The An-225 “Mriya” airliner, the photo of which is located below, is the heaviest aircraft in terms of load capacity of all that has ever taken off into the air. Its highest take-off weight is 640 tons. The creation of the model was associated with the need to build an air transport system for the needs of the project of the reusable Soviet spacecraft Buran. It should be noted that at the moment this aircraft exists in only one instance. All this will be discussed in more detail later.
Design Order
In mid-1988, the government of the Soviet Union commissioned the Antonov Design Bureau to develop a project and build a new aircraft. The main requirement that was put forward to him was the ability to transport the Buran spacecraft. In addition, the aircraft was planned to be used in such a field of activity as transport aviation, where, at the expense of it, large-sized equipment would be transported for the oil, construction and mining industries.
Predecessor
In addition to all other requirements, the designers had the task of reducing the cost of the new airliner as much as possible. In addition, it was necessary to minimize the time of its construction. In this regard, they decided to take as a basis the design, as well as the main units and components of another large model - AN-124 Ruslan. It should be noted that at that time she confidently headed the rating “Best Aircraft of Ukraine” (photo of the vessel is given below).
This airliner made its first flight at the end of 1982. Its transport characteristics were among the best on the planet. A vivid proof of this was the fact that after the advent of Ruslan, some global space companies began to actively refine their aircraft transport. This also applies to the Americans, who urgently began to improve their Lockheed project - S-5A Galaxy.
Preliminary studies showed that this heavy transport aircraft, by such an indicator as cargo capacity, was able to transport the constituent elements of not only the Buran system, but even the oxygen and hydrogen tanks of the Energia rocket in docked form. On the other hand, due to its tail single-tail plumage, external transportation of long goods has become impossible.
Key changes
The designers changed the design of the wings for Mriya. In connection with the addition of additional sections in the center, their scope increased. The design of the wing mounts on the pylons remained the same, but their number increased to six. If the size of the cross section of the fuselage, in comparison with the previous modification, remained the same, then the total length of the hull increased. In order to reduce weight, it was decided to eliminate the cargo rear hatch with all the devices designed for loading and unloading. To access the cargo compartment, the bow of the liner rises. In total, it takes about ten minutes to open or close the ramp. On the Ruslan model, five separate racks with twin wheels were installed, which were the main support for the chassis, in the An-225 their number increased to seven. The tail feather for the possibility of transporting goods outside the body was made two-keel.
Presentation
An-225 Mriya aircraft was presented to the Soviet public by the general designer of the Antonov Bureau, P.V. Balabuev, on November 30, 1988. Then the engineers first rolled out the airliner from the assembly shop. A few days later, the car performed its first maneuvers at the aerodrome of the plant, namely jogging at speeds of up to 200 km / h, turns and ascents of the front landing gear. On February 1, 1989, at the Boryspil Airport, it was first shown to foreign experts and journalists.
First take off
Initially, the designers planned to make a debut take-off in the air on December 20, 1988. However, due to bad weather conditions (strong wind and low cloud cover) this event was postponed. The situation was similar the next day. Despite this, after a run of 950 meters, the ship easily took off from the ground and began to gain altitude. The first flight of the liner lasted 1 hour and 14 minutes. The main thing that the An-225 Mriya designers wanted to determine during it was the characteristics of the ship’s control system, as well as the correctness and reliability of the onboard equipment functioning. In addition, the engineers had to clarify the aerodynamic corrections of the machine. Based on the results of the flight, they came to the conclusion that all systems and nodes work in full accordance with the calculated data. On December 28, 1988, the liner performed another control flight.
Highscores
On March 22, 1989 a very unusual flight of the Mriya aircraft (An-225) was scheduled. The technical characteristics of the liner gave all the prerequisites for breaking several world records. In preparation for this event, many experts took an active part - testers, designers, technicians, engineers and pilots. After the commissioned weighing of the cargo, the mass of which amounted to 156.3 tons, the filler neck of the fuel tanks were sealed. Then the vessel flew without problems into the air, and 45 minutes after that it successfully landed. In this short period of time, the An-225 Mriya broke 110 world records. The previous achievement of the American Boeing 747-400 in such an indicator as the maximum take-off weight was exceeded by as much as 104 tons. Expert reviews testified that the An-225 has a great and bright future.
Accomplishment of the main goal
Be that as it may, setting world records was far from the main goal in the construction of new items. As noted above, the goal of the aircraft was the external transportation of the Buran space complex. The liner made its first flight with such cargo on its “back” on May 13, 1989, when it delivered it to the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The crew, headed by A. Galunenk, managed to check the controllability of the vessel with the "Buran" on board, as well as measure fuel consumption and flight speed in various conditions. Ten days after this, the plane made a direct flight on the Baikonur – Kiev route. The distance of 2700 kilometers in this case was overcome in 4 hours and 25 minutes. A photo of the largest aircraft on the planet with a Buran on board is shown below.
First commercial flight
An-225 made its debut commercial flight in May 1990. Then the airliner moved a special tractor “T-800” (its weight was more than 100 tons) from Chelyabinsk to Yakutia. After he landed at the airport, he was instantly surrounded by an enthusiastic crowd. It should be noted that this expedition was far from accidental. It was of great importance not so much for the national economy of the country, but as it carried the goal of testing the transport capabilities of the aircraft in such difficult conditions as in the Arctic. Based on the results, the designers conducted a number of useful studies and made valuable conclusions.
Main characteristics
One of the main advantages of the Mriya aircraft (An-225) is its technical characteristics and flight data. The liner is equipped with six turbojet engines called D-18T. The weight of each of them exceeds the mark of four tons. Their total thrust is equal to 1377 kN, which is an unprecedented value before this. During take-off, each of them develops power, which is 12,500 horsepower. The wing span of this aircraft is 88.4 meters, while the area is 905 square meters. As for the dimensions, its length and height are 84 and 18.1 meters, respectively.
An-225 cruising speed is set at 850 km / h. Provided that the fuel tanks are full, the vessel is able to overcome 15 thousand kilometers when empty and 4.5 thousand kilometers with maximum load. The payload of the airliner is 250 tons. Moreover, he is able to fly at an altitude of up to 11 thousand meters. As for the requirements for the runway, its minimum length should be 3 kilometers. The fuel consumption of the machine is almost 16 tons per hour (assuming operating at cruising speed and with a full load).
Opportunities
The aircraft is capable of direct intercontinental transportation of goods weighing up to 200 tons, as well as intercontinental transportation of goods weighing up to 150 tons. Outside, on the fuselage by plane, you can transport bulky items that weigh up to 200 tons. The cargo compartment of the An-225 is quite roomy. In particular, inside the fuselage 16 UAK-10 universal universal containers (10 tons each), 50 passenger cars or single-cargo vehicles weighing up to 200 tons (dump trucks, generators, turbines, etc.) can be accommodated without problems. For loading and unloading, the model is equipped with a whole complex, which includes four lifting mechanisms with a carrying capacity of five tons each. In addition, the ship's designers provided two winches.
Crew
The control of the An-225 Mriya aircraft is carried out by a crew of six people. In order to facilitate access to the cockpit, the seats of the first and second pilots are equipped with a whole system of adjustments and are able to rotate. Behind them is the workplace of a navigation and communications specialist. To the right in the cockpit are the seats of onboard engineers. It should be noted that inside the airliner there is a room for a backup crew. A total of six seats are equipped in the main cabin, and twelve in the auxiliary cabin. In order to become the crew commander of this machine, the pilot must have at least five years of experience in managing the An-124 Ruslan model.
Avionics
The avionics of the An-225 Mriya model includes an automatic flight performance monitoring system, as well as a display with a dynamic map. At the same time, electronic monitors, which are intended for electronic control, are absent here. The bow compartment is divided into two dielectric zones. They are designed to provide ground-based radar protection as well as a front-view radar system. In the role of backup devices here are a height indicator and a horizon. In addition, the cockpit has an indicator of the position of the fuel levers, traction indicators of power plants, deviation sensors of takeoff and landing devices and steering surfaces.
Rebirth
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the world's largest aircraft was useless to anyone. In 1994, his flights were discontinued. Moreover, engines and other equipment were removed from it altogether for the purpose of further use in Ruslany. Be that as it may, every year there was an increasing need for resuscitation of a project called “Mriya”: large aircraft from other leading world manufacturers were unable to cope with those tasks that only the An-225 could do. As a result, the designers modified the airliner in order to ensure its compliance with existing standards in civil aviation.
May 7, 2001 is considered the second birthday of Mriya. Just then, after a series of runs, turns and trials, the liner again took off. On board was the designation UR-82060, and the crew was headed by pilot A.V. Galunenko. The car spent about fifteen minutes in the air, after which it landed safely. On May 23, 2011 the ship received all the necessary certificates, including international ones. This allows you to use it for commercial transportation of goods.
Second instance
From the very beginning of the construction of the An-225 Mriya aircraft, it was planned to create two copies of it. Despite this, the second car was never completed. The reason for this was the lack of adequate funding for the project. Currently, it is located in the territory of the Antonov plant. Experts estimate the overall degree of its readiness at 70 percent. More specifically, from the Soviet era, the fuselage, one wing and the center section remained. According to the designers, it’s quite possible to complete this car, but this requires a sum of money of about 150 million US dollars. This is only possible when a customer or sponsor appears.
Some features of the Mriya aircraft
In order to ensure safety during flight, the center of gravity of this airliner with cargo must be placed along the length within certain limits. In this regard, loading is carried out in accordance with the instructions. Verification of the correctness of this process is the responsibility of the co-pilot. Drove from other manufacturers for the transportation of this vessel cannot be used, therefore, its own copy of this device is transported on board. This is a heavy transport aircraft, due to the huge weight of the car on the pavement there are always traces of the landing gear. At the same time, the cost of one of their tires starts at one thousand US dollars.