A war like the one in Ukraine has many casualties and many kinds of “collateral losses”. One of these losses concerns one of the most remarkable creations of Soviet aviation, the legendary Antonov An-225 Mriya.
The ether giant had a long and adventurous history , and finally managed to survive to this day in a single copy (there is another but its construction was never completed).
It was the largest and heaviest aircraft in the world, holding several world records. It was designed in the mid-1970s and made its maiden flight in 1988. Its main purpose was to transport parts of the Russian Buran space shuttle as well as the fuel tank for the Energia rocket.
The An-225 was the largest aircraft in the world, with six engines and a 32-wheel landing system. It could carry large and bulky loads up to 250 tons internally or up to 200 tons on its back, as well as objects up to 70 meters long.
At 84 meters long it was a particularly spectacular sight for those who had seen it up close , such as the few times he visited Athens (see video).
After the fall of the Soviet Union the plane stopped flying due to lack of maintenance, but in 2001 it started flying again. Antonov Airlines took over the operation and in recent years made several transport missions, especially during the pandemic years.
The plane was on the ground at Gostomel Airport, where it was destroyed by the Russians. The Ukrainians say they will seek compensation and try to rebuild it when the war is over, The whole process is estimated to take at least five years.
Anyway, Mriya (which means “dream” in Ukrainian) is a thing of the past. And a collateral loss of a war that beyond the dreams of the people has already destroyed one of the rare “dreams” of the ethers.
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