The world’s largest airplane a year and a half after its destruction (photo)
Specialists of the state-owned Antonov enterprise are removing the surviving parts from the world’s largest airplane, the An-225 Mriya. These spare parts can help in the construction of a new version of the airliner, if such a decision is made.
The dream, which existed in a single copy, was destroyed at the Gostomel airport during the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Our colleagues at Aerovokzal have shared exclusive footage of what Mriya looks like now, 1.5 years after the plane was damaged to the point where it was impossible to repair.
Although the wing and tailplane have been dismantled from the AN-225, the silhouette of the fuselage still shows the outline of the world’s largest airplane.
The nose of the airliner suffered the most during the fighting. The fire destroyed the cockpit with all the equipment, the forward section of the fuselage, the engine, the landing gear and part of the wing.
The surviving tailplane can help in the construction of a new AN-225, but the engines from the aircraft have been in operation for several months.
Mriya is powered by six D-18T engines. The same engines are used by AN-124 Ruslan transport aircraft from the Antonov fleet.
In the spring of 2023, Antonov Deputy CEO Maksym Sanotskyi told reporters that the company was able to repair three of the six Mriya engines. Two of them were supplied as spare parts for the AN-124.
Having spare engines for the Ruslan is extremely important now, so that the aircraft do not stand idle for long periods of time for maintenance. Today, Ukrainian An-124s are earning money for the state and helping to transport defense weapons for Ukraine’s needs.
