Antonov An-225

The Antonov An-225 Mriya ( uk, Антонов Ан-225 Мрія, lit=dream' or 'inspiration; NATO reporting name: Cossack) was a strategic airlift cargo aircraft designed and produced by the Antonov Design Bureau in the Soviet Union.

It was originally developed during the 1980s as an enlarged derivative of the Antonov An-124 airlifter for the express purpose of transporting ''Buran''-class orbiters. On 21 December 1988, the An-225 performed its maiden flight; only a single example was ever completed, although a second airframe with a slightly different configuration was partially built. After a brief period of use supporting the Soviet space program, the aircraft was mothballed during the early 1990s. Towards the turn of the century, it was decided to refurbish the An-225 and reintroduced it for commercial operations, carrying oversized payloads for the operator Antonov Airlines. Multiple announcements were made regarding the potential completion of the second airframe, however its construction has largely remained on hold due to a lack of funding. By 2009, it had reportedly been brought up to 60–70% completion.

With a maximum takeoff weight of , the An-225 held several records, including heaviest aircraft ever built and largest wingspan of any aircraft in operational service. It was commonly used to transport objects once thought impossible to move by air, such as 130-ton generators, wind turbine blades, and diesel locomotives. Additionally, both Chinese and Russian officials had announced separate plans to adapt the An-225 for use in their respective space programmes. The Mriya routinely attracted a high degree of public interest, attaining a global following due to its size and its uniqueness. The only completed An-225 was destroyed in the Battle of Antonov Airport during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. On 20 May 2022, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky announced plans to complete the second An-225 to replace the destroyed aircraft.

Development

Work on what would become the Antonov An 225 would begin in 1984 with a request from the Soviet government for a large airlifter as a replacement for the Myasishchev VM-T. The specifics of this request included the ability to carry a maximum payload of 551,116lb (both externally and internally) while operating from any runway of at least 11,500ft. As originally set out, the mission and objectives were broadly identical to that of the United States' Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, having been designed to airlift the Energia rocket's boosters and the ''Buran''-class orbiters for the Soviet space program. Furthermore, a relatively short timetable for the delivery of the completed aircraft meant that development would have to proceed at a rapid pace.

Accordingly, the Antonov Design Bureau decided to produce a derivative of their existing Antonov An-124 Ruslan airlifter, although its payload capacity was almost half of what was required. The aircraft was stretched via the addition of fore and aft fuselage barrel sections, while a new enlarged wing centre was designed that facilitated the carriage of an additional pair of Progress D-18T turbofan engines, increasing the total from four to six powerplants. A completely new tail was also required to handle the wake turbulence generated by the bulky external loads that would be carried on the aircraft's upper fuselage.Fricker 1990, p. 58. Despite the novelty of its scale, the design of the An 225 was largely conventional.Fricker 1990, p. 57. The lead designer of the An-225 (and the An-124) was Viktor Tolmachev.

On 21 December 1988, the An-225 performed its maiden flight.Eisenstein 2003, p. 34. It made its first public appearance outside of the Soviet Union at the 1989 Paris Air Show where it was presented while carrying a Buran orbiter.Fricker 1990, p. 56. One year later, it performed a flying display for the public days at the Farnborough Air Show. While two aircraft had been ordered, only a single An-225, (registration ''CCCP-82060'', later ''UR-82060'') was finished. It could carry ultra-heavy and oversized freight weighing up to internally or on the upper fuselage. Cargo on the upper fuselage can be up to in length.

A second An-225 was partially built during the late 1980s for the Soviet space program, however, work on the airframe was suspended following the collapse of the Soviet Union. By 2000, the need for additional An-225 capacity had become apparent; during September 2006, it was decided that the second An-225 would be completed, a feat that was at one point scheduled to occur around 2008. However, the work was subject to repeated delays. By August 2009, the aircraft had not been completed and work had been abandoned. In May 2011, the Antonov CEO reportedly stated that the completion of the second An-225, which would have a carrying capacity of 250 tons, requires at least $300 million; upon the provision of sufficient financing, its completion could be achieved in three years. According to different sources, the second aircraft was 60–70% complete by 2016.

The revival of space activities involving the An-225 was repeatedly announced and speculated upon throughout its life. During the early 2000s, studies were conducted into the production of an even larger An-225 derivative, the eight-engined Antonov An-325, which was to intended to be used in conjunction with Russia's in-development MAKS space plane. In April 2013, the Russian government announced plans to revive Soviet-era air launch projects that would use a purpose-built modification to the An-225 as a midair launchpad.

In May 2017, Airspace Industry Corporation of China (AICC)'s president, Zhang You-Sheng, informed a BBC
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