The Antonov An-225 Mriya is the beast of the skies

The Antonov An-225 Mriya plane is huge. Picture: Karlis Bambrans Source: Flickr

YOU haven’t seen a true “jumbo jet” until you’ve laid eyes on this beauty.

Built back in December 21, 1988 by the Soviet Union during the Cold War, the Antonov An-225 Mriya is the biggest and heaviest plane in aviation history. And to the delight of plane-spotters, the giant of the skies is still in operation to this day.

Now that’s a lot of wheels! Picture: Gulgeo.eu Source: Flickr

With six engines, 32 wheels, the ability to carry up to 650 tonnes on board (50 cars can fit!), and the longest wingspan ever seen (at 88 metres), the An-225 Mriya raised eyebrows from the get-go. It offers a lot more than your standard jet.

To put that into perspective, a Boeing 747 jet has four engines, 16 wheels, can carry about half as much weight (maximum takeoff weight is 333 tonnes), and has a wingspan of 60m (28 metres smaller than the An-225).

The centre of attention. Picture: RHL Images Source: Flickr

And it’s one of a kind — just a single An-225 was ever built. Work did begin on a second plane, but was never completed.

A glimpse inside the plane. Picture: Karlis Dambrans Source: Flickr

Originally built to airlift a space ship in the 80s, the jet lay unused for eight years when no longer needed, before being refurbished and put into commercial service for Antonov Airlines to carry cargo.

Hop on board. Picture: Eric Salard Source: Flickr

Since then it has transported huge items such as a locomotive, and emergency supplies to disaster-stricken areas.

It transports a lot of large items these days. Picture: Gulgo.eu Source: Flickr

The plane holds the world record for the heaviest weight carried, at 189,980 kilograms, and the longest item on board 2010: Two 42m wind turbine blades, back in 2010.

There are some seats inside. Picture: Karlis Dambrans Source: Flickr

Here are some more facts about the An-225:

Length: 43.32m

Width: 6.4m

Height: 4.4m

Cruising speed: Up to 850kmh

Cruising altitude: Up to 12,000m

Airfield length: 3000-3500m

Not your regular airline. Source: Flickr

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