Remembering Mriya

[NTGray]

I just want to express my sadness that the only example of the An-225 "Mriya" has been destroyed in the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The Mriya is certainly no contender for "most agile," but it is awfully good-looking, and of course it is (was) the biggest thing ever to fly horizontally without being full of hydrogen.

My mother's family is Ukrainian, so I have an emotional involvement in the war as well as a principled preference for democracy over autocracy. But I have no ill feelings toward Russia as a nation, and in fact I enjoy listening to songs sung by the Red Army Choir. I think the Russian National Anthem is a thing of beauty. But Vladimir Putin is a monster who should not have a place in 21st​ Century Europe, and I sincerely hope and pray that his reign over Russia will soon end.

 

[Capt. Vick]

This guy is still hoping that by some miracle it survived the burning of the hanger it was in. I wonder if the second, incomplete, airframe was damaged or destroyed.

 

[Clayton Magnet]

Very sad indeed. That aircraft used to make semi regular visits to my airport during the war in Afghanistan.
Here she is, chartered to haul 3 Bell 212's to Kandahar for a Canadian company. This was April of 2010.

 

[vikingBerserker]

Such a beautiful plane

 

[GrauGeist]

The satellite images showing the Mriya's damaged hangar make it difficult to see the extent of damage.

Let's hope that it was only superficial and she can be repaired after all the stupidity is over!

 

[NTGray]

Just for comparison. The four heaviest planes plus a couple of old, familiar ones that were awfully big for their day:

	max. takeoff weight​	wingspan​
Antonov-225 Mriya	1,410,958 lb​	290 ft​
Stratolaunch	1,300,000 lb​	385 ft​
Airbus 380-800	1,267,658 lb​	262 ft​
Boeing 747-8	987,000 lb​	225 ft​
Convair B-36J	410,000 lb​	230 ft​
Hughes H-4 Hercules	399,000 lb​	320 ft​

and another perspective:

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

The 2nd uncompleted airframe still sits in a hangar…

 

[SaparotRob]

The 2nd uncompleted airframe still sits in a hangar…

Maybe the Planes of Fame Museum in Chino, California can acquire the incomplete airframe at fire sale prices. Greg and his buds can put it together and store the A6M and J2M inside it.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Maybe the Planes of Fame Museum in Chino, California can acquire the incomplete airframe at fire sale prices. Greg and his buds can put it together and store the A6M and J2M inside it.

I think they should make Putin pay to finish it. Then he can go skydiving without a parachute from it.

 

[NTGray]

I think they should make Putin pay to finish it.

According to The Daily Mail, Ukraine may try to do just that:

The Ukrainian-made Antonov-225 Mriya, meaning The Dream, could cost more than $3billion (£2.24billion) to repair, a sum Ukraine's state arms manufacturer Ukroboronprom said it would try to get Russia to front up.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

According to The Daily Mail, Ukraine may try to do just that:

Is that repair the damaged one, or complete the unfinished one?

 

[NTGray]

Is that repair the damaged one, or complete the unfinished one?

I think I saw somewhere else that 3B would be the cost of building a new one today.

 

[SaparotRob]

I think they should make Putin pay to finish it. Then he can go skydiving without a parachute from it.

He might still have enough Euros stashed under his Imperial bed to do it.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I think I saw somewhere else that 3B would be the cost of building a new one today.

They don't have to build a new one. They have a complete unfinished one. Just need to complete it.

 

[special ed]

Russia should be required to pay reparations for destruction of buildings, roads, the equipment used against Russia as well as pay for the humanity loss. There will be families without the breadwinners.

 

[NTGray]

Russia should be required to pay reparations for destruction of buildings, roads, the equipment used against Russia as well as pay for the humanity loss. There will be families without the breadwinners.

Russia should definitely pay war reparations, and Putin should be deposed for starting such an insane, 19th Century-style war in the first place.

 

[SaparotRob]

Russia should definitely pay war reparations, and Putin should be deposed for starting such an insane, 19th Century-style war in the first place.

I wanted to award you a "funny". Your post had me picture Uncle Vlad having to move into Mira Largo with only an overnight bag.

 

[Gnomey]

Is that repair the damaged one, or complete the unfinished one?

Likely a combination of the 2.

 

[Torch]

I just want to express my sadness that the only example of the An-225 "Mriya" has been destroyed in the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The Mriya is certainly no contender for "most agile," but it is awfully good-looking, and of course it is (was) the biggest thing ever to fly horizontally without being full of hydrogen.

My mother's family is Ukrainian, so I have an emotional involvement in the war as well as a principled preference for democracy over autocracy. But I have no ill feelings toward Russia as a nation, and in fact I enjoy listening to songs sung by the Red Army Choir. I think the Russian National Anthem is a thing of beauty. But Vladimir Putin is a monster who should not have a place in 21st​ Century Europe, and I sincerely hope and pray that his reign over Russia will soon end.

View attachment 659651

Sad that a great piece of engineering might be gone, I also like the same music as you thou of Polish decent, Sad Putin is giving me such a sour taste to that country

 

[Capt. Vick]