09/30/2012. Remarks by Johan Visschedijk: "Design studies for the first transport aircraft built at gross weight exceeding 1,000,000 lb (453,592 kg) began in mid-1985. The An-225 was designed to replace the Myasishchev VM-T Atlant as external load-carrier for space orbiters, components of Energiya rocket launch vehicles and other outsize loads.

Antonov An-124-100 Ruslan (John Voss Collection)

The An-225 was based on the An-124, with extended wings and lengthened fuselage to permit 50% in maximum take off weight and payload. The basic cabin cross-section and visor type nose door were unchanged, the rear loading ramp/door was deleted and the rear fuselage reconfigured with twin fins and rudders on dihedral tail plane to avoid airflow problems when carrying piggyback loads.

(Jess Clanton Collection)

The main landing gear was upgraded from five to seven pairs of wheels on each side, and six instead of four engines of the same type were fitted. Basically standard An-124 wings were attached to a new center section, with anhedral on outer wings only, sweepback 35° on inboard half-span and 32° out board, while all tail surfaces were swept back.

Antonov An-225 Mriya (CCCP-480182) (Johan Visschedijk Collection)

The sole An-225 made its 75 min first flight on December 21, 1988, registered CCCP-480182 and named Mriya (Dream); NATO assigned it the codename "Cossack".

Molniya OK-GLI Buran carried by An-225 (Johan Visschedijk Collection)

Mriya's first flight carrying the Buron orbiter on its back was made May 13, 1989 from Baikonur.

(Johan Visschedijk Collection)

The Mriya and Buran were shown at the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget Airport, June 9 to 18, 1989.

Mriya reregistered UR-82060 (Sergey Riabsev Collection)

On May 23, 2001, the An-225 received its type certificate and was reregistered UR-82060.

The An-225 has become famous for setting 240 records, of which 106 were set during a 3.5 hr flight on March 22, 1989: taking off at 1,120,370 lb (508,200 kg) with 344,576 lb (156,300 kg) payload, it flew 1,243 mls (2,000 km) closed circuit at 505.24 mph (813.09 kmh), with a maximum altitude of 40,485 ft (12,340 m) en route.

It also became famous for transporting objects once thought impossible to move by air. In September 2001 it carried four battle tanks at a record load of 559,579 lb (253,821 kg). On August 11, 2009, it carried the heaviest single cargo item ever airlifted, a framed generator sized 53.2 ft (16.23 m) by 14.0 ft (4.27 m), weighing 416,673 lb (189,000 kg), while on June 11, 2010, it carried the longest ever air cargo, two 138 ft (42 m) wind turbine blades."

08/22/2022. Remarks by Johan Visschedijk: "In an attack by the Russian army on Antonov International Airport 'Gostomel' near Kiev in the Ukraine, the home base of the Antonov AN-225, the aircraft was destroyed by fire in late February 2022."