2 engines of the huge Antonov An-225 fly again

Die Antonov An-225 Tube was destroyed in the early days of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. The photos of the wreck make aviation fans shudder.

What was once the world’s largest aircraft has always been a crowd puller. When the cargo plane landed at airports around the world, onlookers and photographers gathered.

The An-225 was destroyed beyond repair, but some components are still intact. For months Antonov has been analyzing the Mriya and butcher them.

Engines still intact

The bow and the cockpit are completely destroyed and can no longer be saved. With that, most of the electronics and avionics are lost. The rear part of the machine but should have been largely spared. For example, parts of the cargo hold and the equipment in it are still usable.

The main landing gear can also be cannibalized. According to the Antonov general director Maxim Santoski parts of the mechanics in the wings are also well preserved. This includes the Port wing engines.

An-225 engines are now used by the Ruslan

Die 3 D-18T turbofan engines are therefore still functional. 2 of them are already in use again. According to Santoski, they were in An-124 Ruslan transport aircraft installed, using the same D-18T engines. The compatibility is no coincidence: the Ruslan is considered the little sister of the Mriya.

Antonov currently has 5 An-124s in his own airline’s fleet, reports Flugrevue.de. These are based in Leipzig, Germany. The Ruslan has 4 engines, one Span of 73 meters and length of 69 meters. Depending on the version, it can be up to 150 tons of cargo transport.

The future of the An-225

The An-225 was unique. According to Antonov, parts exist for a second machine, which was never completed. The Ukrainian aircraft manufacturer has announced that construction work will now continue. Cannibalized parts of the destroyed An-225 could also be used for this. It is currently unknown how realistic the implementation of this project is and when a new Mriya will take off.