ANTONOV
AN-225 MRIYA
THE FLYING GIANT
SARASIJ MAJUMDER
The Antonov AN-225 Mriya, once the colossus of the skies, is
no longer gracing the clouds with its formidable presence. This giant of an
aircraft, renowned for being the world's largest cargo plane, met a tragic end.
It was destroyed during the Battle of Antonov Airport in the early stages of
the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Mriya, which means 'dream' in Ukrainian,
was more than just an aircraft; it was a symbol of ambition and human achievement.
The aircraft came to Hyderabad in India from Turkmenistan.
The world's largest aircraft AN-225 Mriya landed for a technical halt. It was
carrying a generator that weighed 116 tonnes. Which is almost half the max
total carrying capacity of the aircraft.
At its first landing, the aircraft managed to keep everyone
wondering about its size with its wingspan of 88.4 metres carrying six
turbofan engines. Its long length of 84 meters from nose to tail was a part of
everyone's thought wavered.
It made headlines not just because of its massive size but
also because of its weight carrying capacity of 250 tonnes and maximum take-off
weight of 650 tonnes. Though built in the Soviet Era even in modern times it
managed to be a mega marvel.
It was a flying behemoth with a height of 18 meters, you can
imagine this height as it is comparable to the height of a six-storey tall
building. Even, the storey of the creation of this giant aircraft is as
incredible as its size.
It was created to transport the Soviet Buran space shuttle
from its landing site to Kazakhstan as well as other super-heavy jumbo
payloads. As mentioned earlier, the AN-225 can carry up to 250 tonnes of cargo,
compared to 157 tonnes for the Airbus A–380, the world's largest passenger
aircraft.
Mriya's huge landing gear has 32 wheels spaced across it.
According to aircraft manufacturers, the cargo compartment is pressurized,
which increases the aircraft's transport capability.
The Antonov An-225 also had many records under its name, for
instance in June 2010, it delivered two wind turbine blades from China to
Denmark, making it the world's longest individual item of air freight (42.1
meters). The An-225 also set records for the biggest single piece of air cargo
(a 189-ton generator) and the highest total payload (a 189-ton generator) (four
tanks totaling 253.82 tons).
The story of the Mriya might not end there. There's a
glimmer of hope, as there have been discussions about completing a second
AN-225. The second airframe, which had been in storage since 1994, was
reportedly about 70% complete before the conflict. Ukrainian officials,
including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, have expressed intentions to rebuild
the Mriya, seeing it as a phoenix that could rise from the ashes of its
predecessor.
The loss of the AN-225 was felt across the globe, not just
within the aviation community but also among those who marveled at its sheer
size and capability. It was an aircraft that could transport objects once
thought impossible to move by air, such as heavy generators and wind turbine
blades. Its absence leaves a void in the realm of outsized cargo transport, a
testament to its unique capabilities and the boldness of its design.
Sources:
https://www.aircharterservice.com/aircraft-guide/cargo/antonov-ukraine/antonovan-225
IMAGE: GOOGLE.
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