How many antonov 225 are there in the world

The heavy cargo aircraft was built during the Soviet era in the s and famously carries large payloads. The heavy loader first flew in December The first commercial flight undertaken by the An was from Stuttgart, Germany in when it flew to Oman. It belongs to the Antonov Airlines fleet and takes part in emergency and disaster operations and often carries military supplies to the Middle East to support coalition forces. The cargo aircraft has carried everything from wind turbine blades , generator for a gas power plant to medical supplies during emergencies and has also reportedly taken part in the COVID relief effort.

It was built to carry Soviet space shuttles and, 27 years after it entered service, it's still the world's biggest plane. The An, better known as the Mriya Ukrainian for "dream" creates a fuss wherever it goes. Measuring 84 m long with an 88 m wingspan, it weighs tonnes without cargo or fuel. It's the longest-bodied, longest-winged and heaviest operational plane in the world. Its cargo compartment is 43 m by 6. And there is only one operational Antonov An in the world! Designed in Ukraine to carry the Soviet Buran space shuttle on its back, it made its first flight in , coming into service the next year.

There were plans to build several more Ans but these were scuppered by the fall of the Soviet Union and the collapse of the shuttle program. Lately, Mriya has been making deliveries once - maybe twice - a year.

The six-engine An can carry a payload of up to tonnes, compared with tonnes for the Boeing and 65 tonnes for the Airbus To carry all that weight Antonov An has 32 wheels spread across its oversized landing gear. Also, its nose opens to allow cargo loading through the front end. Fans also like the design of Mriya's split tail. However, the turn of the century saw a revival for the completed An, and Antonov also turned its attention to finishing the second example.

In , it aimed to have the plane complete by , although this target was soon delayed. As such, a combination of the fall of the Soviet Union and a lack of demand has been what has resulted in the world not having a second An But where is the first nowadays? The active An recently returned to service after a month hiatus. Did you know about the story of the second, unfinished Antonov An? Have you ever seen the first, working example in person?