The AN 225 destroyed?

[ekrampitzjr]

Did you not see the pic I posted above with the tail on fire and the smoke coming out of the hangar? Just want to make sure if my posts are visible.

That picture really is not clear. It looks like a hangar on fire, but that's all I can discern.

 

[Owen Lucas]

That picture really is not clear. It looks like a hangar on fire, but that's all I can discern.

A poorly taken image from an LCD monitor.

Maybe this interpretation I found online is better.

 

[Astro14]

There are several varieties of those Russian mammoths - not sure if I've seen the Antonov 225, but have two huge beasts of that sort, both around 2006. Out with buddies for our lunchtime walk at work and saw this huge aircraft in profile, heading N toward the airport. It looked somewhat like the Space Shuttle from the side, with it unusual aspect ratio. Looked incredibly slow, but that was because it was so huge it seemed to take a long time to travel its own length.

Second sighting was a few months later - saw a bunch of cars stopped N of the airport, and people with binoculars and cameras at the ready. Of course I had to stop. The Antonov took off and passed right over us. Spectacular.

The one flight was written up in the Free Press, and as you said, it was here to pick up ag equipment (possibly from the Russian-owned Buhler Industries). May well have been a 124 rather than a 225. Can't remember if it had four engines, or six.

It was likely an AN-124. They’re used regularly for outsized cargo and are about the size of a C-5.

There was only one AN-225.

 

[4WD]

It was likely an AN-124.

Yep … we have hauled equipment in those - logistics folks have to look at lots of numbers to do …

 

[edyvw]

 

[billt460]

One of a kind, beautiful airplane ruined by a madman.

 

[tyman]

Few more pics:

 

[tyman]

Some more and higher quality pics here:

Photos show wreckage of world's largest airplane in Ukraine

The Antonov An-225 "Mriya," with a wingspan of 290 feet, was destroyed in a Russian attack in February.

www.yahoo.com

 

[UncleDave]

What a shame and waste of an awesome machine.

Annihilated craft are an unfortunate byproduct of an assault and defense cycle on an airport.

Too bad they were unable to get it out of there.

 

[Owen Lucas]

What a shame and waste of an awesome machine.

Annihilated craft are an unfortunate byproduct of an assault and defense cycle on an airport.

Too bad they were unable to get it out of there.

In an alternate universe it would be sitting in storage at some airport but since it was in for maintenance I don't see it was possible to fire it up and fly away. I'm sure these guys knew there was something brewing in the east but here we are.

 

[UncleDave]

In an alternate universe it would be sitting in storage at some airport but since it was in for maintenance I don't see it was possible to fire it up and fly away. I'm sure these guys knew there was something brewing in the east but here we are.

I think it was down an engine or maybe two - it was big work not little work.

I would think it could get away with no load being down a single mill. Maybe not.