My daughter and I went aboard AN-225 in 1991 when it was at Bradley International (KBDL) outside Hartford, Connecticut while still in CCCP colors. We toured the cockpit, crew area and cargo hold. My daughter was nine at the time and, like airmen everywhere, they treated her to an autographed picture and two Ruble coins. We have them framed in the living room. When the USSR collapsed, I feared the plane might be scrapped, but Ukraine kept her in storage and later rebuilt her. God bless her and all who fly in her.
In fact there is another one not completed yet, it was initially made to carry the Russian space shuttle...I saw them in Le Bourget Paris airshow that was quiet a display soooo huge. Wish they had completed number two as cargo is booming it would be nice to see Mriya’s little sister in the sky too...
@@skytrotter6144. The other one was the one that was white with a blue stripe. The 225 we know today was slated for the scrap yard until Ukraine got up to refurbish it and use it now as an international cargo plane
Given that the existing An-225 only flies 20 cargo flights per year, there doesn't seem to be the demand for a second one. We'd see this one flying way more often if the demand existed to support two planes.
One reason the 225 doesn't have a lot of flights is because of it's huge size, it's limited by how many airports it can fly to, and it's a fuel hog, also when you add downtime because of maintenance; since it's the only one, you can't do like the airlines do and just cannibalize from another airplane a part that's not immediately available, one good thing about Boeing or Airbus is that they have a good support system of spare parts availability, I think that is why most cargo airlines use 747s instead of ordering new AN124s or even AN225s, Although there are a couple Russian cargo airlines that have AN124s, I wonder how they deal with the parts situation.
There is, in fact, a second one half-built at Antonov HQ that they have been talking about finishing for... about 20 years now. There's definitely no need for more, sadly enough.
@odegaard you're absolutely right that these cases exist. But they're not common and one 225 is enough the handle all the demand. For large machinery, if moving it in its assembled state is difficult, you just assemble it in its final location.
Actually the An225 wasn't built as an all-new aircraft. It's a scaled-up version of the successful An124 (itself quite a beast already), which was designed to be the Soviet counterpart of the American C5 Galaxy. PS: When it comes to staggering figures, you forgot perhaps the most staggering of them all: 250,000 kg. That's the useful payload of this baby.
That’s like saying the a340 isn’t an all new aircraft. Sure it’s based on the a330 and there exists commonality but it has a completely different wing and engine layout. The same could be said about the 737 - it was just a 727 or 707 with a shortened fuselage and an updated wing and engines.
@@planeshane9193 Actually the A340 wasn't an all new aircraft at all. It was developed together with the A330 at the same time as a single family and, initially, the number of engines (and the associated systems) was really the only difference between the two (the A340 was even supposed to be called A330, they changed it later so that the 4 engine model had the "4" in its name). Only the later versions A340-500 and -600 received a different wing. You probably meant A300 vs A330/A340, but that's not really accurate either. The latter family had little in common with the original A300 apart from the fuselage cross-section. Different engines, different materials, new systems, digital FBW etc, sticks instead of yokes etc. There are of course many differences between the An124 and An225 apart from the number of engines too. Different (and much larger) wing, much longer fuselage, no rear loading door on the 225, different tail configuration (standard tail for the 124, H-tail for the 225), different cockpit, different crew requirements (the 225 has two flight engineers, for example) etc...
This is the only aircraft that ever transported a train locomotive... I still cannot wrap my mind around it, when I saw the locomotive being loaded in I went blank!
Biggest plane I've ever seen in person was the 225's little brother, the AN-124 Condor in 1996. It was flying relief missions out of Toronto to Zaire. I was heading into work (the office was right under the airport flightpath), came around a corner and saw what at first I thought was another 747. Until the gear came down, and about a thousand wheels dropped. Then I noticed that the wing was at the top and not the side of the fuselage, and I went 'wait a minute...'
@@PrograError I am extremely late to this but in the UK the roads are mostly A (medium size), B (small) or M (motorway) roads so the A325 is just a road that is near Farnborough
@@Michael_Scott_Howard not really, you just said it was the earliest, the other two are bigger...this would only be an argument if it was earlier and bigger...
I've seen it landing and flying overhead during an aviation show in Kyiv (Kiev older way of spelling). It was huge, there isn't much else to say. I was proud of our Ukrainian engineering prowess.
U should spell right, like us - Kiev citizens! It's KIEV ! kyiv is a fake name made by nazis from wester part of ukraine. They r RUSSOPHOBIC and full of hatered ! Just for ur info: Head of Antonov Design Bureau Oleg Antonov was RUSSIAN. Chief Designer of An-124 and An-225 Viktor Tolmachev was RUSSIAN. So called engineers (probably ukrainians from western ukraine) couldn't finish development of An-70 and An-178. Unfortunatly western ukrainians want more blood and death... so more than 3000 ukrainian citizens died in eastern ukraine and probably more will die cause of RUSSOPHOBIA. so sad...
@@ADobbin1 The Hughes H-1 Hercules wasn't scrapped, it's sitting in Oregon as the centerpiece of the Evergreen Aviation Museum... The actual production order was cancelled before the prototype was even finished, and Hughes paid the remaining development costs out of his own pocket, mainly to prove his detractors wrong after a congressional investigation.
If Antonov makes anymore 225s, then they should improve the design and make a 225 "NG" with improved engines and wing. Perhaps they can get the jet down to a two pilot cockpit crew too.
I was very fortunate to see An-225 out of blue in Santiago de Chile when I flew in from Rapa Nui for transfer to Buenos Aires. Our LATAM 787 went to the outdoor area for disembarkment and parked where we had a perfect side view of An-225. Lot of passengers instantly recognised this rara avis and spent lot of time taking photos while the ground crew kept directing us to board the buses. I came away with one of the perfect aeroplane photos I ever took.
I saw the 225 once, back in 1989 it came to the local airshow, I was 8 years old, I STILL remember that thing flying overhead, it's was so large it looked suspended in the sky. Seeing that thing fly, the mind boggles.
It’s high but wide so you don’t really notice. There is an access hatch at the tail of the aircraft to get on top. Check out this video of us exploring it. There is also another one on my channel flying around it. th-cam.com/video/v3hZAJwlL54/w-d-xo.html
Man Coby, you gotta see this bird at least once in your life. There is no substitute in video or pictures. That plane is a true monster and quite a sight to behold.
An An-225X must be built. Modern day fly-by-wire avionics, six advance fuel efficient engines, more composites and light weight structure, improved MTOW and new advanced wing design. The Мрія will be reborn someday 🇺🇦✈️
Such a beautiful plane, and be great if there were more. I was super excited when a An-124 visited the base I was stationed at in the UK. I ran up to the flight line and asked for a tour. The crew was gone but the RAF guys took me up to it...great looking transport.
It was very exciting when I saw the 225 taking off near Detroit while I was stopped at a gas station. It's not an area I regularly visit. I just happened to be driving through, and recognized it while at the pump.
Back in 2018 there was an announcement that Boeing would open up its parts bin to help Antanov finish/resume its an-225 program. I'm sure funding/money was key to the lack of progress (and Boeings 737 MAX struggles). Post the war, this would be a good program to get back to work/international production for Ukraine with USA funding (Antanov buying Boeing/USA parts). The war taketh and giveth!
I was flying from Spain to Shannon airport in Ireland on a Ryanair Boeing 737 8as and I could see beyond the fence of the runway thousands of onlookers. Our pilot came on the intercom and said there was a suprise for us on the left (I was sitting on the left side of the plane window seat) and the AN-225 was right there in all its glory. You could almost fit the Boeing 737 8as in the 225. Amazing plane
I saw the Antonov 225 takeoff from Dublin Airport, Ireland, once. Amazing, the ground beyond the airport perimeter fence trembled. It is how I imagined a small tremor after an earthquake might feel. (I've never experienced one of those)
Oops! Me bad! My wife just corrected me, it was Shannon, not Dublin. (We live between the 2 of them.) - As for length of runways, that's way above my pay grade! :-)
@@djposhea I'd imagine shanon would have an even shorter runway no?? I'm not well versed in my Irish airports though, so perhaps I'm not the one to make the call haha
@@cobyexplanes Again, I'm no expert on runways but I believe Shannon has an unusually long one and I believe it goes back to the Cold War and before. Aeroflot used it as a refuelling depot for flights between South America and Russia. Often passengers would flee the plane and claim asylum. Irish people regularly flew to Moscow, and then to off-grid places around the world. Especially in the early '90's. I flew in '93 Shannon to Moscow, stayed over a few nights and then to Beiruit with Aeroflot. Pilot landed in Beiruit like he was flying a Stuka bomber. Strangely, Moscow Airport, the international terminal had homeless town of people all around the world stuck in the terminal. Also, even starnger, I flew back to Shannon on a plane with the Bolshoi Ballet who were on route to Cuba. Here's a tip for you, watch Shannon Airport, it is in the process reinventing itself. Pre clearance for US Immigration and Customs. Once you pass through the gate at Shannon you are on a 'domestic' US flight. Big attraction for both cargo and passenger flights.
I've had the pleasure of seeing both the AN-225 and the AN-124 in person. As a matter of fact; AN-124's routinely stop at my home airport about 1-2 times a year, and the AN-225 about every 3-4 years.
I've seen the AN-225 twice in person. Once on the tarmac at IAH when flying in about 4 years ago and once in Abu Dhabi taking off about 10 years ago. I was staying on Yas Island in its infancy and went out for a morning run. The flight path sends planes on departure straight over the Yas Marina Hotel (now the W Hotel), and I caught a beautiful glimpse of the plane leaving for parts unknown. It was so loud and powerful. Amazing experience.
Saw the 225 fly in to Perth WA about 3 years ago, awesome aircraft. An AN124 flew in a few weeks ago, looks similar to a 747 in size but has a much different engine note and distinctive high wing.
buran was supposed to have engines for atmospheric flights, you actually showed a picture of the testing vehicle that did just that, flied like a normal plane. intially soviets did repurpose an existing plane, Mriya was finished later. before the soviet union collapsed like two more planes were planned but never finished. nice vid anyway :)
My favorite video in your series! Keep up the good work! Been a fan of the Mriya since I was a kid. I’ve also seen the An-124, A380, and B747-8. I’ve been on a ride inside the C-5.
I have seen the AN-225 twice in my lifetime. Both times at KOAK [oakland, CA]. I have seen many A-380s. A friend flew one for Emirates prior to the pandemic. He now flies cargo
I was working at the local airport when a AN-124 landed. An incredible machine. The 225 have been there several times, but I've been unable to watch it for myself.
From what I've read, it only flies about 20 times per year, so I wouldn't say the demand is that great. But I agree they should finish the second one. I understand the shell itself is practically complete, I've seen pictures of it. And it would surely be handy to have a second one ready just in case it's needed. Or even to increase interest and demand for these large transports.
@odegaard There's nothing really secretive about this plane. I mean, the technology in it is from the former Soviet era. No doubt if a new one would ever be completed, it would have more modern technology. But it's still just a cargo plane, not like some spy plane full of high tech stuff.
@odegaard Ukraina have nothing with technology it was soviet plane with Russian as constructor and as the chief of Biro Mr Antonov. The biro Antonov just happened to be on the sol of Ukraine after relocation from Russia back in soviet time
@@altergreenhorn except development of Mria has nothing to do with Russia, chief designer on project studied in Kharkiv, most of the staff on project were ukrainians, and russians actually completely failed a already running manufacturing of AN-124s with said chief designer running the operation.
@@denisdrozdoff2926 Cheif designer Viktor Tolmachev was Russian engineer from Kursk, Kharkov Polytechnic University was Russian university founded by Russian Tsar Nikolai beside Kiev Polytechnic University also founded by him. Engine for An-124 and and An-225 were developed by Russian engineer Alexander Lotarev. There is nothing Ukrainian. All construction facilities were left to Ukraine after collapse of the USSR. Ukrainians were incapable to built anything without Russian engineers. Look on post Soviet Ukraine. It resembles African countries incapable to use anything their white masters built for them. In 2020 Kharkov Polytechnic University was forcefuly changed to Ukrainian lagnuage but lectures were never taught in Ukrainian do to it was always based on Russian intelectual elites.
I've once seen this beast, along with its older smaller brother An-124 Ruslan, flying right above my house. They were flying wing to wing, at low speed, and pretty low altitude, to be presented at a military parade. The impression was almost like they were hanging still in the air, like they were gonna fall on our heads. An-225 looked absolutely gigantic. It was so cool!
@Greenhorn , Nikita Khrushchev couldn’t transfer Crimean peninsula, because he wasn’t fully in power at that time. It was an administrative action of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union and signed by Kliment Voroshilov. Speaking of an airplane, it was built in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine by Ukrainians. So it is Ukrainian. ;) You ▶️úmb russian túr▶️ are clueless. =))
@@altergreenhorn What do you mean by this? The An 225 is a Ukrainian aircraft and Crimea is Ukrainian land. There is nothing to compare, it’s just a plain fact
Once again nice video! Though I havent seen AN-124, I have actually seen the AN-225 inflight. Back in 2010 when I used to live in a finnish city called Vaasa I saw the 225 coming from North America and heading towards east one summer evening.
I had the pleasure of seeing the AN-225 being loaded with 2 mobile cranes, taxiing and taking off while at the Calgary international airport back in 2012. It taxied right past the passenger terminal and probably 400-500 people were standing at the glass wall watching it go by. A 737 taxied in front of it and it looked like a 4 seater Cessna in comparison!
While serving in the US Air National Guard, on one of our 2 week summer drills, we were setup along side a runway on an Air Force base in New England where we saw a Lockheed C5 Galaxy take off. As it approached us, it didn't seem possible it would lift off, but it did! ✈
It’s pretty well known NASA openly published shuttle technical data & schematics that the Soviets were only to happy to utilize. Some analysts have speculated this saved the Soviets about a decade in R&D and billions of Rubles.
I saw the AN-225 at Farnborough many years ago. It was like seeing a bumble bee fly, feeling that something that large could actually get off the ground, knowing the huge weights it could carry and still fly. It simply shouldn't be able to, but it does and does it well. Of all the aircraft I saw at airshows, that was the most impressive.
If new AN 225 are rebuilt, they would probably have a classic tail set, like AN 124 because they wouldn't not be designed to carry a space shuttle. Notice that guys! Thank you man for your video. Very nice introduction to explain why the AN 225 has been built. 👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿
" _the a380 actually looks downright puny_ " Please, don't make these easily verifiable false claims and exaggerations. Please check this image: i.ibb.co/tmWKY0N/giant-planes-comparison-A380-An225.png In terms of mass cargo, and cargo facilities, and squinting a lot, you may have a point, but not in terms of "puny" Also, it has a relatively low range, as it's not very efficient overall. Still an amazing piece of engineering, I would like to see one. You can find some youtube videos with all the details and hidden spaces, amazing!!
It is amazing how balanced this video is: no extra hype or drama. Very well done, thank you! I enjoyed the video very much... The name "Mriya" (Mree-yah) was mispronounced twice, but otherwise I was unable to find a slightest fault!
The AN-124 was in MKE back in 2001 when i was working for America West airlines, the airport had a scheduled power outage late one night while they were doing maintenance on the c concourse electrical... I will never forget the shadow of this beast sitting across the ramp at the International terminal, and listening to the crew speaking Ukrainian while unloading giant wing pieces for the Milwaukee art museum... spooky stuff! Also, I think Boeing and GE were using the 124 to shuttle GE90's from cincy to Seattle as well?
shiv bah, money is cheap these days. What is truly needed is justification to build more. The unfinished one will replace the current one eventually, as long as use cases and customers exist.
I am glad i saw it in Ghana when i was flying to SA. I don’t know what it was doing there but that thing is MASSIVE. Told my friends that’s the biggest plane ever and they were like meh.
I’ve flown on a Cessna 172, a R-22 Helicopter and a 747-8. (My first flight was on a Twin Otter) I’ve seen dozens of A380s, but have not had the pleasure of flying on one. I’ve also flown in a hot air balloon which is pretty big too. I’d drop everything if I had a chance to fly on a AN225.
I was fortunate to see the AN-225 land at Fort Worth Alliance airfield. It was.... insanely huge. It flew over I-35W and looked like it was just a couple hundred feet above the ground when it was in fact still over 1000ft up.
AN225 is based on the AN124 (which preceeded it as world's heaviest payload aircraft), so not surprising they look similar. Fuselage is more or less the same shape and diameter, but the AN225 is something like 20m longer. The single tail of the AN124 may make it taller overall. Large aircraft I've seen up close (at apron level) are C5 Galaxy, B747, B777, C17 Globemaster 3, C141 Starlifter. C5 is some 6m longer than an AN124, but the 124 beats it in lifting capacity. Oh yes, saw AN124 flying at first Aussie International Air show in 1992... long time ago, nearly forgot about it! Couldn't get up close though.
I've seen lots of 747s and I've seen an A380 from a distance, the A380 looked big, but there was nothing to compare it to. BUt, I've seen the AN-124 come in for landing many times, I live by an airport and to see it over the houses with a good idea of what a normal plane looks like in comparison is abosilutely amazing! It looks way closer than it actually is just due to sheer size. It's a lot bulkier than a 747, so the effect is magnified, despite being a similar size.
I remember Bouran having 4 turbojets on the back which made it more capable and safe on landings (she could switch on her engines instead of just glinding)
I walked through a C-5 Galaxy at an air show once. The flight crew had the nose and tail ramps open. They also had half the cargo deck roped off and we're tossing a football from on end to the other in the roped off part.
I saw the AN225 at the Farnborough airshow in about 1990 or 91. When I first saw it, it was standing a long way from me, on its own. Like that it didn't look impressively big. Then someone walked out to it, giving some perspective, and suddenly its scale became obvious. Its quite something to see it flying close by in a display.
I was a C-5 flight Engineer, and I have been on the An-124. My perception of the AN-124 was it was maintained like crap, but it got the job done. I have seen quite a few Soviet era helicopters and jets, and the reason they were so popular for export were that they needed little maintenance. In comparison my beloved C-5 broke almost everywhere we took it.
I have seen the AN-225 at Mccarran international. I was actually able to view it up close. Im going to be honest. I was frightened when I saw it. Im like this think could be turned into a small apartment complex. I saw the inside and, wow. I was speechless. Theres many more configurations the jet is setup for including a shelter and transport for people. Theres so much the plane can do. And im all for planes like this taking over for heavy cargo or even large amounts of cargo like cargo ships.
C5 Galaxy is the biggest I've seen in person. Walked through it at Ramstein Airbase air show (many moons ago, when they still had them). It was very impressive.
![“อ.เบียร์ คนตื่นธรรม” มาตามคำเรียกร้อง แหกศาสตร์ฮวงจุ้ย เตือนสติอย่างมงาย | แฉ 7 พ.ย. 67 [1/3]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/5fc4S3xBNfc/mqdefault.jpg)
"This plane will most likely stay in service for years to come"
me that did not age well
"that did not age well"
Neither did the VDV goons that burned her.
You know the past and not future, fyi
@@L.J.Kommer airfields are legitimate military targets. Cope
@@Insert-Retarded-Reply-Here In an illegitimate war, there are NO legitimate targets.
The AN-225 has an immaculate safety record.
100% of the aircraft are still operational.
Edit: Thanks Putin, you wrecked it.
Soul I can build a plane out of scraps in my garage and it'll still be safer than the 737 MAX
@@jacksonyu6065 Ive made paper planes with better safety record than the 737 MAX :P
@@jacksonyu6065 Couldn't stop laughing!!!!!!
So this is really the only airplane company in the whole world with a safety record of 100% !!! My god, the russians are good!!! :)
cambobby2011 *Ukrainian
My daughter and I went aboard AN-225 in 1991 when it was at Bradley International (KBDL) outside Hartford, Connecticut while still in CCCP colors. We toured the cockpit, crew area and cargo hold. My daughter was nine at the time and, like airmen everywhere, they treated her to an autographed picture and two Ruble coins. We have them framed in the living room. When the USSR collapsed, I feared the plane might be scrapped, but Ukraine kept her in storage and later rebuilt her. God bless her and all who fly in her.
In fact there is another one not completed yet, it was initially made to carry the Russian space shuttle...I saw them in Le Bourget Paris airshow that was quiet a display soooo huge. Wish they had completed number two as cargo is booming it would be nice to see Mriya’s little sister in the sky too...
I wonder how often the 225 has come to Bradley intl
Still so much prettier painted in the modern colors though
@@skytrotter6144. The other one was the one that was white with a blue stripe. The 225 we know today was slated for the scrap yard until Ukraine got up to refurbish it and use it now as an international cargo plane
@@DamplyDoo . Probably not more than once. As I have seen I don't think it has ever been in America much
Given that the existing An-225 only flies 20 cargo flights per year, there doesn't seem to be the demand for a second one. We'd see this one flying way more often if the demand existed to support two planes.
One reason the 225 doesn't have a lot of flights is because of it's huge size, it's limited by how many airports it can fly to, and it's a fuel hog, also when you add downtime because of maintenance; since it's the only one, you can't do like the airlines do and just cannibalize from another airplane a part that's not immediately available, one good thing about Boeing or Airbus is that they have a good support system of spare parts availability, I think that is why most cargo airlines use 747s instead of ordering new AN124s or even AN225s,
Although there are a couple Russian cargo airlines that have AN124s, I wonder how they deal with the parts situation.
There is, in fact, a second one half-built at Antonov HQ that they have been talking about finishing for... about 20 years now.
There's definitely no need for more, sadly enough.
@odegaard you're absolutely right that these cases exist. But they're not common and one 225 is enough the handle all the demand.
For large machinery, if moving it in its assembled state is difficult, you just assemble it in its final location.
The only reason to build more would be for military heavy lift capacity. With their financial issues. I don't see that happening.
@@Angel_EU34 If they built it they will come...
Most people will just guess that the biggest plane is "I don't know."
Or as the biggest plane they can name off hand. Like a 737 or 747.
@@nocare or a cessna
Some people will just blurt out "Jumbo Jet".
Some may say “Super”
Everyone knows its the aerolite 103 smh
Actually the An225 wasn't built as an all-new aircraft. It's a scaled-up version of the successful An124 (itself quite a beast already), which was designed to be the Soviet counterpart of the American C5 Galaxy.
PS: When it comes to staggering figures, you forgot perhaps the most staggering of them all: 250,000 kg. That's the useful payload of this baby.
That’s like saying the a340 isn’t an all new aircraft. Sure it’s based on the a330 and there exists commonality but it has a completely different wing and engine layout. The same could be said about the 737 - it was just a 727 or 707 with a shortened fuselage and an updated wing and engines.
@@planeshane9193 Actually the A340 wasn't an all new aircraft at all. It was developed together with the A330 at the same time as a single family and, initially, the number of engines (and the associated systems) was really the only difference between the two (the A340 was even supposed to be called A330, they changed it later so that the 4 engine model had the "4" in its name). Only the later versions A340-500 and -600 received a different wing. You probably meant A300 vs A330/A340, but that's not really accurate either. The latter family had little in common with the original A300 apart from the fuselage cross-section. Different engines, different materials, new systems, digital FBW etc, sticks instead of yokes etc. There are of course many differences between the An124 and An225 apart from the number of engines too. Different (and much larger) wing, much longer fuselage, no rear loading door on the 225, different tail configuration (standard tail for the 124, H-tail for the 225), different cockpit, different crew requirements (the 225 has two flight engineers, for example) etc...
This is the only aircraft that ever transported a train locomotive... I still cannot wrap my mind around it, when I saw the locomotive being loaded in I went blank!
Antonov built 2 AN-225's one flew, the other was never flight tested and was later used as spare parts.
@@midnightflier629 big bigger biggest should become a series again
Simple: The AN 124 has only four jet engines, the AN 225 has six
I fail to see how this answers the titles question
Yeah, that has very little to do with either the title or the content of this video. The An-124 wasn’t even mentioned until the very end mate.
It's the answer to his last question in the video
The An-225 also has a weird tail
M...make 326 with 8 engine. 4 or 5 level flight deck with 2500 passengers
When someone says the A-380 or 747 are the biggest plane:
*[Soviet Ukrainian noises]*
AK-47 clicks in background.
"Mirya"? Nope, it's "Mriya". Like saying "Maria", but dropping the 1st A, and putting the accent on the "i". (
Biggest plane I've ever seen in person was the 225's little brother, the AN-124 Condor in 1996. It was flying relief missions out of Toronto to Zaire. I was heading into work (the office was right under the airport flightpath), came around a corner and saw what at first I thought was another 747. Until the gear came down, and about a thousand wheels dropped. Then I noticed that the wing was at the top and not the side of the fuselage, and I went 'wait a minute...'
I am lucky I was able to see the 225 and the 124 in person, they're absolutely beautiful
the biggest plane i've ever seen is probably a C-130
Zaire? Weren't the Congos slit up and called DRC/Congo earlier than the 90s?
I saw the AN-225 at the Farnborough Airshow in the early 1990’s, when she dwarfed everything on the A325 on finals into the airfield. ENORMOUS.
a325? Now that's a place I've never heard of
back in the day when you could get close up! i even got to go inside...
@@alphamalegold it's probably a lengthen a320 ...
@@PrograError a318, a319, a320, a321.....a325??
@@PrograError I am extremely late to this but in the UK the roads are mostly A (medium size), B (small) or M (motorway) roads so the A325 is just a road that is near Farnborough
747: I'm the Queen of the Skies.
A380: But I'm the King of the Skies.
225: And I am the Sky's Emperor.
*Tsar
The big daddy of the skies.
747 BUILT BEFORE AND AFTER BOTH AN225 AND A380.. ENOUGH SAID
@@Michael_Scott_Howard not really, you just said it was the earliest, the other two are bigger...this would only be an argument if it was earlier and bigger...
@@ArthurD *god
Actually I think god is the god of the skys
I've seen it landing and flying overhead during an aviation show in Kyiv (Kiev older way of spelling). It was huge, there isn't much else to say.
I was proud of our Ukrainian engineering prowess.
How loud was it though?
U should spell right, like us - Kiev citizens! It's KIEV ! kyiv is a fake name made by nazis from wester part of ukraine. They r RUSSOPHOBIC and full of hatered ! Just for ur info: Head of Antonov Design Bureau Oleg Antonov was RUSSIAN. Chief Designer of An-124 and An-225 Viktor Tolmachev was RUSSIAN. So called engineers (probably ukrainians from western ukraine) couldn't finish development of An-70 and An-178. Unfortunatly western ukrainians want more blood and death... so more than 3000 ukrainian citizens died in eastern ukraine and probably more will die cause of RUSSOPHOBIA. so sad...
VStuff stupid kremlin bot
you mean Russian engineering mostly ?
@@goodstu yes many have died in a conflict started by Putin, Russia doesn't allow separtist to campagian for such in Russia so why should Ukraine?
TH-cam: Aviation aficionados know the largest plane is the An-225
Spruce Goose: *Laughs in Wood*
(Update)
Stratolauch: *Sips doubt espresso*
Think he meant biggest in current operation which is the an-225. Spruce Goose only flew once and was scrapped shortly after.
@@ADobbin1 True but as the Hughes Hercules was the largest ever built, based on wing span Stratolaunch which is test flying now is the largest.
@@ADobbin1 The Hughes H-1 Hercules wasn't scrapped, it's sitting in Oregon as the centerpiece of the Evergreen Aviation Museum...
The actual production order was cancelled before the prototype was even finished, and Hughes paid the remaining development costs out of his own pocket, mainly to prove his detractors wrong after a congressional investigation.
Biggest in mass
An-225 is both longer and heavier than either spruce goose or stratolaunch.
5:35
Center line be like: I'm gonna end this pilot's hall carrier.
lmao didn't even notice that at first
I tried very hard to find a pun in "Hall carrier"
"Staying operational for years to come"
Unfortunately that one and only operational An-225 got destroyed beyond repair in the Russia Ukraine war. :(
If Antonov makes anymore 225s, then they should improve the design and make a 225 "NG" with improved engines and wing.
Perhaps they can get the jet down to a two pilot cockpit crew too.
Strange...I'm seein lots of new vids about the antonov
Another A+ video - I’m liking the longer format too
More long video are coming!
Coby Explanes yay!
Weird how his "long" videos don't seem all that long. Great job, Coby :-)
I was very fortunate to see An-225 out of blue in Santiago de Chile when I flew in from Rapa Nui for transfer to Buenos Aires. Our LATAM 787 went to the outdoor area for disembarkment and parked where we had a perfect side view of An-225. Lot of passengers instantly recognised this rara avis and spent lot of time taking photos while the ground crew kept directing us to board the buses. I came away with one of the perfect aeroplane photos I ever took.
well now we really need another one
I saw the 225 once, back in 1989 it came to the local airshow, I was 8 years old, I STILL remember that thing flying overhead, it's was so large it looked suspended in the sky. Seeing that thing fly, the mind boggles.
I’ve been lucky enough to walk on the top of that beast. Amazing vehicle.
whoa must've been high up! How'd you even get up there?
It’s high but wide so you don’t really notice. There is an access hatch at the tail of the aircraft to get on top. Check out this video of us exploring it. There is also another one on my channel flying around it. th-cam.com/video/v3hZAJwlL54/w-d-xo.html
Man Coby, you gotta see this bird at least once in your life. There is no substitute in video or pictures. That plane is a true monster and quite a sight to behold.
An An-225X must be built. Modern day fly-by-wire avionics, six advance fuel efficient engines, more composites and light weight structure, improved MTOW and new advanced wing design. The Мрія will be reborn someday 🇺🇦✈️
Respect to you for writing all of that
Such a beautiful plane, and be great if there were more.
I was super excited when a An-124 visited the base I was stationed at in the UK. I ran up to the flight line and asked for a tour. The crew was gone but the RAF guys took me up to it...great looking transport.
Coby: "Unless they are an airplane aficionado, they'll say the A380"
Me: Oh no, they'll probably not know the name of any plane.
It was very exciting when I saw the 225 taking off near Detroit while I was stopped at a gas station. It's not an area I regularly visit. I just happened to be driving through, and recognized it while at the pump.
Rest in peace an-225
Back in 2018 there was an announcement that Boeing would open up its parts bin to help Antanov finish/resume its an-225 program. I'm sure funding/money was key to the lack of progress (and Boeings 737 MAX struggles). Post the war, this would be a good program to get back to work/international production for Ukraine with USA funding (Antanov buying Boeing/USA parts). The war taketh and giveth!
Cool! Loved the video, it was very factual! However, Antonov specifically said that there is no economic interest in building more an225s.
I was flying from Spain to Shannon airport in Ireland on a Ryanair Boeing 737 8as and I could see beyond the fence of the runway thousands of onlookers. Our pilot came on the intercom and said there was a suprise for us on the left (I was sitting on the left side of the plane window seat) and the AN-225 was right there in all its glory. You could almost fit the Boeing 737 8as in the 225. Amazing plane
I saw the Antonov 225 takeoff from Dublin Airport, Ireland, once. Amazing, the ground beyond the airport perimeter fence trembled. It is how I imagined a small tremor after an earthquake might feel. (I've never experienced one of those)
Amazing they were able to fly it in there - doesn't dublin have a fairly short landing strip?
Oops! Me bad! My wife just corrected me, it was Shannon, not Dublin. (We live between the 2 of them.) - As for length of runways, that's way above my pay grade! :-)
@@djposhea I'd imagine shanon would have an even shorter runway no?? I'm not well versed in my Irish airports though, so perhaps I'm not the one to make the call haha
@@cobyexplanes Again, I'm no expert on runways but I believe Shannon has an unusually long one and I believe it goes back to the Cold War and before. Aeroflot used it as a refuelling depot for flights between South America and Russia. Often passengers would flee the plane and claim asylum. Irish people regularly flew to Moscow, and then to off-grid places around the world. Especially in the early '90's. I flew in '93 Shannon to Moscow, stayed over a few nights and then to Beiruit with Aeroflot. Pilot landed in Beiruit like he was flying a Stuka bomber. Strangely, Moscow Airport, the international terminal had homeless town of people all around the world stuck in the terminal. Also, even starnger, I flew back to Shannon on a plane with the Bolshoi Ballet who were on route to Cuba. Here's a tip for you, watch Shannon Airport, it is in the process reinventing itself. Pre clearance for US Immigration and Customs. Once you pass through the gate at Shannon you are on a 'domestic' US flight. Big attraction for both cargo and passenger flights.
@@djposhea Very interesting, I didn't know any of that backstory. Guess I've gotta do some more research!
I've had the pleasure of seeing both the AN-225 and the AN-124 in person. As a matter of fact; AN-124's routinely stop at my home airport about 1-2 times a year, and the AN-225 about every 3-4 years.
0:13 I really asked, and the answers are: 777-300, A380 and 737 MAX.
777-9X*
Sh**
737 MAX....=___="
I've seen the AN-225 twice in person. Once on the tarmac at IAH when flying in about 4 years ago and once in Abu Dhabi taking off about 10 years ago. I was staying on Yas Island in its infancy and went out for a morning run. The flight path sends planes on departure straight over the Yas Marina Hotel (now the W Hotel), and I caught a beautiful glimpse of the plane leaving for parts unknown. It was so loud and powerful. Amazing experience.
My family except me can't tell the difference between a Cessna 172 and a Concorde and a 747 and a A350😅
Coby is such an aviation nerd....and I love it lol
RIP An-225 😞
Saw the 225 fly in to Perth WA about 3 years ago, awesome aircraft. An AN124 flew in a few weeks ago, looks similar to a 747 in size but has a much different engine note and distinctive high wing.
buran was supposed to have engines for atmospheric flights, you actually showed a picture of the testing vehicle that did just that, flied like a normal plane. intially soviets did repurpose an existing plane, Mriya was finished later. before the soviet union collapsed like two more planes were planned but never finished. nice vid anyway :)
My favorite video in your series! Keep up the good work! Been a fan of the Mriya since I was a kid. I’ve also seen the An-124, A380, and B747-8. I’ve been on a ride inside the C-5.
One of my favorite channels. Looking up I want to buy a new pair of binoculars for plane spotting. Any personal recommendations gratefully received
Ah yes, kim jong trump.
I have seen the AN-225 twice in my lifetime. Both times at KOAK [oakland, CA]. I have seen many A-380s. A friend flew one for Emirates prior to the pandemic. He now flies cargo
4:37
Is that a clip from JeffHK's youtube? You didn't do credit to him...
Alright chill no ones gonna die cus there wasn’t any credit
I was working at the local airport when a AN-124 landed. An incredible machine. The 225 have been there several times, but I've been unable to watch it for myself.
Well, they should at least finish the second An-225. The first plane is clearly in demand.
From what I've read, it only flies about 20 times per year, so I wouldn't say the demand is that great.
But I agree they should finish the second one. I understand the shell itself is practically complete, I've seen pictures of it. And it would surely be handy to have a second one ready just in case it's needed. Or even to increase interest and demand for these large transports.
@odegaard There's nothing really secretive about this plane. I mean, the technology in it is from the former Soviet era. No doubt if a new one would ever be completed, it would have more modern technology. But it's still just a cargo plane, not like some spy plane full of high tech stuff.
@odegaard
Ukraina have nothing with technology it was soviet plane with Russian as constructor and as the chief of Biro Mr Antonov.
The biro Antonov just happened to be on the sol of Ukraine after relocation from Russia back in soviet time
@@altergreenhorn except development of Mria has nothing to do with Russia, chief designer on project studied in Kharkiv, most of the staff on project were ukrainians, and russians actually completely failed a already running manufacturing of AN-124s with said chief designer running the operation.
@@denisdrozdoff2926 Cheif designer Viktor Tolmachev was Russian engineer from Kursk, Kharkov Polytechnic University was Russian university founded by Russian Tsar Nikolai beside Kiev Polytechnic University also founded by him.
Engine for An-124 and and An-225 were developed by Russian engineer Alexander Lotarev. There is nothing Ukrainian.
All construction facilities were left to Ukraine after collapse of the USSR. Ukrainians were incapable to built anything without Russian engineers.
Look on post Soviet Ukraine. It resembles African countries incapable to use anything their white masters built for them. In 2020 Kharkov Polytechnic University was forcefuly changed to Ukrainian lagnuage but lectures were never taught in Ukrainian do to it was always based on Russian intelectual elites.
Massive OOF when he said the plane isn’t retiring any time soon. Rip biggest boi
From what I’ve heard there’s another 225 about 60 or 70% complete just itching to be completed.
An-225 use cases are too niche for second plane
That's correct. There is another unfinished An-225:
edition.cnn.com/travel/article/antonov-an-225-kiev-ukraine/index.html
I've once seen this beast, along with its older smaller brother An-124 Ruslan, flying right above my house. They were flying wing to wing, at low speed, and pretty low altitude, to be presented at a military parade. The impression was almost like they were hanging still in the air, like they were gonna fall on our heads. An-225 looked absolutely gigantic. It was so cool!
The quality of your content never ceases to amaze, why don’t you have 100k yet?
We're getting there don't worry :)
Coby Explanes you deserve it
I used to study on the grounds of Shannon airport in Ireland so I have been lucky enough to see it land and take off a handful of times!
This aged well
Seen the AN 225 definitely way bigger in person, loved watching it land in Oakland CA. Was an amazing experience
*An-225 Mriya is an amazing Ukrainian plane! :-)*
_BTW, it’s_ #KyivNotKiev
It is Ukrainian like Crimea is.
Both went from Russia to Ukraine as decree from Khrushchev in more or less the same time.
@Greenhorn , Nikita Khrushchev couldn’t transfer Crimean peninsula, because he wasn’t fully in power at that time.
It was an administrative action of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union and signed by Kliment Voroshilov.
Speaking of an airplane, it was built in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine
by Ukrainians. So it is Ukrainian. ;)
You ▶️úmb russian túr▶️ are clueless. =))
@@altergreenhorn What do you mean by this? The An 225 is a Ukrainian aircraft and Crimea is Ukrainian land. There is nothing to compare, it’s just a plain fact
Once again nice video! Though I havent seen AN-124, I have actually seen the AN-225 inflight. Back in 2010 when I used to live in a finnish city called Vaasa I saw the 225 coming from North America and heading towards east one summer evening.
now that mriya got destroyed by russians,its truely time for another one
I had the pleasure of seeing the AN-225 being loaded with 2 mobile cranes, taxiing and taking off while at the Calgary international airport back in 2012. It taxied right past the passenger terminal and probably 400-500 people were standing at the glass wall watching it go by. A 737 taxied in front of it and it looked like a 4 seater Cessna in comparison!
I’ve seen a 747, a380, and the an- 124
Nobody cares
@@lucashurst4191 Your probably not an av geek they like me appreciate this comment
While serving in the US Air National Guard, on one of our 2 week summer drills, we were setup along side a runway on an Air Force base in New England where we saw a Lockheed C5 Galaxy take off. As it approached us, it didn't seem possible it would lift off, but it did! ✈
It’s pretty well known NASA openly published shuttle technical data & schematics that the Soviets were only to happy to utilize. Some analysts have speculated this saved the Soviets about a decade in R&D and billions of Rubles.
Been saying for over a decade there needs to be more of these. Sound proven design _and_ beautiful.
Thicconov Tn-225
I saw the AN-225 at Farnborough many years ago. It was like seeing a bumble bee fly, feeling that something that large could actually get off the ground, knowing the huge weights it could carry and still fly. It simply shouldn't be able to, but it does and does it well. Of all the aircraft I saw at airshows, that was the most impressive.
I am thankful now that Sonal Dongre is falling madly in love with me :) :)
This isn't facebook
Wtf
If new AN 225 are rebuilt, they would probably have a classic tail set, like AN 124 because they wouldn't not be designed to carry a space shuttle.
Notice that guys!
Thank you man for your video. Very nice introduction to explain why the AN 225 has been built. 👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿
Sonal Dongre is loving me madly :) :)
I've watched a C-5A do touch and goes at KOA International. Just breathtaking and the roar of FMP is Patriotic!-
This big Lady has been lonely for 31 years while her partner lays incomplete. Really sad.
Well, the Mirya still have to wait for some more years until her sister is completed.
The biggest I have been on a C5 Galaxy and 747 - really good video and love your presentation style!
Glad you enjoyed it!
" _the a380 actually looks downright puny_ "
Please, don't make these easily verifiable false claims and exaggerations. Please check this image:
i.ibb.co/tmWKY0N/giant-planes-comparison-A380-An225.png
In terms of mass cargo, and cargo facilities, and squinting a lot, you may have a point, but not in terms of "puny"
Also, it has a relatively low range, as it's not very efficient overall. Still an amazing piece of engineering, I would like to see one. You can find some youtube videos with all the details and hidden spaces, amazing!!
It is an Engineering Masterpiece as well as a beautiful aircraft. it truly looks beautiful
It is amazing how balanced this video is: no extra hype or drama. Very well done, thank you! I enjoyed the video very much... The name "Mriya" (Mree-yah) was mispronounced twice, but otherwise I was unable to find a slightest fault!
The AN-124 was in MKE back in 2001 when i was working for America West airlines, the airport had a scheduled power outage late one night while they were doing maintenance on the c concourse electrical... I will never forget the shadow of this beast sitting across the ramp at the International terminal, and listening to the crew speaking Ukrainian while unloading giant wing pieces for the Milwaukee art museum... spooky stuff!
Also, I think Boeing and GE were using the 124 to shuttle GE90's from cincy to Seattle as well?
I’ve seen the AN-225 in person, it’s an absolute beast, a airbus A320 looked like an ultralight in comparison with the AN-225
I agree. We need more. Many more.
Ukraine has no money
shiv bah, money is cheap these days. What is truly needed is justification to build more.
The unfinished one will replace the current one eventually, as long as use cases and customers exist.
I am glad i saw it in Ghana when i was flying to SA. I don’t know what it was doing there but that thing is MASSIVE. Told my friends that’s the biggest plane ever and they were like meh.
I’ve flown on a Cessna 172, a R-22 Helicopter and a 747-8. (My first flight was on a Twin Otter) I’ve seen dozens of A380s, but have not had the pleasure of flying on one. I’ve also flown in a hot air balloon which is pretty big too. I’d drop everything if I had a chance to fly on a AN225.
Seen the AN-225 while it was taking of, and that was just majestic. Genuinely awesome that we are able to lift a so huge thing in the air
I was fortunate to see the AN-225 land at Fort Worth Alliance airfield. It was.... insanely huge. It flew over I-35W and looked like it was just a couple hundred feet above the ground when it was in fact still over 1000ft up.
AN225 is based on the AN124 (which preceeded it as world's heaviest payload aircraft), so not surprising they look similar.
Fuselage is more or less the same shape and diameter, but the AN225 is something like 20m longer.
The single tail of the AN124 may make it taller overall.
Large aircraft I've seen up close (at apron level) are C5 Galaxy, B747, B777, C17 Globemaster 3, C141 Starlifter.
C5 is some 6m longer than an AN124, but the 124 beats it in lifting capacity.
Oh yes, saw AN124 flying at first Aussie International Air show in 1992... long time ago, nearly forgot about it! Couldn't get up close though.
Cody: makes video about an-225
Also Cody: *makes the thumbnail an an-124*
*Coby ;)
I saw one of these when I flew out of Dulles last year and it’s literally Insane
Ilyushin IL76 and the Boeing 747-8I are 2 biggest planes i have ever seen till mow in my life wow.. They are so amazing...
I've seen lots of 747s and I've seen an A380 from a distance, the A380 looked big, but there was nothing to compare it to. BUt, I've seen the AN-124 come in for landing many times, I live by an airport and to see it over the houses with a good idea of what a normal plane looks like in comparison is abosilutely amazing! It looks way closer than it actually is just due to sheer size. It's a lot bulkier than a 747, so the effect is magnified, despite being a similar size.
I remember Bouran having 4 turbojets on the back which made it more capable and safe on landings (she could switch on her engines instead of just glinding)
They later removed the jet engines though. I don't know if there were plans to reinstall them had the Buran done more test flights.
I walked through a C-5 Galaxy at an air show once. The flight crew had the nose and tail ramps open. They also had half the cargo deck roped off and we're tossing a football from on end to the other in the roped off part.
I bet you could fit a whol ebaseketball court in there
I saw the AN225 at the Farnborough airshow in about 1990 or 91. When I first saw it, it was standing a long way from me, on its own. Like that it didn't look impressively big. Then someone walked out to it, giving some perspective, and suddenly its scale became obvious. Its quite something to see it flying close by in a display.
The AN-225 was built from an AN-124. The fuselage is elongated, the wings grown from their roots, the split tail added, and more landing gear trucks.
I've seen the AN-225, many years ago, and I've also been inside the C-5.
I was a C-5 flight Engineer, and I have been on the An-124. My perception of the AN-124 was it was maintained like crap, but it got the job done. I have seen quite a few Soviet era helicopters and jets, and the reason they were so popular for export were that they needed little maintenance. In comparison my beloved C-5 broke almost everywhere we took it.
by saying ''maintained like crap'' you mean maintained so quickly and easily?
I was one of the lucky ones to see the AN-225 with the Buran on it's back. Truly impressive.
I've had the pleasure of seeing the Mriya once.I you want to see more of them, then someone's got to help Antonov State Enterprise.
I love your videos. High quality. Informative. Intelligent.
I have seen the AN-225 at Mccarran international. I was actually able to view it up close. Im going to be honest. I was frightened when I saw it. Im like this think could be turned into a small apartment complex. I saw the inside and, wow. I was speechless. Theres many more configurations the jet is setup for including a shelter and transport for people. Theres so much the plane can do. And im all for planes like this taking over for heavy cargo or even large amounts of cargo like cargo ships.
C5 Galaxy is the biggest I've seen in person. Walked through it at Ramstein Airbase air show (many moons ago, when they still had them). It was very impressive.
Saw the AN225 from the ramp in ANC. A true behemoth!
More An-225s? Maybe for outsized cargo. With all the parked A-380s not too long before P2C conversions! Cheers!!
Colby, the Space Shuttle also landed at White Sands STS-3 in addition to Edwards AFB and Florida as the preferred landing option.