Antonov-225 Mriya Has Been Destroyed by Russians

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Antonov-225 Mriya Has Been Destroyed by Russians

#1 Post by FD2 » Sun Feb 27, 2022 7:22 pm

There seems to be a possibility that the amazing Antonov-225 is a victim of the conflict. It was destroyed by Russians in its hangar at Gostomel Airport in Ukraine.

https://www.businessinsider.com/anotov- ... ?r=AU&IR=T

Sad news about an iconic aircraft. I hope I haven't duplicated a thread.

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Re: Antonov-225 Mriya Has Been Destroyed by Russians

#2 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Sun Feb 27, 2022 8:22 pm

FD2 wrote:
Sun Feb 27, 2022 7:22 pm
There seems to be a possibility that the amazing Antonov-225 is a victim of the conflict. It was destroyed by Russians in its hangar at Gostomel Airport in Ukraine.

https://www.businessinsider.com/anotov- ... ?r=AU&IR=T

Sad news about an iconic aircraft. I hope I haven't duplicated a thread.
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Re: Antonov-225 Mriya Has Been Destroyed by Russians

#3 Post by tango15 » Sun Feb 27, 2022 10:08 pm

It seems that finally, after some doubts, that this is true. I remember seeing this beast at the air show in Moscow in 1992. It gave one of the most 'sporty' displays that I have ever seen from such a huge aircraft. Of course the Russians would destroy it. In the current climate, it was a threat, wasn't it? I suspect that there's very little left of the Antonov factory at Gostomel, but I honestly believe that once this is over, the Ukrainians will rebuild it.

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Re: Antonov-225 Mriya Has Been Destroyed by Russians

#4 Post by Seenenough » Sun Feb 27, 2022 10:28 pm

It is so sad to see the collateral destruction.

I was served a cocktail in the cargo hold of the Antanov at Le Bourget at the airshow in 1999.They did not have a hospitality area and they used the cargo hold where they had set up a whole bar.

It was eventful that year because it was the same year where the Sukhoi display went a bit wrong.

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Re: Antonov-225 Mriya Has Been Destroyed by Russians

#5 Post by Rwy in Sight » Sun Feb 27, 2022 10:33 pm

What surprises me is that the Russians didn't try to protect is as part of their aeronautical heritage.

Seenenough I attended a press conference in the cargo area of a 747-8 and in 737 and let me assure you they were far more interesting places than the press chalet.

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Re: Antonov-225 Mriya Has Been Destroyed by Russians

#6 Post by tango15 » Sun Feb 27, 2022 10:41 pm

Rwy in Sight wrote:
Sun Feb 27, 2022 10:33 pm
What surprises me is that the Russians didn't try to protect is as part of their aeronautical heritage.

Seenenough I attended a press conference in the cargo area of a 747-8 and in 737 and let me assure you they were far more interesting places than the press chalet.
But it's not is it? Antonov, imho, were always streets ahead of Tupolev and Ilyushin when it came to aircraft design. That they could design the largest aircraft in the world, which worked, is an enormous tribute to them, imho.

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Re: Antonov-225 Mriya Has Been Destroyed by Russians

#7 Post by Seenenough » Sun Feb 27, 2022 10:46 pm

It was spectacular to see how agile such a big aircraft actually was when it did its flying display.

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Re: Antonov-225 Mriya Has Been Destroyed by Russians

#8 Post by tango15 » Sun Feb 27, 2022 11:29 pm

Seenenough wrote:
Sun Feb 27, 2022 10:46 pm
It was spectacular to see how agile such a big aircraft actually was when it did its flying display.
+1

As one who has been forced to watch more flying displays than I can remember - Berlin (1), Dubai (2), Farnborough(5), Moscow (2) Paris(3), It is by far one of the impressive - and most daring -some might say reckless - I have ever seen.

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Re: Antonov-225 Mriya Has Been Destroyed by Russians

#9 Post by AtomKraft » Fri Mar 25, 2022 9:52 am

I was in Kiev for a while, so popped over to Hostomel for a look-see.

Apart from the An-225, there were Antonov prototypes everywhere.

The Proto' An-124 Ruslan was there, as was the first An-22 'COCK', the first An-148- that's a new twinjet freighter, One of the two An-70s, that's a bit like a massive A-400 and a light pusher twin, the prototype Aero V-24L, and loads of other assorted Antonovs.

I expect most of it is trashed now.

There is another An-225 here also, but it's never been completed. It's probably going to be easier to complete the second a/c, than it will be to fix the original one.

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Re: Antonov-225 Mriya Has Been Destroyed by Russians

#10 Post by tango15 » Fri Mar 25, 2022 11:12 am

AtomKraft wrote:
Fri Mar 25, 2022 9:52 am
I was in Kiev for a while, so popped over to Hostomel for a look-see.

Apart from the An-225, there were Antonov prototypes everywhere.

The Proto' An-124 Ruslan was there, as was the first An-22 'COCK', the first An-148- that's a new twinjet freighter, One of the two An-70s, that's a bit like a massive A-400 and a light pusher twin, the prototype Aero V-24L, and loads of other assorted Antonovs.

I expect most of it is trashed now.

There is another An-225 here also, but it's never been completed. It's probably going to be easier to complete the second a/c, than it will be to fix the original one.
I see that Antonov have issued a formal statement that the -225 will be rebuilt. Probably something was lost in translation because I suspect there are very few useable parts left from the one which was destroyed in the hangar.

https://twitter.com/KyivIndependent/sta ... ed-5.html

That's a lot of money for one aircraft, but I suspect that megabucks will be available to Ukraine once this is over.

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Re: Antonov-225 Mriya Has Been Destroyed by Russians

#11 Post by llondel » Fri Mar 25, 2022 2:49 pm

tango15 wrote:
Fri Mar 25, 2022 11:12 am
That's a lot of money for one aircraft, but I suspect that megabucks will be available to Ukraine once this is over.
Given how useful the An-225 is when someone really needs something that big, I suspect there will be help in getting at least one to an airworthy state.

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Re: Antonov-225 Mriya Has Been Destroyed by Russians

#12 Post by tango15 » Fri Mar 25, 2022 4:21 pm

llondel wrote:
Fri Mar 25, 2022 2:49 pm
tango15 wrote:
Fri Mar 25, 2022 11:12 am
That's a lot of money for one aircraft, but I suspect that megabucks will be available to Ukraine once this is over.
Given how useful the An-225 is when someone really needs something that big, I suspect there will be help in getting at least one to an airworthy state.
Yes, exactly what I thought!

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Re: Antonov-225 Mriya Has Been Destroyed by Russians

#13 Post by k3k3 » Fri Mar 25, 2022 4:25 pm

An almost completed second 225 fuselage exists, Antonov have said they intend to rebuild(?) the destroyed aircraft with international financial support once the current crisis is over, the cost is estimated to be around $3 Bn!

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Re: Antonov-225 Mriya Has Been Destroyed by Russians

#14 Post by G-CPTN » Fri Mar 25, 2022 10:03 pm

They should crowd-source from spotters - I imagine you could get a few dollars from each of several thousand.

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Re: Antonov-225 Mriya Has Been Destroyed by Russians

#15 Post by PHXPhlyer » Fri Mar 03, 2023 2:45 am

Mriya Flies Again Virtually

World’s biggest plane flies again in Microsoft Flight Simulator


https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/anto ... index.html

A year after it was destroyed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Antonov AN-225 – the world’s biggest commercial plane – has taken flight once again in the Microsoft Flight Simulator program.

The game has already resurrected lots of historical aircraft in its virtual skies, but this one’s a little special. All proceeds from the $19.99 add-on go toward the Antonov Company’s real-life efforts to reconstruct the mighty beast known as “Mriya” (Ukrainian for “dream”).

The massive six-engine craft – some 275 feet, 7 inches in length – was built in the 1980s to carry the Soviet space shuttle and was the only one of its kind ever completed.

Mriya’s next role was as the world’s largest cargo transporter, boasting twice the hold capacity of a Boeing 747 jumbo jet. Its wingspan was 290 feet, the longest of any fully operational aircraft, and with a maximum payload weight of 250 tonnes, it remains the heaviest aircraft ever built.

The Antonov AN-225 was destroyed at its base in Hostomel, near Kyiv, in February 2022, but in November last year its manufacturers confirmed that the rebuilding project had begun. Antonov estimated that it would need more than €500 million ($532 million) to get it back in the air.

“The process of rebuilding ‘Mriya’ is considered as an international project, with the participation of aviation enterprises of different countries of the world,” the Antonov Company told CNN via email at the time.

“The possibility of attracting funding from various sources is being considered and proposals from many organizations that are ready to join the project are being reviewed.”

The Microsoft Flight Simulator version of the Antonov AN-225 Mriya comes in six liveries, including classic Antonov Airlines designs and an Xbox Aviators Club one.

The add-on is available now in the Microsoft Flight Simulator in-game marketplace on PC for $19.99 and will be available for Xbox Series X|S and on Xbox Cloud Gaming starting in late March.

The much-loved flight simulator game celebrated its 40th anniversary in November 2022, having gone through a major reboot in 2020 when it returned with hyper-realistic scenery, digitally distilled from satellite imagery.

In-game pilots can explore the world, flying over a range of 1.5 billion buildings, two million cities, and stopping in at more than 37,000 airports. That’s in real-world conditions too, day or night: the program features live real-time weather including wind speed and direction, temperature, lighting, humidity and rain.

Individualized instrument guidance and checklists are available for the wide variety of aircraft pilots can test their skills in, from light aircraft to commercial jets.

Mriya fans can also support the rebuild efforts by building their own models of the iconic craft. Ukrainian startup Metal Time is selling working mechanical design kits of the AN-225 for $99.

Profits go straight to Antonov to fund the reconstruction, as well as the rehousing of Antonov employees whose homes have been destroyed by the Russian invasion, and training for new Ukrainian pilots and aviation engineers.

PP

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Re: Antonov-225 Mriya Has Been Destroyed by Russians

#16 Post by PHXPhlyer » Fri Apr 07, 2023 6:48 pm

The giant Antonov An-225 plane was destroyed in Russia’s invasion. But Ukraine says it will fly again

https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/07/europe/u ... index.html

Hostomel, Ukraine
CNN

The sheared nose cone of the Antonov An-225 cargo plane towers over Yevhen Bashynsky.

Affectionately known as the Mriya, or “Dream,” the leviathan plane was the pride of Ukraine and of 38-year-old Bashynsky, one of its pilots.

This is the first time Bashynsky has come back to see what remains of the Mriya.

“It is very hard to be here and to see all of this situation. Destroyed plane, destroyed hangars. It is quite hard to see,” he says.

In the first hours of the war, elite Russian paratroopers descended on the Antonov airfield, a major cargo airport in Hostomel, to the northwest of Kyiv. It was supposed to be an anchor point to attack the capital. The assault did not go as planned. Russian troops inside the airport were encircled, with no chance to bring in reinforcements quickly.

Word soon got out in aviation circles that the Mriya had been damaged in the fighting. When Ukrainian forces retook the airport, the extent of the destruction became clear.

The Security Service of Ukraine said Wednesday that a joint investigation had been launched with the national police into the failure of the former head of the state-owned Antonov company to order the aircraft’s planned evacuation to safety in Germany.

The Antonov An-225 was destroyed in the first hours of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in February 2022.

When it flew, the Mriya was designed for aviation superlatives: the world’s heaviest plane; the longest wingspan of any active carrier; six turbo fan engines with more than 50,000 pounds of thrust each; a carrying capacity of 250 tons.

Only one was ever completed, first taking flight in 1988. It was designed to carry the Buran spacecraft – the Soviet Union’s answer to NASA’s Space Shuttle – on its back. But after Ukraine’s independence, Antonov refurbished the plane several times.

In the early 2000s, Mriya began operating again as a commercial venture. From slow beginnings it found an important niche, says Antonov cargo division executive Ruslan Bykovets.

Satellites, electrical transformers, water delivery after a hurricane – the Ukrainian giant transported them all, he says. During the Covid-19 pandemic, it delivered vital medical cargo.

Pilot Yevhen Bashynsky says flying the Mriya "was like feeling you are part of something great."


The Antonov An-255 is also known as the Mriya, or "Dream."

Bashynsky, the pilot, says that the plane was a challenge to maneuver on the ground, but it was a joy to fly – with a huge following from aviation enthusiasts.

“You know it was like feeling you are part of something great. You were touching something great,” he says.

“It was also a great responsibility because you are attracting a lot of attention. A few days after you fly, you can open YouTube and see everything you have done.”

In May last year, likely sensing the symbolic importance for his country, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine would rebuild the plane.

Antonov officials say another An-225 was partially built – but abandoned in the 1990s because of a lack of funds. The current plan is to use what they already have as the basis for a new plane.

Engineers and technicians have been scouring the wreckage of the Mriya at Hostomel to pull out useful parts. They will eventually remove one of its giant wings to try to restore it, says Antonov designer Valerii Kostiuk.

“The aircraft will be equipped with modernized engines. New electronic on-board equipment will be installed on the plane. Well-known companies will be involved,” he says.

Which companies those are and how Ukraine will afford to build the plane are not clear, or have not been disclosed by company officials. It is impossible to say exactly how much rebuilding the plane will cost, but some estimates put it close to a billion US dollars. Antonov executive Bykovets understands that it won’t be a top priority for a country shattered by war.

Still, he says, it should be done.

“This plane is a symbol of Ukraine,” he says. “It’s a symbol like the Burj Khalifa or Statue of Liberty.”

PP

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Former Antonov Chief Faces Charges For An-225 Destruction

#17 Post by OneHungLow » Wed Apr 19, 2023 3:25 am

Ukrainian prosecutors have informed the former head of Antonov of suspicion of crimes including failing to dispatch the An-225 Mriya airlifter before the Russian invasion last year and neglecting to renew an insurance policy.

The allegations have come out more than 13 months after Russian and Ukrainian forces fought a battle around Hostomel airport in the opening hours of the invasion. During a crossfire of small arms and artillery, the An-225 was destroyed, along with several Antonov-owned facilities around the airport.

AN-225.JPG
AN-225.JPG (56.58 KiB) Viewed 431 times

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said on its Telegram social media channel on April 5 that Serhiy Bychkov, the then-director of state-owned Antonov, failed to approve an order that would have flown the An-225 to Leipzig, Germany, in the weeks before the battle. The An-225 was “in proper technical condition, which [would have] allowed it to fly outside Ukraine” at the time of the invasion, the SBU said on Telegram.

Bychkov also failed to extend Antonov’s insurance contract, which resulted in $1.14 million in lost compensation payments, the SBU said.

At the time of its destruction, the sole An-225 was the world’s largest air transport and the second-largest aircraft in the world. Only the Stratolaunch Roc, a space and hypersonic vehicle launch platform, is larger.

Antonov built the An-225 to transport the Soviet space shuttle Buran in the 1980s. The Mriya instead operated as a commercial transport for out-size cargo. In the wake of the aircraft’s destruction, Antonov has committed to complete the assembly of the partially built second An-225 airframe after the war, although the cost and schedule have not been fixed. - Steve Trimble
https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/ ... estruction
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