Ukraine Is Reviving the World's Largest Cargo Plane to Honor the Defenders of Mariupol

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: Jalopnik

Ukraine Is Reviving the World's Largest Cargo Plane to Honor the Defenders of Mariupol

Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky says that finishing the second Antonov An-225 would cost $800 million.

By Mercedes Streeter
Today 11:30AM

Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky has announced that a symbol of his nation’s pride will take to the skies again. The country plans on reviving the legendary Antonov An-225 Mriya by finishing the second airframe that has been sitting around since the before the fall of the Soviet Union.

When Russia invaded Ukraine back in February 24, a critical battleground was Hostomel Airport, also known as Antonov International Airport. The airport, just outside of Kyiv, can help deliver troops to the city in mere minutes. One of the casualties of the battle for the airport is the one and only Antonov An-225, an aircraft famous for being the world’s largest cargo plane and carrying some of the largest loads that the planet has ever seen.

Ever since the aircraft was destroyed, the country has been finding out how it could bring the aircraft back to life. Zelensky, along with the aircraft’s caretakers, believe that seeing the Mriya (Ukrainian for dream) fly again would not only be a giant middle finger to Russia, but honor the pilots killed in the war and in the defense of Mariupol.

During an online call with Ukrainian students, Zelensky noted that the An-225 has a second airframe that has been sitting unfinished for years: “We wanted to build it, we needed $800 million. I appealed to the President of Turkey with a proposal to build the 2nd MRIYA, but we did not find the money.”

{snip}

Read more: https://jalopnik.com/ukraine-is-reviving-the-worlds-largest-cargo-plane-to-h-1848968493

[PoliticAverse]

1. I think there are a lot more important things that need money in Ukraine. n/t

Last edited Tue May 24, 2022, 04:42 PM - Edit history (1)

[canetoad]

13. The symbolism

Is priceless.

[PoliticAverse]

16. You can't eat symbolism, it doesn't provide healthcare. n/t

[littlemissmartypants]

22. The loss of the Myra to the World Food Program alone is insurmountable.

This aircraft is the only one worldwide that is capable of carrying extremely large loads of cargo worldwide. The aviation world is still mourning the loss.

###

Snip...the second An-225 is about 70% completed. All the essential components of its superstructure have been manufactured, including the fuselage, wings, nose gear and tail.

Snip

The AN-225 was sometimes drafted in to help airlift aid during crises in other countries. In the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake it delivered relief supplies to the neighboring Dominican Republic. During the early days of the Covid pandemic it was used to transport medical supplies to affected areas.

Its popularity in the aviation world meant it often drew large crowds wherever it went, particularly when it made star appearances at air shows.

...the heaviest aircraft ever built. Powered by six turbofan engines, she has a maximum payload weight of 250 tonnes, which can be carried inside or on its back. It boasts the largest wingspan of any airplane in operational service.

Snip.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/antonov-an-225-largest-plane-destroyed-ukraine-scli-intl/index.html

###

Snip...

...Because of its design and size, Mriya has a cult following among plane lovers who frequently gather to see it land and take off during commercial flights. A crowd of more than 15,000 spectators came to Perth Airport in western Australia to witness the plane arrive during a visit in May 2016.

Among reasons for its popularity are the mind-blowing 240 world records the An-225 holds, including transportation of the heaviest commercial cargo and carrying the largest single piece of cargo.

Snip

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/antonov-an-225-kiev-ukraine/index.html

###

Snip...

...it created the record of carrying the heaviest commercial payload of 253,820 kg. To add a perspective, that would be the weight of around sixty-three elephants.

Not to anyone's surprise, Mriya also created the record of carrying the longest cargo of 42.1 m in 2010. In other words, the length of the cargo was almost one and half times the length of a Basketball court.

Even during the epidemic age, the An-225 continues to set records. It transported 1,000 cubic metres of PPE-filled crates in 2020, the largest shipment volume in history.

Snip

https://www.msn.com/en-in/money/topstories/worlds-biggest-plane-124-world-records-many-titles-one-name-antonov-an-225/ar-AAXFb4y#

YouTube movie post in Video & Multimedia here...


https://www.democraticunderground.com/1017737982

###

I hope this post broadens your knowledge and understanding of this unique and invaluable aircraft.

❤ pants

[Irish_Dem]

2. Cargo planes in wartime

Brings back memories of the use of cargo planes in Viet Nam during the war.

I was only a military dependent, a kid growing up in the Air Force. Stationed on various Air Force bases in southeast Asia during the Viet Nam war.

My father flew C-130's in and out of Viet Nam during the war. He also flew other aircraft, the military rotated flight crews and aircraft back then.

I once asked him exactly what he was doing when he was away. He said the cargo planes dropped off men and supples in war zones. And then picked up bodies in bags to bring home.

When in active combat zones, the cargo planes landed but never stopped moving. They would land on make shift runways but kept crawling along, throwing out supplies, men and duffle bags. Then body bags with dead soldiers thrown onboard. All happened quickly and the cargo plane would take off.

[2naSalit]

3. Those things are massive...

And you know they are around for miles!

[Irish_Dem]

5. USAF base commanders use to let the kids tour the planes once a year.

At least overseas back in the day.

It was a great time, the AF brass conducted the tours and flight crews showed us the cockpits and the entire planes. We dressed up and were served party food.

The first time I saw the C-130 interior, I was floored. It was the biggest damn thing I had ever seen.

I pictured what my dad had told me, all the men, supplies and duffle bags.
And bodies on the return. I learned not to ask too many questions. What I heard was dark.

We lived near the flight line and you could see the planes take off and land all day. It was during the Viet Nam war, and it was a busy air base.
No mistaking the cargo planes.

Of course some of other planes were much better looking. Like the reconnaissance planes, etc.

[2naSalit]

7. Back in the day...

The Navy had such tours both of ships and aircraft. My dad was a fly guy in the Navy and the last time I was on a tour was in the late 60s. I have been around military bases off and on and have been nearby when C130s were taking off and landing as well as other aircraft. The closest I've been was when President Obama came to my little town. They had to bring additional emergency vehicles with them as well as a small fleet Secret Service SUVs. It was a large basin and when the behemoth took off, it had to circle the basin three times to get altitude to get over the divide.

And I used to travel past March and Edwards AFBs for years, I even saw the shuttle once.

[Irish_Dem]

8. The Air Force kids loved the Navy.

We were stationed on Okinawa for one of our tours, and it was loaded with all four branches of the US military during the Viet Nam war. Our housing was on the cliffs overlooking the beaches, right next to Marine and Navy bases.

We would sit on the cliffs and watch the men in full combat gear line up to get on LSTs taking them to Viet Nam. The men were scared and we felt very sad for them.

We were very jealous of the Navy kids. The Navy had the best BX's, full of stuff brought over on big navy ships. When I complained to my dad about the small AF BXs he said everything had to be brought over on small planes.

The Navy had the best uniforms and in fact we would go over the to the Navy post exchange and buy sailor military uniforms and wear them around. The bell bottoms with all the buttons. The little white hats.

We loved the Navy white dress uniforms too.

I know, ridiculous, but no one cared what AF military brats did did back then.
Especially during the war, the fathers were busy and gone most of the time.
Mothers busy with organized activities. Kids were left to their own devices.

Sailors had the best personalities, more live wires compared to the Air Force personnel we were used to.

I am a big fan of Navy movies and commentaries. Love submarines. I think I have seen every sub movie ever made. I also love aircraft carriers. Navy pilots landing their planes on carriers blows my mind.

After a few tours of AF flight lines and aircraft, it is boring. I have been to the USAF museum more times than I can count. So it is a bit of yawn.

But I could never get tired of touring Navy ships I am sure. I would have loved to have tours of the ships like you did.

That is funny about the presidential cargo planes trying to get altitude. I guarantee you if they were in a combat zone with bullets and missiles flying they would have made it on the first try.

The most memorable plane I ever saw was when I was about 4 or 5 yrs of age. We were at March or Castle AFB, we were driving along the flight line and my dad pulled off the road to show us a Flying Tiger aircraft from WWII. It scared the hell out of me. It was frightening. The huge tiger mouth painted on the nose of the plane. I had never seen an airplane looking like that before.
My mother told my dad that the plane was scaring the children, and we moved on down the road.

Oh yes, there are some exciting parts to the USAF. Test pilots and astronauts.
Most of our dads were the workhorses of the Air Force, but we did know some of the stars from Edwards and space flight locations.

[2naSalit]

10. My most memorable experience...

Last edited Tue May 24, 2022, 07:32 PM - Edit history (1)

Though one is remembering when they still flew dirigibles. My dad was so into every military aircraft made that he had models, my brother built models, I even built a model of the Flying Tiger! And I'm a girl.

But the big memory was realizing I was in Key West during the Cuban missile crisis and it was my dad's idea to move there from an NAS in Maine. Crazy and cruel but I learned a lot about people in a tense situation as a collective but also about what a hot mess my parents were.

[Irish_Dem]

18. Such interesting memories.

Military kids have had such unique experiences, and close encounters with historical events. No one is usually interested in our experiences.

Yes I forgot to mention blimps, airships and dirigibles, etc. As I said, I was on AF bases with the USAF workhorse kind of missions. Not the exotic.

I dated a guy in college, also an Air Force brat, and his father was one of the pioneers of blimp/airship flight. Received a lot of press. But I never was up close to one.

That is so funny, a Navy kid building a Flying Tiger model. OK and I am an AF (girl) brat in love with submarines.

AF boys loved building airplane models. If you liked airplanes, living on a small AF base was heaven.

Yes dealing with crisis situations happens to military kids, and watching the adults handle them.

We were stationed over seas when JFK was killed. And the entire base just kind of melted down. We were so far from home, out of the loop dealing with the tragedy. Even the stoic, brave flight crews were on tilt. We had never seen the adults like this.

I vividly remember when my father first started flying missions to Viet Nam. He was wearing a very different looking flight suit, odd color and no rank insignia or name on it. I asked him why and he said if they are shot down and captured they want to be anonymous.

And he was wearing a hand gun on a belt. I was shocked. I asked him what the gun was for. He said if the plane goes down they may have to shoot their way out.

Even as a kid, I knew that little gun would not shoot its way out of anything. And my father could not even operate a can opener much less a gun. The Air Force, at least back then is not know for being very militaristic.

I can imagine what it was like in Kew West during the CMC. Sitting ducks for sure. Yes military life is hard on wives and being transferred from Maine to the danger zone would have pushed some buttons.

[2naSalit]

19. Yeah...

It was an ordeal for everyone in one way or another. We moved right back to Maine three months later.

My dad retired in the middle of the Vietnam thing but I recall him taking his sidearm with him back in the day. He was in the sub-chaser division so I guess he had similar orders as your dad re insignia and firearms.

He did teach us all how to be respectful of and how to use guns, I was very young when I learned to shoot, I never hunted and never liked the idea of it. But I got really good at hitting the middle of my targets by the time I was ten. I have a brother 18 months older and our competition knew no bounds including gender. Turns out he has bad eyesight so he dropped off the shooting competition early and I was relieved. I never really got into them as an adult but I know how to use a number of them if I really had a need to, hope I never do.

[Irish_Dem]

21. Guns and nurses. My mother was an Air Force nurse during the Korean War.

Once day the base commander got it into his head that the USAF RNs had to be weapon certified. So he put a target range way up on a hill side away from roads and the highway.

Unfortunately the nurses somehow managed to shoot out windows on passing cars, so the gun lessons ended.

But it left my mother afraid of guns and so there were no lessons for us, ever.
Also my father probably didn't know how to get his gun out of the holster if it ever came to that.

As I said, the AF is very different from the other military branches. They are not much for anything of traditional military practice, they hardly even salute or wear their hats. It is probably different today. The AF prided itself on brains and education.

Oh my gosh, your dad in a sub chaser division. That is so exciting.

It don't know how the pilots land on carriers. The carrier is bobbing up and down and moving!

Did you dad fly combat in WWII? If so, where was he?
My uncle was a sailor in WWII and was killed at sea during the battle of Guadalcanal. My dad was an 18 yr old gunner flying the Burma Hump.

[2naSalit]

28. He fought in WWII...

But was a late entry fought in WestPac but he was always a flier since he was a licensed pilot when he went in.

[Irish_Dem]

29. My dad was in his second year of college when he went in.

He wanted the Air Force, it was Army Air Force back then.

[burrowowl]

31. Flying Tiger was the second model I built

the first one was an F84 and I’m a girl too.

[electric_blue68]

11. That's pretty cool. The divide? Like Continental Divide?

[2naSalit]

12. Yup.

[electric_blue68]

14. Swoon... I got to see it (!)....

When I visited my cousin ('80) then studying in Denver, CO his roomie took the car.
So he had to go to the bank we hopped on his motorcycle, he gave me his helmet, and off we went. Came back for lunch.

Then he said - well, that was a test to see how you'd do. You're a natural (I guess from learning to ride a bike as a kid).

So off we went to visit ; 1) Red Rocks, 2) ?Golden, CO, 3) then up really up into The Rockies to Echo Lake, got off and sat admiring the view. Mt Evans (with some snow still at the top) southwest of us.
[we were also looking for Coor's Red Zinger Bicycle Race but didn't find them]

Then pivoting visually about 90% to the northwest there was a stretch of snow capped blued by atmospheric distance moutains: The Continental Divide. Woahhh... 💖
Majestic. Magical.

[IronLionZion]

4. Getting supplies where they need to go

is a major issue plaguing Russia, which has the second best military in Ukraine.

It's cool to "give a giant middle finger to Russia" while transporting massive amounts of supplies.

[Martin68]

6. Sounds like a colossal waste of money to me. Rebuild some hospitals and schools instead.

[speak easy]

9. This is not either / or

[PoliticAverse]

17. Yeah because there's an infinite amount of money, which is why we provide healthcare...

for all our citizens, right?

[speak easy]

20. We are talking about the money in Ukraine.

[littlemissmartypants]

24. Please rethink your perspective.

Snip...the second An-225 is about 70% completed. All the essential components of its superstructure have been manufactured, including the fuselage, wings, nose gear and tail.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=2921621

[Martin68]

26. for that amount of money in this situation, it is indeed an either/or.

Get real.

[littlemissmartypants]

23. Please rethink your perspective.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=2921621

[regnaD kciN]

15. Let's win the war first...

It's nice symbolism, but I'm not convinced it can be done. While it might be possible to complete the second airframe, it won't be the same aircraft as the one that had been destroyed, as some systems used in the first one are no longer being made, and others are manufactured in Russia. The only way to "rebuild it" is as a substantially redesigned and modified "v2.0" which won't be the same as the original.

[littlemissmartypants]

25. This goes way beyond symbolism.

At the very least, completion of the second Mriya, which is already close to 70% complete, would be a way for Ukraine to repay the world for the enormous goodwill that has been extended to it during the war.

Otherwise, the Mriya proved itself to be an invaluable cargo carrying behemoth. It provided otherwise unavailable support in crisis times. It worked for the World Food Program, the crisis after the earthquake in Haiti and was responsible for the transportation of enormous amounts of PPE during our current pandemic before it was destroyed by Russia.

[Martin68]

27. I respectfully disagree. Once Ukraine's original borders, including Crimea, have been restored,

Last edited Wed May 25, 2022, 03:43 PM - Edit history (1)

a project like that is a wasteful distraction from the real work that needs to be done. People are dying, their homes have been erased, Ukraine's land is being annexed by Russia. Let's deal with real problems before we spend good money on symbolic gestures.

[littlemissmartypants]

30. Respect has nothing to do with it. If the plane were able to fly literally tons of

Equipment and supplies necessary for rebuilding Ukraine could be airborne immediately. The supplies and equipment that we and others are supplying for Ukraine could be delivered in many fewer flights with less time if the Antonov An-225 Mriya was to be completed. It's already almost 70% complete.

I guess you'd rather have material and supplies delivered on a slow boat from China instead while you do you. I'll stay a smarty pants to balance out the idiocy.

🌻🇺🇦❤🇺🇦🌻 Slava Ukraini! 🌻🇺🇦❤🇺🇦🌻

[Mopar151]

32. Need some sponsors!

The world's largest cargo plane, presented by Fed-X!

[Raine]

33. 🌻 💙 🇺🇦 GLORY to UKRAINE 🇺🇦 💛 🌻nt