Imposing wherever it goes, the Antonov An-225 'Mriya' started today (1/10) its tour of punctual operations around the world. From the 1st to the 5th of October, the aircraft with 6 engines is scheduled to fly to 4 cities between the continents of Asia and Europe.
After taking off from its base in Kiev bound for Kazakhstan via Almaty, the freighter will head to China to Tianjin airport. Then, it will be Istanbul's turn to receive the largest aircraft in the world, in which the AN-225 will take off to Linz, Austria on October 05th, when the aircraft will later return to its base in Ukraine.
For enthusiasts and fans of the AN-225 on duty, it is possible to follow all flights via the application or website of the Flightradar24, simply enter the aircraft registration (UR-82060) in the search field, or access directly this link.
It is worth ing that some regions, when the An-225 is flying over, may have low ADSB coverage, causing interruptions during monitoring.
Finally, it is not yet known what type of cargo the An-225 will carry, but without a doubt it is a very complex cargo both in its size and in its weight, something that Antonov Airlines is specialized by nature, mainly with the use of its younger brother Antonov AN-124 'Ruslan', a four-jet that has marked presence in Brazil in recent months.
Some curiosities about the An-225
Developed in the Soviet era and first flown in 1988, the An-225 can carry up to 250 tons of cargo. The heaviest single payload ever carried by the An-225 had a maximum weight of 187,6 tonnes.
However, the An-225 was fundamental during the first months of the Covid-19 pandemic, where the freighter carried out numerous flights to different countries with a huge amount of hospital supplies, and certainly, such operations made all the difference at a unique moment. humanity thanks to its ability to carry up to 250 tons.
For those who don't know, the An-225 has 14 tires and wheels on each side of the main landing gear, in addition to a double landing gear at the front, totaling 4 more tires and wheels. The last three rows of wheels are steerable, to facilitate taxiing at airports.
The aircraft has a wingspan of only 88 meters, and you can check out more curiosities about the largest plane in the world in operation accessing here.
