Revealed: Hidden twin of the world's biggest aircraft Antonov AN-225

Revealed: Hidden twin of the world’s biggest aircraft Antonov AN-225 which has been lying unfinished in a Ukraine warehouse for nearly 25 years following the Soviet Union’s collapse

Antonov An-225 paid a visit to RAF Brize Norton before departing for its next job in Greece
The aircraft, which has six engines, is the world’s largest cargo aircraft capable of carrying up to 250 tonnes
Antonov has opened a base at Stansted Airport to increase the amount of business it does in western Europe
Its sister plane lies unfinished in a warehouse since the halting of its construction in 1994
Firm hopes to secure funding of between £190million and £270million to finish the build

These remarkable photographs show the sister model of the world’s largest aircraft which has been lying unfinished in a Ukraine warehouse for nearly 25 years following the Soviet Union’s collapse.

The Antonov AN-225, which has six engines, paid a flying visit to the UK delivering cargo to RAF Brize Norton before flying off to Greece this week.

But the huge cargo aircraft could soon rule the skies along with its counterpart – a similarly designed aircraft that was never finished after the start of its construction in 1989.

The world’s largest aircraft has a hidden sister stored in a warehouse (pictured) in Ukraine after lying unfinished since the halting of its construction following the fall of the Soviet Union

Unfinished: A second model of the Antonov AN-225 Mriya cargo plane pictured at the Antonov aircraft plant in Kiev, Ukraine

Soon after Mriya’s first successful flight the firm decided to build a second AN-225 – which currently lies in pieces in a warehouse on the outskirts of Kiev

With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and as such their space program, production of the twin plane was halted three years later following the lack of funding

Built in Ukraine in the 1980s by the Antonov Corporation, the An-225 Mriya is still the heaviest aircraft ever produced, measuring 275 feet (84 meters) long, with a 288-foot (88 meters) wingspan – almost twice the width of a traditional football field.

And soon after Mriya’s first successful flight the firm decided to build a second AN-225 – which currently lies in pieces in a warehouse on the outskirts of Kiev.

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The first aircraft was made to carry parts for the proposed Russian space shuttle project but the company now hires out its massive jet to carry loads of up to 250 tonnes – dwarfing the payload of any other aircraft.

With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and as such their space program, production of the twin plane was halted three years later following the lack of funding.

Antonov’s An-225 program director, Gennadiy Silchenko, however says finishing the build should be quite simple and remains optimistic that the company will get the second aircraft off the ground.

Antonov’s An-225 program director, Gennadiy Silchenko, however says finishing the build should be quite simple and remains optimistic that the company will get the second aircraft off the ground

The growing private sector’s interest in space exploration, tourism and communications – along with the hope of heavy goods in need of transportation – may yet create a need for a second An-225

Mriya’s hidden twin is currently around 70 per cent completed, yet the wings remain unattached, thrown to one side, and the nose gear is also left nearby

All the essential components of its superstructure have been manufactured and Mr Silchenko insists it could be quickly put together with funding of between £190million ($250million) and £270million ($350million)

The growing private sector’s interest in space exploration, tourism and communications – along with the hope of heavy goods in need of transportation – may yet create a need for a second An-225.

‘When there is a need to solve such a problem, there will be a demand for the completion of the second aircraft and the investors will appear,’ Gennadiy Silchenko told CNN travel.

Mriya’s hidden twin is currently around 70 per cent completed, yet the wings remain unattached, thrown to one side, and the nose gear is also left nearby.

The aircraft was nearly finished in 2016 when China expressed an interest in completing the design, however they found it too difficult to transport the parts to the country so it never happened.

Should it ever take flight, the second An-225 would certainly cause a stir – if the admiration of its sister aircraft is anything to go by.

WSBuzz.com

Revealed: Hidden twin of the world’s biggest aircraft Antonov AN-225

Revealed: Hidden twin of the world’s biggest aircraft Antonov AN-225 which has been lying unfinished in a Ukraine warehouse for nearly 25 years following the Soviet Union’s collapse

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