MANI
Ukraine will do all efforts to bring back Mriya, also known as the Antonov An-225, the world’s largest cargo plane which was destroyed in the ongoing conflict that is affecting the country. President Volodymyr Zelensky said it was an “matter of ambition” that the plane is rebuilt, Interfax Ukrainian said..
It was not only Mriya the largest cargo plane however, it also turned out to be the only plane built. It was designed to transport massive loads, such as that of the Soviet-era Space Shuttle, Mriya was at 275 feet (83 meters) in length, and it was nearly 290 feet (88 m) It had a larger wingspan. To lift heavy loads Mriya was fitted with 6 turbofan motors each of which could produce 51,600 pounds thrust at the time of takeoff.
Not as well-known is there was another An-225 was being developed however, it was destroyed by the Soviet Union fell, and the production had to cease due to a lack of funds. Ukrainian aerospace manufacturer Antonov that had created the Mriya was the one to purchase it together with the fuselage of the second plane.
Why do we need to build it again?
In February of this year in the event that Russian forces struck Ukraine The town of Hostomel was also one of its targets. Hostomel’s airport Hostomel is a maintenance center for Antonov’s planes as well as Mriya was involved in the conflict that raged across the region and was destroyed during the battle.
The surveys conducted by Antonov’s crew following the battle showed that Mriya could not be fixed and the plane which transported the world’s largest cargo that included giant windmill blades and COVID-19 testing equipment, was destroyed for all time.
In a recent interview with Ukrainian students, President Zelensky stated that his administration would be rebuilding the plane with the fuselage of another aircraft which was shut down. Prior to the war, Zelensky had thought of returning the plane however his government was unable to come up with the $800 million needed to fund the similar.
But, in his speech to the student body, Zelensky said that resurrecting the An-225 was not a matter of money, but about the image of the country. Zelensky chose to dedicate the plane to those who gave their lives to defend Mariupol, Interfax reported. According to several reports, the port’s southeastern city has been ravaged by Russian attacks.
Who will pay for it?
About a month later, following the time that Mriya lost its life, Antonov launched a crowdfunding campaign in order to revive the aircraft, The Drive revealed. It wasn’t known at the time what amount of money Antonov wanted to raise with the campaign.
Even though Zelensky has put a $800 million value for this project, Ukroboronprom, Antonov’s parent company, has suggested it could cost around three billion dollars plus five years effort to achieve another An-225 in flight. The state-owned company for defense and aerospace has said that Russia will be the sponsor of the revival as part of compensation for war.
It will be exactly the same?
If the An-225 will be rebuilt with global funds or the Russian Treasury will not be made public until after the conflict is over in Ukraine. However, 76-year-old Oleksandr Haluenko who was an early pilot on Mriya in the early days of Mriya, told the Drive that the revived aircraft will not be exactly the identical.
In 1988, Mriya was constructed using Soviet-era parts and any revived attempt will now use European, American, or different components. Even if the same fuselage as Haluenko the plane is not identical
