2º--Oleg Antonov was a Soviet aircraft builder and one of the leading aircraft designers in the

USSR. Doctor of Technical Sciences, Academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences, Hero of
Socialist Labor and the founder of the Antonov aircraft company in Novosibirsk later it was
relocated to Kiev, what is modern day Ukraine, during the USSR company was named in his
honour. He created about 50 designs of training, transport and sports glider.
3º--In the postwar years, under the leadership of Antonov developed transport aircraft such as
An-8, An-12, An-22, An-26, An-32, An-72 and An-124 (Ruslan aircraft, the largest serial cargo
aircraft in the world). It was also developed a multi-purpose aircraft, capable of based on
unprepared lanes up to 550 meters and passenger aircraft.
4º--The An-225 is the largest and most powerful transport aircraft in the world, created by the
Antonov Design Bureau in Kyiv. Chief designer - Victor Ilyich Tolmachev.
5º--The An-225 with a maximum takeoff weight of 640 tons is the heaviest aircraft in the
world.
6º--For comparison, the third largest (after the An-124 "Ruslan") is an American military
transport aircraft C-5 Galaxy has a maximum takeoff weight of 381 tons.
The An-124 Ruslan and An-225 are larger than the C-5 Galaxy, which is the largest aircraft in
the United States.
7º---84 meters from nose to tail; 88 meters from wingtip to wingtip and with a height of 18
meters, it’s as tall as a 6 story building.
8º--The Antonov 225 is also the only aircraft in the world powered by 6 engines
9º--In November 2004, the International Aeronautical Federation entered the An-225 in the
Guinness Book of Records for its 240 records.
10º--The An-225 was created primarily for the needs of the Soviet space program for the
transportation of cargo, including reusable spacecraft "Buran" and components of the rocket
system "Energy". The aircraft can also carry large cargo for other purposes, which can be
placed both in the fuselage and "on the back". The purpose of the An-225 was similar to the
purpose of creating the American Boeing 747SCA - an aircraft for transporting space shuttles.
11º--Development of the aircraft began in 1985 and lasted a record short time - 3.5 years.
Chief designer - Victor Ilyich Tolmachev, the general management of all development
processes was carried out by the general designer Peter Balabuev, the leading designer was
Anatoly Vovnyanko.
12º--The first flight on December 21, 1988, and in March 1989, 106 world records and records
for aircraft of this class were set in one flight with a maximum take-off mass of more than
500,000 kg.
13º--The cargo compartment is sealed. Above it has a passenger cabin for 60-70 people. To
reduce weight, the developers abandoned the rear cargo hatch, but the nose hatch, which
opens up, as well as the system of squatting the front supports of the chassis, remained.
The main supports have been significantly changed, albeit with minimal design changes.
14º--Instead of five two-wheeled supports on each side, there are seven of the same.
15º--The cabin is designed for an aircraft crew of 6 people - pilot, co-pilot, senior flight
engineer, flight engineer, navigator and radio operator. There is also a room for the second
crew.
16º--The Antonov 225 is a masterpiece of engineering. Its worlds largest aircraft and its one-of-
a-kind. It can haul up to 225 tons of freight more than any other aircraft. Loads this large are
fairly uncommon, so that giant transporter doesn’t fly all that many missions but the crew of
Antonov Airlines is always filled with fresh pride whenever the «Mriya» (the dream) takes to
the skies.