Huge iron birds force to admire the person, soaring up up, despite big weight. There is a feeling that it is impossible. Their weight seems very heavy. But there is the biggest plane in the world, capable to lift 640000 kg into the sky. It is the Mriya transport aircraft designed in the USSR and operating still.
History of creation of the biggest plane
Name An-225 Mriya is translated from Ukrainian as a dream. The plane was developed for 4 years in experimental design bureau of Antonov. On December 21, 1988 the first flight of Mriya was made. The project manager is Tolmachev working at the Kiev mechanical plant. Transportation of components of the carrier rocket and the Snow-storm spaceship from the production site to the place of start was the purpose of creation of the plane with a superbig loading capacity. An-225 has to be to become not only the transporter, but also the first step of a system of air start for "Snow-storm". Before designers a condition was set that the loading capacity of the aircraft has to be more than 250 tons.
Proceeding from the characteristics of the spaceship exceeding the volume of a cargo compartment of the aircraft it was decided to make fastening for external cargo.
The An-124 aircraft became a basis for creation of the biggest plane. But it was necessary to improve aerodynamics as as a result of the cargo fixed from above additional wake streams appeared. Change of tail plumage saved situation. On An-225 it became two-keel. It helped to get rid of aerodynamic shading.
In total creation of 2 such planes was planned. But could only finish 1. When the Soviet Union broke up, the plane was preserved simply and 7 years the operating aircraft stayed without engines.
Other plane — "Atlas" was engaged in transportation of the spaceship. And now the single copy of the biggest plane in the world makes freight transportation in Antonov's Airlines. Sometimes the plane is used as the launch pad for spaceships, but these are rather experiments.
There is also a plan of the end of construction of the second plane which readiness makes 70% now.
Purpose of the aircraft
Besides a main objective of creation of the plane — transportation of the ship, it also has an opportunity to transport monocargoes up to 200000 kg on the fuselage. Intercontinental transportation is calculated on cargoes which mass does not exceed 150000 kg, and midland nonstop transportation is possible for cargoes which total maximum weight is equal to 200000 kg. Also the plane is capable to take aboard the large-size, leaving the standard by the sizes cargoes.
Characteristics of An-225 of Mriya
That it was simpler to present plane dimensions, It should be noted its technical characteristics. The aircraft has height of 18 meters that there is more 5-storey house. Plane length - 84 meters. If to compare it to Boeing 737-800, then Mriya will be longer more, than twice. And the wingspan is 88.4 meters.
The maximum take-off mass of the plane is 640 tons. More visually to understand possibilities of loading of Mriya, it is possible to present that in this aircraft 50 cars will quietly be located.