Antonov An-225 Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids An-225 Mriya

The An-225 in current livery in 2012
Role	Strategic airlifter
National origin	Soviet Union
Design group	Antonov
Built by	Antonov Serial Production Plant
First flight	21 December 1988
Status	In service
Primary user	Antonov Airlines
Produced	1985
Number built	1
Developed from	Antonov An-124

The An-225 leaves six vapour trails. That is one for each engine.

The Antonov An-225 Mriya was the biggest airplane in the world. Its name, Mriya, means 'dream' or 'inspiration' in Ukrainian. This giant plane had six powerful engines. It was built in the Soviet Union by a company called Antonov.

Antonov An-225 Mriya: The World's Biggest Plane
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Antonov An-225 Mriya: The World's Biggest Plane

The Antonov An-225 Mriya was a very special cargo plane. It was designed to carry extremely heavy and large items. Only one of these amazing planes was ever fully built. It was a true marvel of engineering.

Why Was the Mriya Built?

The An-225 was first built for a specific mission. It was meant to carry the Soviet Space Shuttle Buran. This was similar to how NASA used a special plane to carry its space shuttles. The Mriya was designed to transport the Buran shuttle on its back.

It needed to be strong enough to lift the shuttle.
It also needed to be stable enough to fly with such a large load.

After the Buran program ended, the An-225 found a new purpose. It became a super-heavy transport plane. It carried things that no other aircraft could.

What Did the An-225 Carry?

The Mriya was used by Antonov Airlines for special missions. It transported huge and unusual cargo all over the world. This included things like:

Very large generators
Giant wind turbine blades
Heavy machinery for mining
Even other airplanes or parts of them

Its ability to carry such massive loads made it unique. It helped deliver essential equipment globally.

How Big Was the An-225?

The An-225 was truly enormous. It held many world records for its size and lifting power.

It had a wingspan of 88.4 meters (290 feet). That's longer than a football field!
It weighed about 285 tons (570,000 pounds) when empty.
It could carry up to 250 tons (550,000 pounds) of cargo.
It had 32 wheels on its landing gear to support its massive weight.

Its six Ivchenko Progress D-18T turbofan engines gave it incredible power. These engines helped it lift off with its heavy loads.

The Sad End of the Mriya

Sadly, the Antonov An-225 Mriya was destroyed. This happened during a conflict in February 2022. It was located at Hostomel Airport in Ukraine. The loss of the Mriya was a great blow to aviation. Many people around the world mourned its destruction. There are discussions about possibly rebuilding it one day.

Images for kids

The An-225 carrying Buran (1.01) in 1989
The An-225 at Farnborough in 1990
Three of six Ivchenko Progress D-18T turbofan engines on the An-225
The An-225's main landing gear
The nose gear on the An-225
The Antonov Airlines An-225 landing at Hostomel Airport, 2014
An image believed to show the An-225 Mriya ablaze in its hangar
Wreckage of the An-225 Mriya, showing its collapsed forward end and remaining wing
Hostomel Partially Cleaned