Ukraine and China Sign Agreement to Finish An-225, Potentially License Build Same

On Aug. 30, Kiev and Beijing signed a cooperation agreement to complete a second, unfinished An-225 and deliver it to the Aerospace Industry Corporation of China. “The second stage — organization of the joint series production of the An-225 in China under licence,” Antonov announced in a press release.

The AN-225 Mriya, known by its NATO reporting name “Cossack,” is a heavily redesigned An-124 Ruslan — which currently serves in the Russian air force and is the largest military transport plane in the world. But the An-225 is longer, has two additional engines, a reinforced floor, larger wings and a twin-tail assembly.

All this means the Mriya can takeoff with a maximum weight of 700 tons, 200 more than a 747, and 50 more than the Airbus AN380–800F, the world’s largest passenger plane and the second largest airliner in the world.

warisboring.com...

a reply to: anzha

Van you post a pic of it here please. I just no good with them lol. It's the most beautiful plane ever made especially with the Buran on its back. Makes you wonder where we would be with planes today if the USSR hadn't collapsed.

a reply to: ufoorbhunter

It is a monster big bird for sure .

Watching the doc on it now ...wow this thing is crazy

a reply to: the2ofusr1

Thanks the2ofusr1 What a beautiful piece of engineering. The Soviets were amazing, in fifty years turning a peasant based economy to present something like this. It defies the imagination. Total beauty

I will be thrilled if they finish the second one. Been waiting for years for it to happen.

That is insane, what an amazing aircraft!

Just for the hell of it, imagine a floor in the beast and rear exits left, right, up and down. You could probably drop about 2000 troops!

originally posted by: anzha

with a maximum weight of 700 tons, 200 more than a 747, and 50 more than the Airbus AN380–800F, the world’s largest passenger plane and the second largest airliner in the world.

warisboring.com...

Except there is no such thing as an Airbus A-380-800F. That model has never been built as it was effectively cancelled. I somehow doubt this An-225 series production will come to pass. It smells of bluster and sabre rattiling beyond reassembling the partly constructed second prototype.

a reply to: thebozeian

Plus the A380 being "the largest passenger plane and second largest airliner in the world".

Erm, apart from being a contradictory statement, what airliner is bigger?

Mistakes like that make the report just shoddy.

Id trust a 225 over an Airbust anyday...

a reply to: Blackfinger

Well done you. Trust in what way? Given that you cannot choose to fly an An225 as a passenger, and you cannot book an A380 to ferry your outsize cargo, what the hell are you talking about??

Hhhmmm Russian agricultural aeronautics vs French over complication in software..Hhhhmm decisions,decisions.

a reply to: Blackfinger

And in what circumstances would you ever make that choice?

I love the An 225 as much as anyone and photographing it was one of my biggest thrills (with a camera). I just can't figure out what prompted your random comment in the first place?? The An 225 isn't comparable with ANYTHING in the Airbus line up. It's out on its own. But Airbus is one of the worlds only two large commercial aircraft producers, so your comment is obviously bollocks.

And you know what's really funny? The An 225 isn't Russian and Airbus isn't French, so how much of a twat does that make you look? Lol.

Damn, now I remember why I stopped posting regularly in here years ago, I'm too easily wound up by buffoonery and declarations from "know nowt"'s

If you cant read between the lines and look at the two platforms then well you have got an empty life.Airbus has ALWAYS been spotty in regards to software with its aircraft whereas the Antanov seems to be as an agricultural design is much more robust.LOL Buffoonery and Twat.Never been honoured to be called that before Oh and I dont photograph planes,I build and restore them..

a reply to: Blackfinger

That's just our Yorkshire humour. There are no lines to read between. I'm not even disputing the solidity of the Antonov, it's just a dumb thing to say. Of course it's entirely possible that Airbus overtook Boeing (also renowned for good solid engineering ) in civil sales all over the world by offering dodgy unreliable aircraft. But I doubt it.

Unthinking bias is someone anyone can fall prey to, even a spanner monkey.

Makes me think of the plane in the movie 2012.
The name Cossack is in a lot of Ukrainian history.
I think the names spelling later changed to the more common Kozak or similar

a reply to: Blackfinger

And yet the 737 Max isn't even in the same building with the A320neo when it comes to sales (2931 firm and 1131 options for the Max vs 4414 and 1074 for the neo). And Airbus beat Boeing on orders the last couple years, so what does that say about the airlines?

originally posted by: Corruptedstructure
Makes me think of the plane in the movie 2012.
The name Cossack is in a lot of Ukrainian history.
I think the names spelling later changed to the more common Kozak or similar

the aircraft in 2012 was based on the 225/124. Good eye, sniper.

even a spanner monkey.

Close..Tin basher