The largest airplane in the world is destroyed

One of the first targets of the Russian invasion of Ukraine was the strategic Hostomel Airport in north-west Kyiv. On February 27, a hangar containing the largest transport aircraft, the Antonov An-225, was also shelled. The plane is world famous and admired everywhere because of its sheer size. What role does its destruction play for the warring factions and the world?

She was the pride of Ukraine – a real aviation dream, which is why she was nicknamed Mriya (Ukrainian for dream). With a wingspan of 88.4 meters, the Antonov An-225 is currently the largest transport aircraft in the world and has so far carried the Ukrainian colors around the world wherever it was needed. For comparison: The second largest transport aircraft is the Airbus Beluga XL with a wingspan of 60.3 meters.

But just at the time of the Russian invasion, the An-225 was trapped in a maintenance hangar at Hostomel Airport, home base of the former Russian and now Ukrainian company Antonov. One of the aircraft’s engines had been dismantled for service purposes, which is why the aircraft could not be brought to safety in time.

It is particularly bitter that there is only one example of the 84 meter long machine, whose wingspan of 88.4 meters is unprecedented. Even more important than the external dimensions is the size of the cargo hold, which, at 43.3 meters long, 6.4 meters wide and 4.4 meters high, allows aircraft fuselages or other parts that cannot be further dismantled to be transported. With a cargo hold volume of 1220 m³ and a maximum payload of 345 tons, the An-225 is also suitable for transporting heavy military equipment and large troop units. This strategic tool is now missing from the Ukrainian armed forces.

The Antonov An-225 was created in 1988 as one of a total of five planned transport aircraft. The first flight took place on December 21 of the same year. During flight testing, the An-225 set a total of 106 official world records, such as the highest take-off weight of 506.8 tons.

Main purpose Soviet space travel

As early as 1989, the record-breaking aircraft served as a transporter for the Russian space shuttle Buran. The 105-ton space transporter was mounted on the fuselage of the Antonov, very similar to the NASA space shuttle Enterprise, which used a Boeing 747 as a transport base back in 1977. The transport of large components for the Soviet space program was the original main purpose for building the An-225. The previously built slightly smaller An-124 had previously proved too small to carry space parts.

But the An-225 was rarely in service with the Soviet space program. The aircraft was initially taken out of service in April 1994. After the end of the Soviet Union, many companies in the former member states were privatized, including the Antonov works, which were integrated into the Ukrainian KSAMC (Kharkov State Aircraft Manufacturing Company).

The An-225 was reactivated in Ukraine for use primarily in the lucrative global heavy transport business. It received a second maiden flight in Kyiv on May 7, 2001, which is rare in aviation. The mriah began to carry out heavy transport around the world, such as locomotives, large generators for power stations and long propeller blades for wind turbines. The transport plane also made a guest appearance at Zurich Airport in September 2013.

So far, there hasn’t been a faster transport alternative anywhere in the world. However, it was not until August 2009 that the aircraft received its distinctive yellow and blue stripes, making the An-225 a national symbol of Ukraine.

When the plane was not in use, it parked at Hostomel Airport. During the tensions between Ukraine and Russia over the annexation of Crimea, the Mriya stood in its hangar for months from 2014. At that time there were no spare parts, which had previously been supplied from Russia. Antonov reorganized and since then has sourced parts from other countries.

But now the “dream” has temporarily burst, the machine destroyed and grounded. As both the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the manufacturer have now confirmed, the Antonov was damaged as a result of the bombing of Hostomel. A TV report by the Russian television station 1tv (Perwy) now clearly shows how badly the aircraft is affected. The entire bow is completely separated from the rest of the fuselage up to the point at which the wings are attached, as is a main wing.

Degree of destruction evident

There are still no publicly available and verified photos of the damaged plane. The manufacturer Antonov announced that it would only comment on the degree of destruction of the An-225 once the aircraft had been examined on site. The TV report, recorded directly in front of the hangar and the wreck of the Antonov, clearly shows how severe the damage to the aircraft is. “We have to assume a total loss,” says aviation expert Andreas Spaeth. “It is possible that parts of the structure and engines can be used for a reconstruction, in combination with existing parts for a second, never assembled second aircraft of this type”.

However, in Ukraine there is still a glimmer of hope for the salvation of the national symbol. The aircraft will be repaired in any case, says the manufacturer, which could take five years and cost around 3 billion dollars. In the worst case, Antonov still has a second, unfinished transport plane up his sleeve. It was under construction when the Soviet authorities canceled the order for a total of five aircraft due to lack of budget and interest.

Compared to the An-225, certain further developments were planned for the second example. In addition to the characteristic bow opening, it has a large tailgate for easier loading. However, it is doubtful whether the project, which has been idle for more than thirty years, can be reactivated in the short term. The funds required for this are currently being used elsewhere in Ukraine.

After all, there were expansion plans at Antonov before the current crisis. At the end of August, the company announced that it had entered into a cooperation with the Chinese aviation company AICC (Aerospace Industry Corporation of China). The second, unfinished An-225 should therefore be modernized, completed and delivered to AICC. A licensed version should also go into series production in China. The Russian invasion now calls everything into question.