An-225 Destroyed

[Eric Hedman]

In Ukraine the AN-225 that transported the Buran was destroyed in Russian attack.

https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/30333-an-225-destroyed-russian-attack-ukraine

[nicp]

Worse things are happening.
Sad though.

[Jim]

[webdan]

I was just perusing the FlightRadar24 on Reddit/etc posts when I saw this.

https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1497945231651655688

Edit #2: possibly not… ugh, 21st century internet news

[Asteroza]

Any news on unfinished #2, or was that damaged as well?

[Vahe231991]

Any news on unfinished #2, or was that damaged as well?

The uncompleted second An-225 was originally intended as a static test airframe, according to the book Antonov's Heavy Transports: From the An-22 to An-225, 1965 to the Present, but Antonov later decided to have the second An-225 earmarked for completion in the future. So far, the uncompleted second An-225 does not appear to have been destroyed.

[Eric Hedman]

Any news on unfinished #2, or was that damaged as well?

The uncompleted second An-225 was originally intended as a static test airframe, according to the book Antonov's Heavy Transports: From the An-22 to An-225, 1965 to the Present, but Antonov later decided to have the second An-225 earmarked for completion in the future. So far, the uncompleted second An-225 does not appear to have been destroyed.

I read an article from 2016 that said that China was going to buy the second air frame and use it as a way to help start up production of AN-225s in China to give the Chinese military a heavy airlift capability.  I never heard if they were going to follow through on that. 

[Redclaws]

Any news on unfinished #2, or was that damaged as well?

The uncompleted second An-225 was originally intended as a static test airframe, according to the book Antonov's Heavy Transports: From the An-22 to An-225, 1965 to the Present, but Antonov later decided to have the second An-225 earmarked for completion in the future. So far, the uncompleted second An-225 does not appear to have been destroyed.

I read an article from 2016 that said that China was going to buy the second air frame and use it as a way to help start up production of AN-225s in China to give the Chinese military a heavy airlift capability.  I never heard if they were going to follow through on that.

It seems very questionable/unlikely.  Its continued status - for over 30 years - as a one off, much larger than essentially anything else ever made for cargo transport, suggests it is unnecessarily/impractically large for wide use.  It’s not like the West *couldn’t* build such a plane, or that Russia or Ukraine couldn’t build *more* of them.  It just doesn’t seem to make sense, and I don’t think the logic would be different for China.  A larger number of more moderately sized aircraft is what literally every other military with serious airlift capability has chosen.

[JayWee]

Keep in mind that the global market for transporting such big cargo was fulfilled by one single plane. Noone is going to design such big plane and build one of them. Would be too costly. Even the A380 proved too big.

[Asteroza]

Since the picture appears to show the center wing box on fire, the likely salvageable parts are the cockpit, the outer wing panels, and the tail. The engines were apparently detached for maintenance recently. If the wing box fire spreads to the inner inner wing panels, that will complicate things.

Outer wing panels were originally AN-124 parts apparently. The unique inner wing panels might be a problem to recreate.

[Asteroza]

#2 appears to be located at a different airfield though? (the one with a the triple connected hangar setup?)

[libra]

#2 appears to be located at a different airfield though? (the one with a the triple connected hangar setup?)

It was at the Antonov plant (AFAIK) - but I have no idea whether it is near or far Hostomel airfield, TBH.

Also wondering about the An-124s used by the same "company" (Antonov airlines - what a great name, really !) Did they escaped the chaos and destruction ? some may be stranded outside Ukraine.

Note that France, of all countries, loved those private Antonov cargo aircraft and would have badly needed them to fold down their operations in Mali - which have recently took a very bad turn. A400M and Hercules can't do all the hauling it seems. Now the heavy freight will have to return by boat...

It's a freakkin' heartbreak.
I was watching that little gem this week, and it stroke me like... well like a freakkin' missile.



Note the video also feature Su-27s, which are presently killing each others, Ukraine vs Russian Sukhois.

Damn.

And next May, it will be exactly 20 years since Buran was crushed by its hangar roof.

So the two flying wonders seen at Le Bourget airshow in 1989 are now gone and buried.

[zubenelgenubi: Attach files. Do not embed them.]

[eeergo]

Shameful, an explicit metaphor of this quasi-civil war fueled by criminalesque madmen with no ideals except power craze. Mriya "the dream" senselessly blown up and burned.

One can only cling to hope reality turns out not to be as dire as it appears, like with Yuzhnoye or the "island heroes", and damage is not catastrophic. Every passing minute of this violence only makes that more unlikely though.

[Vahe231991]

#2 appears to be located at a different airfield though? (the one with a the triple connected hangar setup?)

It was at the Antonov plant (AFAIK) - but I have no idea whether it is near or far Hostomel airfield, TBH.

Also wondering about the An-124s used by the same "company" (Antonov airlines - what a great name, really !) Did they escaped the chaos and destruction ? some may be stranded outside Ukraine.

Note that France, of all countries, loved those private Antonov cargo aircraft and would have badly needed them to fold down their operations in Mali - which have recently took a very bad turn. A400M and Hercules can't do all the hauling it seems. Now the heavy freight will have to return by boat...

It's a freakkin' heartbreak.
I was watching that little gem this week, and it stroke me like... well like a freakkin' missile.



Note the video also feature Su-27s, which are presently killing each others, Ukraine vs Russian Sukhois.

Damn.

And next May, it will be exactly 20 years since Buran was crushed by its hangar roof.

So the two flying wonders seen at Le Bourget airshow in 1989 are now gone and buried.

The An-225 outlived the sole completed Buran shuttle, because Antonov had resourcefully adapted the An-225 for use as a heavylift cargo plane years after the Buran shuttle program was axed due to a lack of funds following the USSR's collapse.

[launchwatcher]

Two bits about the An-225 from a Wall Street Journal update that I haven't seen reported elsewhere:

The company said it intends to repair the aircraft, which it estimates would cost $3 billion over five years.

The aircraft had been at Hostomel airport undergoing routine maintenance at the time of Russia’s invasion on Feb. 24. With one of its engines dismantled for repairs, it wasn’t able to escape as fighting commenced, the company said.

Source:
https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/russia-ukraine-latest-news-2022-02-28/card/ukraine-built-cargo-jet-world-s-biggest-heavily-damaged-during-invasion-YIUhsFbIC0AqefeSEpqL

[Galactic Penguin SST]

https://twitter.com/AuroraIntel/status/1498468916669997056

Not sure the plane got burned down from this angle to be honest - the tail section is still there and looks upright.

The only plane that I see got wrecked is an An-72/74 on the southern apron.

[Asteroza]

Located the airfield where #2 is, can clearly see it outside for fresh air in the dated photo Google Maps uses

https://www.google.com/maps/place/9G2GF9FG%2B7M3/@50.4727515,30.3739976,1315m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0xcf01c88e9dee941a!8m2!3d50.4731375!4d30.3766719

That puts it just inside the Kyiv city perimeter though. Hope #2 doesn't get roughed up...

[Vahe231991]

Located the airfield where #2 is, can clearly see it outside for fresh air in the dated photo Google Maps uses

https://www.google.com/maps/place/9G2GF9FG%2B7M3/@50.4727515,30.3739976,1315m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0xcf01c88e9dee941a!8m2!3d50.4731375!4d30.3766719

That puts it just inside the Kyiv city perimeter though. Hope #2 doesn't get roughed up...

The Ukraine could send the second An-225 to China for completion by AVIC as a multirole heavy-lift aircraft that can haul components for Chinese space rockets to Chinese rocket assembly facilities but also ferry armed and reconnaissance UAVs to like-minded allies in sub-Saharan Africa, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Myanmar, just as the uncompleted Varyag carrier was later completed by China and is now the first Chinese aircraft carrier ever commissioned.

[darkenfast]

Located the airfield where #2 is, can clearly see it outside for fresh air in the dated photo Google Maps uses

https://www.google.com/maps/place/9G2GF9FG%2B7M3/@50.4727515,30.3739976,1315m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0xcf01c88e9dee941a!8m2!3d50.4731375!4d30.3766719

That puts it just inside the Kyiv city perimeter though. Hope #2 doesn't get roughed up...

The Ukraine could send the second An-225 to China for completion by AVIC as a multirole heavy-lift aircraft that can haul components for Chinese space rockets to Chinese rocket assembly facilities but also ferry armed and reconnaissance UAVs to like-minded allies in sub-Saharan Africa, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Myanmar, just as the uncompleted Varyag carrier was later completed by China and is now the first Chinese aircraft carrier ever commissioned.

They could also teleport it to Mars and just about as easily. It's a bit big and you can't just pack it up and ship it. The People's Republic has shown no signs of interest in such a project. They have developed the infrastructure to move the bigger components of their new, larger rockets from where they are built to where they are launched, so why would they try to finish a never-completed example of a kludge of a design that they probably can't get out of Ukraine? If they want to ferry "armed and reconnaisance UAVs" around the world, they have existing ships and aircraft to do this.

It's fun to watch videos of the An-225. It's also a dead end. The aircraft it was created from (the An-124), has been far more useful, and the An-225 only had a small niche for cargo that the 124 couldn't handle. Antonov did a great job of getting use out of their restored aircraft, but the best way forward for that outsize, heavy cargo role is probably an improved, stretched 124 with four newer and larger engines. Both Russians and Ukrainians have proposed such an aircraft.   

[Ronsmytheiii]

Video showing the remains of the AN-225. Not much can be salvaged it appears:

https://twitter.com/ELINTNews/status/1499351053384527876?s=20&t=8CNGXMRJQgVuYrhcxc2g5g