ANTONOV 225 BURAN SHUTTLE FREE

The Buran spaceplane never lived up to its potential after it was overcome by political and economic forces beyond its designers’ control. It first took flight in 1988 and has been in service ever since.Surprising Story of the Forgotten Soviet Space Shuttle Close Only one An-225 was ever built by the Kiev-based Antonov company, which came up with the design. It boasts the largest wingspan of any airplane in operational service. Powered by six turbofan engines, she has a maximum payload weight of 250 tonnes, which can be carried inside or on its back. To this day, Mriya remains the heaviest aircraft ever built. “Mriya - You will always be remembered!” wrote aviation blogger Sam Chui on Twitter. Some of its fans took to social media on Sunday to express their dismay at claims of the aircraft’s destruction.

Its popularity in the aviation world meant it often drew large crowds wherever it went, particularly when it made star appearances at air shows. During the early days of the Covid pandemic it was used to transport medical supplies to affected areas. In the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake it delivered relief supplies to the neighboring Dominican Republic. The AN-225 was sometimes drafted in to help airlift aid during crises in other countries. If confirmed, the attack would mark a shocking end to an aircraft that has seen more than 30 years of service dating back to the days of the Soviet Union. The AN-225: How the Cold War created the world's largest airplane “According to the director of Antonov Airlines, one of the engines was dismantled for repairs and the plane wasn’t able to take off that day, although the appropriate commands were given,” it said. In a later statement, the company said the airplane had been in on the ground near Kyiv on February 24 undergoing maintenance. “Our task is to ensure that these costs are covered by the Russian Federation, which has caused intentional damage to Ukraine’s aviation and the air cargo sector. “The restoration is estimated to take over 3 billion USD and over five years,” the statement said.

Ukrainian state defense company Ukroboronprom, which manages Antonov, on Sunday issued a statement saying the aircraft had been destroyed but would be rebuilt at Russia’s expense – a cost it put at $3 billion. A tweet from the Antonov Company said it could not verify the “technical condition” of the aircraft until it had been inspected by experts. There has been no independent confirmation of the aircraft’s destruction. We shall prevail!” wrote Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Twitter.

ANTONOV 225 BURAN SHUTTLE FREE

But they will never be able to destroy our dream of a strong, free and democratic European state. The enormous aircraft, named “Mriya,” or “dream” in Ukrainian, was parked at an airfield near Kyiv when it was attacked by “Russian occupants,” Ukrainian authorities said, adding that they would rebuild the plane. The world’s largest plane, the Antonov AN-225, has been destroyed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to Ukrainian officials, generating alarm and sadness among the aviation world in which it occupies almost cult status.

Antonov 225 buran shuttle