The Worlds Biggest Machines

Introduction | Biggest Engine | Biggest Aeroplane | Biggest Cargo Ship |
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| Tunnel Boring Machine | Rolling Mill | Part Eight |
| Part Nine | Part Ten |

The Antonov An-225 'Mriya' holds the record as the worlds' largest aeroplane. Aircraft come in all shapes and sizes - some have vast wingspans, others with colossal height, so it is often a matter of comparing physical shape and size among laymen. The officially accepted method of determining aircraft size however, is the MTOW - maximum take off weight. At 600,000kg, the An-225 has held the title since 1988.

The Dream

Mriya, meaning 'dream' was a concept devised by the Antonov Design Bureau based in Ukraine (former USSR), who had already built the An-124 'Ruslan'. It was built to transport the Russian space shuttle 'Buran' and had a 50% larger MTOW than any other aircraft when it was first constructed. It was designed to carry loads either internally in the vast hold or externally along the back of the fuselage. Designers took the An-124 and stretched it by 50m in length. They eliminated the rear cargo doors and ramp to save on weight and added a new centre wing section with two additional engines, making a total of six. Loading was achieved through the nose cone at the front of the aircraft, which hinged open vertically allowing unrestricted access to the hold. The main landing gear was 'beefed-up' to cope with the huge take-off weight and comprised seven pairs of wheels on each side of the aircraft at the rear and two pairs at the nose. Of the 32 wheels, 20 were designed to steer allowing the aircraft to manoeuvre at commercial airports.

The An-225 took its inaugural flight on 21 December, 1988 with a flight duration of just 75 minutes. The crew (normally six) comprised pilot Alexander Galunenko, co-pilot Sergei Grbik and flight engineer Alexander Shileshchenko. It entered full service in 1989, but this was destined to be a short career.

On 22 March, 1989 the aircraft amassed no less than 106 world and class aviation records, when it carried an internal payload of 156,000kg. The first piggy-back transportation of the Buran space shuttle took place on 13 May 1989.

Halted

Following the first flight of the re-useable Buran spacecraft, the programme was ended because of lack of funds and the on-going political situation in the Soviet Union. The then president, Boris Yeltsin, officially terminated the 20 billion rouble project on 30 June, 1993. The An-225 was put out to pasture and stored in Kiev in the spring of 1994. It had made a total of 347 flights comprising just 200 flight hours. Certification trials were only 90% complete.

Moth-balled, the plane was stripped of its six engines and they were re-used on An-124s. In addition a second Mriya, half way through construction, was sidelined. To date, only one An-225 has ever been built.

A New Lease of Life

There were occasional attempts to bring the An-225 back into service. Plans were eventually drawn up for worldwide 'outsize' cargo operations, backed by a $20 million investment from Antonov and engine maker Motor-Sich. These plans led to the refurbishment of the original An-225 beginning in autumn 2000. The refurbishment included new avionics and modified engines that met new noise level restrictions.

The Mriya flew again on 7 May, 2001, finally receiving its type-certificate from the Interstate Aviation Committee on 26 May, 2001. It is chartered by customers around the globe through British company Air Foyle. In early 2002 Antonov began work on the second An-225 again. Depending on demand, it is possible that more aircraft will be built.

Vital Statistics

The An-225 is an extraordinary bird. Dwarfing other commercial cargo liners, it boasts a formidable set of statistics - many that have never been equalled. Its cargo-carrying capacity is arguably the most impressive of its features, after all, that is what the designers aimed for. The cavernous hold can comfortably accomodate up to 16 standard aeronautical containers, each with a capacity of 10,000kg. The available floor space is enough to house the equivalent of 80 medium-sized cars. Commercial flights have included conveyance of plant for the oil, gas and mining sectors. Two yachts, representing the Swedish and Swiss entries in the America's Cup, were transported in 2001. Following the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004, the An-225 was employed to ferry relief equipment including massive power-generation plant to Sri-lanka, Thailand and Indonesia.

• Crew: 6 (pilot, co-pilot, two flight engineers, navigator, communications engineer).
• Power Plant: 6 x Progress D-18T Series 3 Turbofans.
• Power: 6 x 229kN (51,590lbs).
• Length: 84.0m
• Height: 18.2m
• Wing Span: 88.4m
• Wing Area: 905m²
• Cargo: 200,000kg maximum limit for single externally carried item. (Loads of up to 70m length and 10m diameter can be carried on the back of the fuselage).
• Cargo compartment: Height 4.4m Width 6.4m Length 43.3m
• Maximum Payload: 250,000kg
• Fuel Load: >300,000kg
• Maximum Take Off Weight: 600,000kg
• Cruising Speed: 800 - 850km/h
• Range With Maximum Fuel Load: 4,500km with 200,000kg cargo, 9,600km with 100,000kg cargo, 15,400km with no cargo.

Closest Competitors

The Airbus A380, capable of carrying 550 passengers, is the nearest comparable aircraft with a MTOW of 540,000kg. The Boeing 747-400, carrying 400 passengers, has a MTOW of 415,000kg. If proposed variants of the Airbus A380 are built they could eventually exceed the long-standing record held by the An-225 Mriya since 1988.