Super Structures: The Largest Aircraft in the World. A documentary about the Antonov An-225 Mriya , the largest operational aircraft in the world. This strategic airlifter was built in the Soviet Union in the late 1980’s by the Antonov serial production plant and first flown on 21st December 1988. The name Antonov An-225 Mriya can be roughly translated to mean “inspiration” and is a fitting name for a truly one of a kind flying machine as only one was ever made. Initially the project was developed for carrying the Buran Spaceplane however today it’s used to carry cargo simply too large or too heavy for other planes; the maximum takeoff weight is 710 tonnes and it can fly with a single item weighing 190,000 kg.
To be the largest carry capacity plane in the world the Antonov An-225 uses 6 turbo fan engines and is the heaviest aircraft ever built. This performance comes at a price and over the years it has been mothballed many times over however it’s current operator has no public plans of scrapping the jet anytime in the near future.
