The Antonov An-225 Mriya is a massive cargo aircraft built in the 1980s by the Soviet Union. It is the largest and heaviest airplane ever built, with a maximum takeoff weight of 640 tonnes. Only one was constructed and it holds the world records for airlifting the heaviest single item payload of 189,980 kilograms and heaviest total payload of 253,820 kilograms. The cavernous cargo hold measures over 1,300 cubic meters and can carry payloads much larger than other cargo planes. Today it is still in commercial operation, carrying oversized payloads for its sole operator, Antonov Airlines.

1. The Largest Airplane Ever Built

2. The Antonov An-225 Mriya is a cargo aircraft that was
designed by the Soviet Union’s Antonov Design Bureau in
the 1980s. It is powered by six turbofan engines and is the
longest and heaviest airplane ever built, with a maximum
takeoff weight of 640 tonnes. It also has the largest
wingspan of any aircraft in operational service. Only one
An-225 was ever built and the behemoth transporter is still
in service today.

4. The first and only An-225 was completed in 1988 after four
years of construction. The An-225 first flew on 21
December 1988 with a 74-minute flight from Kiev. The
Antonov An-225 was originally designed to airlift the
Energia rocket’s boosters and the Buran space shuttle for
the Soviet space program.
After successfully fulfilling its Soviet military missions, it
was mothballed for eight years. It was then refurbished
and re-introduced, and is in commercial operation with
Antonov Airlines carrying oversized payloads. An
increased-capacity landing gear system with 32 wheels
was designed, some of which are steerable, enabling the
aircraft to turn within a 60 m (200 ft) wide runway.

7. The pressurized cargo hold is 1,300 m3 (46,000
cu ft) in volume; 6.4 m (21 ft) wide, 4.4 m (14 ft)
high, and 43.35 m (142.2 ft) long—longer than
the first flight of the Wright Flyer. The airlifter
holds the absolute world records for an airlifted
single item payload of 189,980 kilograms
(418,834 pounds), and an airlifted total payload
of 253,820 kilograms (559,577 pounds). It has
also transported a payload of 247,000 kilograms
(545,000 pounds) on a commercial flight.

11. General Characteristics
Crew: 6
Length: 84 m (275 ft 7 in)
Wingspan: 88.4 m (290 ft 0 in)
Height: 18.1 m (59 ft 5 in)
Wing area: 905 m2 (9,740 sq ft)
Aspect ratio: 8.6
Empty weight: 285,000 kg (628,317 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 640,000 kg (1,410,958 lb)
Fuel capacity: 300,000 kg
Cargo hold – volume 1,300m3, length 43.35m, width 6.4m, height
4.4m
Powerplant: 6 × ZMKB Progress D-18 turbofans, 229.5 kN (51,600 lbf)
thrust each

12. Performance
Maximum speed: 850 km/h (528 mph; 459 kn)
Cruising speed: 800 km/h (497 mph; 432 kn)
Range: 15,400 km (9,569 mi; 8,315 nmi) with maximum
fuel; range with maximum payload: 4,000 km (2,500 mi)
Service ceiling: 11,000 m (36,089 ft)
Wing loading: 662.9 kg/m2 (135.8 lb/sq ft)
Thrust/weight: 0.234