Design
Based on Antonov's earlier An-124, the An-225 has fuselage barrel extensions added fore and aft of the wings, which received root extensions to increase span. Two more Ivchenko Progress D-18T turbofan engines were added to the new wing roots, bringing the total to six, and an increased-capacity landing gear system with 32 wheels was designed, some of which are steerable to turn the aircraft within a 60m wide runway. The landing gear allows the An-225 to kneel so cargo is easier to load and unload. The An-124’s rear cargo door and ramp were removed to save weight, and the empennage was changed from a single vertical stabilizer to a twin tail with an oversized horizontal stabilizer. The twin tail was essential to enable the plane to carry large, heavy external loads that would disturb the aerodynamics of a conventional tail. Unlike the An-124, the An-225 was not intended for tactical airlifting and is not designed for short-field operation.
Initially the 225 had a maximum gross weight of 600 t (1,300,000 lb) but the aircraft was modified in 2000–01, at a cost of US$20M, with a reinforced floor that increased the maximum gross weight to 640 t (1,400,000 lb).
Both the earlier and later takeoff weights establish the An-225 as the world's heaviest aircraft, being heavier than the double-deck Airbus A380 even though Airbus plans to pass the An-225's maximum landing weight with 591.7 tonnes (1,304,000 lb) for the A380. The Boeing 747 Dreamlifter has a bigger cargo hold at 1,840m3 (65,000 cubic feet). The Hughes H-4 Hercules, known as the "Spruce Goose", had a greater wingspan and a greater overall height, but was 20% shorter, and due to the materials used in its construction, also lighter. In addition, the Spruce Goose only flew once, making the An-225 the largest aircraft in the world to fly multiple times. The An-225 is in most ways larger than the Dreamlifter, Antonov An-124 and Lockheed C-5 Galaxy (the nearest equivalent heavy cargo aircraft), and the Airbus A380 airliner.
The pressurized cargo hold is 1,300m3 in volume; 6.4m wide, 4.4m high, and 43.35m long – longer than the first flight of the Wright Flyer.
Read more about this topic: Antonov An-225 Mriya
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