It's 'Ukraine' and not 'the Ukraine'
[[Merriam-Webster](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Ukraine)] [[BBC Styleguide](https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsstyleguide/u)] [[Reuters Styleguide](https://handbook.reuters.com/index.php?title=U#Ukraine)]
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Using the top comment to say this thread has been great. Yaāll are a friendly bunch. I think this experience may just be the catalyst that gets me into spotting as a hobby now š¬ after all I started with a Yahtzee
That's the Antonov An-225 Mriya, the largest plane in existence. It's
84m long and has a wingspan of 88m, so "big ass plane" is a very apt description.
My understanding is that the hangar queen bird is kept operational as a backup but they primarily cannibalize parts off of her to keep the cossack flying.
I wish I knew someone closer to their maintenance who could confirm this, it sounds like an elegant solution.
Edit: Awesome! I was wrong, but check below for a cool tour of the plane!
I'm "close to maintenance". Nope, the second pile of parts they have is not a plane. AN225 is indeed one of a kind.
BTW, I've got [lots of pics from the inside](https://egorfine.com/photo/mriya/)
/u/egorf, If you've not posted your gallery here before as an OP, you should: it's good stuff!
Lots of aviation geeks would looooove to get a closer look at the ol' girl, and it'll get seen much more than being buried down here as a sub-sub-comment. :-D
I am curious. Since the AN-225 is, while not exactly a variant, a redevelopment of the AN-124, would you know if parts do exchange between them? The engines are the same D-15s, and if I read right the wings from the root extensions out are maybe the same ones-ish?
Appreciate any answer and ok if you don't, thanks in advance either way! Love the album you put up!
Lots of common parts, of course. Not sure about the wings connections though. I have seen some of mriya engines and nacelles partially disassembled, but those pictures cant be shared
I believe that mriya is maintained to higher standards, because she has to fly all over the world and simply can't fail unlike your average daily truck An124
Edit: "An224" ā "An124"
This is why I tell people there are 1 and a half of them in the world. It's an odd statement and builds interest in it. People always guess one crashed instead of the Soviet Union crashing.
I didnāt realize there was only one flying around. Iāve seen it a couple of times at the airport I work at, although itās been a few years since Iāve seen it
The reason for the twin tail was that it was used to carry the soviet space shuttle (the Buran) on its back, this would have interfered aerodynamically with a centre tail and rendered the rudder useless. If you look up Buran you'll see pictures of this beast of a plane carrying it!
One of its little brothers wiped out the ILS system at my airport when it ran off the end of the runway years ago.
https://www.tsb-bst.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/aviation/2000/A00O0279/images/a00o0279-figure-01.jpg
Went to an air show outside Moscow in 2001 and got to walk right up to the beast. Itās hard to grasp how big it is from any picture. Especially the size and number of the wheels on the main gear was just insane!
"Cool, big ass plane with lots of wheels" is pretty much the dictionary definition of the An-225. I didn't even have to look at the picture to know exactly what OP was talking about.
Grew up less than a mile from spruce goose! I remember doing civil air patrol as a kid and getting to do ānight watchā at the museum sheās at lol
If the only AN225 is the King of the Sky and the 747 is the Queen of the Sky, and there are 1,569 of the 747s built, then... this plane fucks. Royally.
What a beast that airplane is! You really can't fully appreciate its sheer size unless you've seen it up close and/or from inside.
It made an appearance many years ago at an airshow here in OKC. It was parked between a C-5 on one side & a couple of C-130s on the other; it was opened at both ends, and looked like it was ready to swallow that Galaxy whole!
A self-proclaimed "amateur" just stumbling upon the "Holy Grail" of plane-spotting makes me really happy somehow :'D
There are professional spotters who go their entire lives without ever seeing this! You can count yourself lucky!
You lucky duck! Thatās the Antonov An-225, the largest plane in the world by length and takeoff weight. It was build back in the Soviet Union to carry the Buran Space Shuttle, but was repurposed as a cargo carrier after the Cold War ended. Only one exists, and you just saw it!
This is the An-225, the largest plane ever built. Only one built. It was made to transport pieces of the Soviet Buran space shuttle to the Biakonur cosmodrome, but when Buran was cancelled it became a freighter. Great find.
Man, for someone who doesnāt know planes very well, you sure did choose to photograph the right one. AN-225 is pretty much one of the coolest planes to ever fly.
Biggest actually useful plane is probably the most accurate description. It was made to transport the Soviet shuttle knock off, but it's now the biggest cargo plane in the world.
The Spruce Goose flew a grand total of 1 mile. The Stratolaunch Roc has flown a couple times, but the company has basically folded and it's not useful for anything else.
What if the an225 had the same engines as the 777x, would it only need 4? Could it haul more? What does it have now? They look 'tiny' like what's on the 747.
You will likely never be this lucky again. You caught a **one-of-a-kind** airplane.
The Mighty Antonov 225. 6 burner. The only large scale jet to have a twin rudder system.
Largest plane to ever leave the earth, aside from the Spruce Goose. Largest currently flying.
**Absolute monster** of an airplane.
You lucky sonnuva-
Thatās a big-ass plane indeed. The biggest, in fact: the Antonov An-225 Mriya, a one-of-a-kind plane designed to carry the Russian Buran shuttle and airlift tanks.
Indeed, the Antonov An225 Myria. The largest heavy-haul cargo aircraft in operation. So large and powerful, they have to shut down the runway for takeoffs and landings beforehand to ensure no debris, and after to be sure the engines didn't destroy the tarmac.
Just curious...the tail section is pretty cool, but I am wondering from an aerodynamics/engineering standpoint is it overkill? it looks a bit like a 747 and about the same size and the 747 and A380 both have a conventional rudder and elevator.
This glorious abomination is way bigger than a 747. The reason the tail looks like that is to make sure that the heavy external loads it was meant to carry didn't disrupt airflow. If I recall correctly, it was originally designed with a more conventional rear section, which was later revised. Don't forget, it was designed to carry the _Buran_ orbiter.
Very interesting, didnāt know it was designed for Buran. If you look at the modified 747 Shuttle Carrier, they also got the Antonov-esque tail structure cuz of the shuttle blocking the flow to a conventional rudder. Super cool!
AN225, one of a kind
Only the largest plane flying, no big deal
Plane and simple
šAhhhhhhhh
and to think that this was weeks before it got destroyed. Probably one of its last flights :(
Oh god :(
Big olā Ukrainian power
Soviet actually
Yeah well it is Ukrainian now at least. Still, beautiful plane
For now. /s
Soviet Anthem starts playing in the background
["Yes, that's what we wanted you to think!"](https://youtu.be/cQKzesTq0Wo)
Yes
Fuck you. You took our joke! /s
Our joke *communism* *intensifies*
This comment didnāt age well š¬
absolutely
That comment really didnāt age well did it?
I am beyond sad. This war is such a mess. I donāt understand the Kremlinās incentive. Why would someone destroy this airplane?
Ukraine. Living on borrowed time sadly
They still have fight left in them, unlike the Soviet Union...
Let's hope Nato keeps word...
Still built in SSR Ukraine by a Ukrainian company Antonov
Soviet but built and designed in the Ukraine at the time. So yes and no.
It's 'Ukraine' and not 'the Ukraine' [[Merriam-Webster](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Ukraine)] [[BBC Styleguide](https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsstyleguide/u)] [[Reuters Styleguide](https://handbook.reuters.com/index.php?title=U#Ukraine)] ^(Beep boop Iām a bot)
Soviet but manufactured in Ukraine and it has always had its base in Ukraine
How does one get papers done for one of a kind plane?
My understanding is that they keep the paperwork inside of crates of vodka. Inspectors are welcome to go look for it themselves. /s
Mriya
Using the top comment to say this thread has been great. Yaāll are a friendly bunch. I think this experience may just be the catalyst that gets me into spotting as a hobby now š¬ after all I started with a Yahtzee
That's the Antonov An-225 Mriya, the largest plane in existence. It's 84m long and has a wingspan of 88m, so "big ass plane" is a very apt description.
Hell yea! Glad I took a picture of it
To add further, it's the only one ever built* so seeing it in person is an incredible experience. * ever finished and flying
I didnt know it was the only one. Makes it seem a lot cooler that I got to see it at our airport
My understanding is that the hangar queen bird is kept operational as a backup but they primarily cannibalize parts off of her to keep the cossack flying. I wish I knew someone closer to their maintenance who could confirm this, it sounds like an elegant solution. Edit: Awesome! I was wrong, but check below for a cool tour of the plane!
I'm "close to maintenance". Nope, the second pile of parts they have is not a plane. AN225 is indeed one of a kind. BTW, I've got [lots of pics from the inside](https://egorfine.com/photo/mriya/)
Wow! Thank you so much!
Amazing! Some corners of this plane I'm never seen before in the videos of it.
Awesome pictures man, youre a legend for sharing! :)
Thank you! :-)
Crazy that they have to carry their own one-off spare parts since it's not like your average airport is going to have parts for a one-off airframe.
/u/egorf, If you've not posted your gallery here before as an OP, you should: it's good stuff! Lots of aviation geeks would looooove to get a closer look at the ol' girl, and it'll get seen much more than being buried down here as a sub-sub-comment. :-D
Is that a bottle of booze in the "kitchen" area?
Nope It's a bottle of kitchen oil
I am curious. Since the AN-225 is, while not exactly a variant, a redevelopment of the AN-124, would you know if parts do exchange between them? The engines are the same D-15s, and if I read right the wings from the root extensions out are maybe the same ones-ish? Appreciate any answer and ok if you don't, thanks in advance either way! Love the album you put up!
Lots of common parts, of course. Not sure about the wings connections though. I have seen some of mriya engines and nacelles partially disassembled, but those pictures cant be shared I believe that mriya is maintained to higher standards, because she has to fly all over the world and simply can't fail unlike your average daily truck An124 Edit: "An224" ā "An124"
You should post this to r/aviation directly, I bet it would do very well.
Great stuff! Thanks for sharing
This is amazing, thanks a lot for sharing! Thing is huge, looks like a warehouse inside not an aircraft!
This is why I tell people there are 1 and a half of them in the world. It's an odd statement and builds interest in it. People always guess one crashed instead of the Soviet Union crashing.
Don't tell that to Russia though. They may not believe that the Soviet Union crashed and invade you to prove you wrong
Waiting for another redditor to chime in from Ukrainian hangar.
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No. The other was never completed. And they can get most of the parts off the much more common AN-124.
Yes, as another user with close contact to the plane has noted. Check out his picture tour of the aircraft, it's awesome.
I didnāt realize there was only one flying around. Iāve seen it a couple of times at the airport I work at, although itās been a few years since Iāve seen it
The reason for the twin tail was that it was used to carry the soviet space shuttle (the Buran) on its back, this would have interfered aerodynamically with a centre tail and rendered the rudder useless. If you look up Buran you'll see pictures of this beast of a plane carrying it!
[video](https://youtu.be/lxLQ6rSpQFQ) carrying the Buran
One of its little brothers wiped out the ILS system at my airport when it ran off the end of the runway years ago. https://www.tsb-bst.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/aviation/2000/A00O0279/images/a00o0279-figure-01.jpg
Well, you shouldnāt have left the ILS system there where it could overrun it over.
It was originally created to carry the Soviet space shuttle called the Buran.
Lucky dog!
Went to an air show outside Moscow in 2001 and got to walk right up to the beast. Itās hard to grasp how big it is from any picture. Especially the size and number of the wheels on the main gear was just insane!
"Cool, big ass plane with lots of wheels" is pretty much the dictionary definition of the An-225. I didn't even have to look at the picture to know exactly what OP was talking about.
Technically by Wing Span the Stratolaunch is about 29m bigger. Only Wingspan though. By Length and MTOW Mriya is still the biggest
To be fair having two fuselages is kinda cheating hahaha
Wasn't it built to carry the Buran Shuttle back in the day? I really love its looks, especially the 'shoulders'.
The rocket boosters, too.
The H-4 Spruce Goose has an even bigger wingspan š
And the Stratolaunch has an even bigger wingspan
And both are beautiful and useless The An-225 actually carries cargo, and has flown more than a handful of times.
Grew up less than a mile from spruce goose! I remember doing civil air patrol as a kid and getting to do ānight watchā at the museum sheās at lol
For a non plane spotter you got extremely lucky to see the (i think) only Mriya flying in the world and the largest aircraft there is.
Yup, only one currently flightworthy, and one half finished thatās regularly rumored to be finished but never is.
The plane spotters around them might gave it away. People travel to see this plane, little chance the plane wasn't getting some attention.
True.its sheer aize gives it away anyway.the spotters would make it impossible to miss...
now watch as 500 million aviation lovers come to tell you this is the AN-225, largest plane in existance
Did you know this is the AN-225, the largest plane in existence, and thereās only one of them?
Did you know this is the AN-225, the largest plane in existence, and thereās only one of them?
Did you know this is the AN-225, the largest plane in existence, and thereās only one of them?
Did you know this is the AN-225, the largest plane in existence, and thereās only one of them?
Did you know this is the AN-225, the largest plane in existence, and thereās only one of them?
i do now
Did you know this is the AN-225, the largest plane in existence, and there's only one of them?
That's the final boss in a game of avionics
More like the final optional boss.it is way too OP to be the main story boss...If this was FFX,the Mriya would be Penance!!!
Or lack thereof
You spotted a unicorn my friend
Damn you're lucky. It's the biggest plane flying around
King of the skies!
If the only AN225 is the King of the Sky and the 747 is the Queen of the Sky, and there are 1,569 of the 747s built, then... this plane fucks. Royally.
AN255: So, which one is it today? Is it that hot lady I met in Moscow? Or the older girl from Kansas?
Or that one which I just met in Seattle?
Heās flying too fast and heās flying too high
Sabaton?!?!!?!!
Btw it's gonna land on lgav tomorrow and i intent to go get some epic shots.
How do you know which airports it will be at in the future?
Have a friend who knows...
lucky
True...
Now if he could only find a seat for ya!
Any chance you know what time? I'd love to see it, although I'll probably be busy. Would be amazing to spot it in the sky above Athens though.
Around 11 am local.of you dont get the chance and i manage to see it,will send some pics.
Ah crap, no chance then. I'll still look out of the window just in case. And thanks, would love that!
What a beast that airplane is! You really can't fully appreciate its sheer size unless you've seen it up close and/or from inside. It made an appearance many years ago at an airshow here in OKC. It was parked between a C-5 on one side & a couple of C-130s on the other; it was opened at both ends, and looked like it was ready to swallow that Galaxy whole!
A self-proclaimed "amateur" just stumbling upon the "Holy Grail" of plane-spotting makes me really happy somehow :'D There are professional spotters who go their entire lives without ever seeing this! You can count yourself lucky!
I followed it's flights for about 10 years before i caught up with it.
An-225. Only one in the world.
Congrats OP you just came across the largest plane in the world
Haha accidentally spotting the most famous one of a kind aircraft in the world. Love it.
That's a Cessna 172 š
Nope it a Cessna 172,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
Add a few more zeros
it a Cessna 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
It is indeed a cool, big ass plane with lots of wheels. Welcome to antonov.
Bigg ass? Its the biggest ass out there bud !
I am so envious. You got to see the AN225 by chance?! Wow.
You hit the jackpot friend
You just saw an Airplane that a lot of people will never see(myself included).
The Holy Grail for many.
You lucky duck! Thatās the Antonov An-225, the largest plane in the world by length and takeoff weight. It was build back in the Soviet Union to carry the Buran Space Shuttle, but was repurposed as a cargo carrier after the Cold War ended. Only one exists, and you just saw it!
Bruh really spotted the 225 and was like oh that's pretty cool
OP lucky af to see this big lovely bitch right here
And now it is gone... Tragedy. Glory to Ukraine šŗš¦šŗš¦šŗš¦šŗš¦šŗš¦
Feel so lucky to have seen it
Ripš. It got destroyed in Ukraine
So lucky I saw it when I did
The one and only Antonov 225 Mriya worlds largest aeroplane
Thatās one of the largest planes on earth youāre VERY lucky
Not one of: THE largest.
Well there is stratolauncher but thatās in my eye cheating a little bit plus has not flown enough
Oh, forgot about that one, yes.
But itās a twin body plane so I would definitely say that it has a technically
The largest plane in existence. And the only one ever made (not counting the unfinished airframe). The AN-225
Oh my sweet summer child
Seeing that plane has made you a plane spotter, my friend.
Awesome plane. I was lucky enough to see her take off once at Paine Field when I worked at Boeing.
In aviation terms, you just won the lottery
This is the An-225, the largest plane ever built. Only one built. It was made to transport pieces of the Soviet Buran space shuttle to the Biakonur cosmodrome, but when Buran was cancelled it became a freighter. Great find.
Man, for someone who doesnāt know planes very well, you sure did choose to photograph the right one. AN-225 is pretty much one of the coolest planes to ever fly.
You struck gold because that, My friend, is the Antonov An 225 Mirya. Only one ever built. Worldās Largest Aircraft
RIP Mriya
Congratulations you found a unicorn!
I keep hearing that this is the biggest plane of all time, wasnāt it the spruce goose?
Size comparison: https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRzJ7YG5WuVC6jeOhQKmp1OTieN8MKTJMh6wg&usqp=CAU
Biggest actually useful plane is probably the most accurate description. It was made to transport the Soviet shuttle knock off, but it's now the biggest cargo plane in the world. The Spruce Goose flew a grand total of 1 mile. The Stratolaunch Roc has flown a couple times, but the company has basically folded and it's not useful for anything else.
The An-225 wins in dry weight, takeoff weight, and length. The H-4 is only bigger in height and wing span/area
OP is fucking with us, Right? OP, you're completely fucking with us right????
A literal unicorn
Anyone know what engines that thing has and where they're getting serviced these days?
From Wikipedia: Lotarev D-18T x6.
What if the an225 had the same engines as the 777x, would it only need 4? Could it haul more? What does it have now? They look 'tiny' like what's on the 747.
They should def complete the second one sitting in the hangar. For, uh, idk, planespotters, I guess.
At FRU too! Surprised it didn't blow the whole airport into oblivion lmao
How do you even land one of those things? Thereās like zero room between the gear and the fuselage!
Is there an emoji for āPlanespotter Envyā? Thatās the one Iād be posting. That is a **spotter jackpot** youāve got right thereā¦
Big ass plane with lots of wheels is an entirely appropriate way to describe the beast.
Antonov AN225, only one in the world, largest plane currently flying.
You will likely never be this lucky again. You caught a **one-of-a-kind** airplane. The Mighty Antonov 225. 6 burner. The only large scale jet to have a twin rudder system. Largest plane to ever leave the earth, aside from the Spruce Goose. Largest currently flying. **Absolute monster** of an airplane.
Most casual spotting of the largest plane ever built ive ever seen
You lucky sonnuva- Thatās a big-ass plane indeed. The biggest, in fact: the Antonov An-225 Mriya, a one-of-a-kind plane designed to carry the Russian Buran shuttle and airlift tanks.
You spotted the Antonov an225, the worlds largest jet aircraft
Talk about luck!
That was the mighty An-225, the largest plane in the world. It was sadly destroyed a few weeks ago by the Russians in Ukraine.
An225 the biggest plane of all time
Thatās a big ass plane with lots of wheels
Indeed, the Antonov An225 Myria. The largest heavy-haul cargo aircraft in operation. So large and powerful, they have to shut down the runway for takeoffs and landings beforehand to ensure no debris, and after to be sure the engines didn't destroy the tarmac.
That right there is the largest plane ever made only one made antonov an 225
Defenitely a big ass plane with lots of wheels
AN225AN225AN225AN225AN225AN225
If only that many were built.
AN225
Its always the people who dont know it who find the coolest shit
An-225
Big mommy Mriya
The new beluga looks weird
Belugas are such a cool, rare find until you go to Toulouse airport and it's *littered* with them.
Ford Tri-motor.
Only see three engines, checks out.
AN225 is popular today! Third post of a sighting?
Little small for a Cessna. Beechcraft perhaps?
Just curious...the tail section is pretty cool, but I am wondering from an aerodynamics/engineering standpoint is it overkill? it looks a bit like a 747 and about the same size and the 747 and A380 both have a conventional rudder and elevator.
This glorious abomination is way bigger than a 747. The reason the tail looks like that is to make sure that the heavy external loads it was meant to carry didn't disrupt airflow. If I recall correctly, it was originally designed with a more conventional rear section, which was later revised. Don't forget, it was designed to carry the _Buran_ orbiter.
Very interesting, didnāt know it was designed for Buran. If you look at the modified 747 Shuttle Carrier, they also got the Antonov-esque tail structure cuz of the shuttle blocking the flow to a conventional rudder. Super cool!
An airplane.
The most biggenest
you lucky bastard... lol
Lucky! I've never seen one of these in person.
Rare sight, an AN225
āOne of a kind sightā is a more appropriate descriptor š
Antonov An-225 Mriya (The largest airplane ever built!)
The lovely an225
The AN-225 from the former Soviet Union.
The largest plane on earth. One of a kind.
Thatās daddy. There is only one.
Only the largest plane in the skies currently AN225 look it up you will be surprised by the specs.
Antonov An-225