeah, that’s very cool, technically it’s just unbelivable. russian technology is really shining in these kinda events. too bad it all fell apart.
Here is more informations about the Mriya.
Nice site. Thanks for the link.
Its plane called Mria, Antonov means that plane developed by Antonov design bureau. There are less than 10 Mrias, as far as i can remember. But there is Antonov 124, its more commonly used.
In fact there is only one Mriya and the second one is being completed by now. That plane is located on Gostomel (Ucraine) and can be seen on Google Maps. I know it because in that town lives my girlfriend’s family and my mother-in-law works in Antonov.
Here is the google map link to this plane:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&time=&date=&ttype=&q=Gostomel',+Kyyivs'ka+Ukraine&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=47.301626,81.738281&ie=UTF8&cd=1&geocode=0,50.570088,30.261325&ll=50.588693,30.206523&spn=0.004659,0.009978&t=k&z=17&om=1
Impressive.
Music: Sky – toccata
Sure is, it reached the top 40 in the UK charts
incredible!
How many times did the Russian Space Shuttle fly into orbit?
Only once, in November 1988 (somebody correct me if I am wrong). However, several Burans were built.
Who made the turbofans? GE, Rolls Royce?
Lotarev D-18 by SE IVCHENKO-PROGRESS
http://ram-home.com/ram-old/eng_d-18.html
100% soviet technology
.
Wow! That’s big enough to carry 5-6 middle aged Russian women .. = )
Ouch.. whose the one with jokez?
bobo the clown ; and unemployed.
question:
Is this plane bigger than an Airbus A380
Of course it is. Take a look to this graphic comparing the biggest planes of all time:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Giant_planes_comparison.svg
For more information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonov_An-225
RE:Yeah, and 1-2 american girls, courtesy of McDonald’s.
Lots of laughs!!=) There is nothing wrong with Russian babes. Go to no marriage.com and you will know why.
always cool to see. the scale is amazing.
Historical pillar. I really wish that i travel in ti once..Well, its a big news.
My God That’s Amazing! I Thought The C-5 Galaxy Was Big But That Makes It Look Small!
It should be noted that there is currently a project under way by a private German company to purchase the license for, and to mass-produce an upgraded and fully modernized version of the AN225. I don’t currently know whether this program is still moving, but if completed, the AN225′s upgraded version would replace the Lockheed C5 and Boeing C17 in Military Transport and civilian airlift operations worldwide.
Just another helpful tidbit from the All-Seeing Pie-In-The-Sky. Hope you don’t mind.
Correction. The plane to be manufactured in future is AN325. Same style and many common parts but 8 engines each is more powerful than any of 6 of AN225. As with AN225, it’s primarily for needs of russian space program, it should be used to launch shuttles.
That just won’t happen Dave for the simple reason of it’s size — the darn thing is just too big to be practical for military applications.
Please please please… Who is playing the rock version of “toccata and fugue” in the movie? What’s the band?
Thx crowd!
AT
Look amongst the previous comments. A guy claims it to be “Sky – Toccata”, which seems to be pretty much right.
There’s no “jump”. There’s never a “jump”. Why do these bloggers think it’s so cool to use newsroom jargon that they even use it when it isn’t necessary?
Two things about the photos that surprised me. There isn’t a photo of it flying with the undercarriage retracted. There must be some; just wondering why none published.
Also, the instrument panel seems to be almost completely analog. The only CRT looks as if it might be for an onboard computer. Odd for such a modern aircraft.
“Buran” was the first unmanned space shuttle in the world. In that first flight it landed by itself.
หายากนะ
The Antonov looks like some sci-fi creation you’d find on Gerry Anderson’s “Thunderbirds” series.
That’s awesome………….
hell look at the size its just(no word)…………
You could park that up my arse and it still wouldn’t touch the sides
I copared the length of the 225 to the length of the old B-17 Bomber . That monster is about four times larger! As Jimmy Durante would say< “It’s Tremendeous!!
damn thats a big A$$ plane right there…how much was the plane?
initally constructed to quckly trnsfer wast amounts of armour during WWIII[canceled due to sabotaged[by Gorby]launch of key element of Soviet “Star Wars” on Energia missile in ’87(yes WWIII migh start in 1987)].
planned to build about ~87 units at least.
What a monster
Check the differende with the jet-fighter!
I never really understood why the Russians needed to build the An-225 for Buran orbiter. The An-225 is enormous, with 50% more thrust than the An-124 and a much larger wing surface and undercarriage.
The Buran orbiter was very similar in size to the Space Shuttle Orbiter and the Buran orbiter was actually signifficantly lighter in weight and more aerodynamic than the Space Shuttle Orbiter (mostly because it didn’t have the big main engines on board).
The American Space Shuttle can be carried on a modified Boeing 747. There’s no need to build an enormous six-engine jet to carry it: the 747 Shuttle carrier gets the job done just fine. The An-124 is a signifficantly heavier, larger and more powerful than the 747. It should be more than capable of carrying the Buran.
The An-225 was also supposedly designed with the capability to carry the Energia booster (it never ended up being configured for that), but the Energia booster is also not necessarily beyond the capabilities of other big aircraft.
I’m not saying that it isn’t a badass plane, it’s feakin awesome. I just don’t get why they needed it for the space carrier role, which is why it was created.
Maybe its a good thing we don’t know what they were planning to use it for?
repeat, it is not related to space program in any way[except overseas PR and transportation of partially assembled missiles].
just just heavvy trasporter for strategic neeeds of ANY kind,initially(as it in USSR almost always) for Army.
I can see the need to replace the C-5s at some point as they are in the twilight of their careers but the C-17 still has plenty of life in it. In any case the C-17 is an awesome transport aircraft and is ideal for its size, it can carry more than the dear old Starlifter could. Would be great to see more 225s or equivalents built. Only saw it once even though it has been to the UK a few times. Typical Russian engineering, built to last!
This plane is the super sayan version of the boeing 747, SICK!!!!!!!!!! THIS IS WHAT WE NEED!!! COOL EXOTIC DESIGNS FOR AITCRAFTS OTHER THAN THE BASIC TRI TAIL DESIGN WHICH IS ON MOST JETS!!!! COMPANIES SHOULD GET INSPIRATION FROM ANTANOV TO MAKE BETTER LOOKING JETS!!!
I think plane has a smaller wing span then the Spruce Goose
halo …….. Iam from indonesia
please catologue from antov-8 second
how prize plane second antov-8 .
my planing to mission cargo plane only indonesia to
my corporation in indonesia …..
cool stuff i like it
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i think this is awsum
BWAHAHAHAHAAAA! That’s hilarious!
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Bravo! Samo tako!
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An-225 is as big as Airbus A380
[...] Antonov launch facility. Source English Russia [...]
How sad for the once mighty “united states of america”, will we soon be forgotten? Or will we be a sad example of a ruin & corrupt nation?
I wish i could see it physically
Really a very huge bird to see. I am sure that anything that is huge and can work ok could be easily found in Russia, as they always make things like that since their old Soviet era. I have seen it before and it is basically a derivative of the An-124 super cargo aircraft, it was developed to carry the Soviet Buran Space Shuttle to their Space launch facility. But now a day s it is going through some up-gradation and after that it will continue to serve as Commercial Air cargo plane. Thanks for the post….
[...] in its drone technology will be returned tenfold when the international markets come knocking with Antonov AN-225 and Boeing 747s filled with money. The big question is “Where will these huge planes be coming [...]
RUSSIANS R GENIUS,
& THE GENIUS OF THE GENIUS IS OLEG K. ANTONOV, SIMPLY HATS OFF 2 DA LEGEND….
Very interesting .Russian are very sharp . What apity Stalin defamed socialism . Bright future for Russian . Antonov is a masteriece . Long live humanity & the science serve people .
Do you know that this plane was created in Romania?
Hey guys, its not right to call AN-225 a russian plane. It was design during the soviet era, it collapse. Antonov construction bureau is based in Ukraine, so it would be more correct to call it a soviet-Ukraine plane, as it was designed in Ukrainian SSR. Thanks.