Brissie_lions From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 1, posted (11 years 3 months 1 week 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 605 times:
This press release from Air Foyle's website from late Sept '00 should answer your questions.
Air Foyle in conjunction with ADB will probably operate the Mriya, but don't be surprised if an extra one or two is built for V-D which has shown a huge amount of interest in the An-225.
As to what modifications will be made to theD-18Ts; if someone hasn't answered this soon, I will make some enquiries with some people I know in Russia and Kiev.
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WASHINGTON, USA – 28th September 2000: The world’s largest cargo aircraft, the 250 tonne capacity Antonov An225 ‘Mriya’, is set to become available for commercial service in the second half of 2001. Operated by Antonov Design Bureau, the An225 will be marketed worldwide by Antonov Airlines, the long-term commercial partnership between Antonov and Air Foyle.
The giant aircraft, named Mriya (Ukrainian for ‘Dream’ , was designed and built in the late 1980’s by the Kiev based Antonov Design Bureau. The ‘Mriya’ was developed originally by Antonov to support the space programme of the former Soviet Union. The An225 made its first appearance in the Western world in June 1989 at the Paris Air Show, together with the Buran shuttle mounted on top of the fuselage. The ability to carry cargo externally is one of the aircraft’s unique features.
Antonov are currently renovating and modernising the original aircraft with a view to gaining a full Airworthiness Certificate for commercial use similar to the type certificate held by the highly successful An124-100 ‘Ruslan’ freighter on which the An225 is based. A small amount of test flying remains to be completed which is planned to commence by the end of this year. It is also planned to launch the aircraft’s commercial possibilities on the global charter market with a second appearance at the Paris Air Show next year.
According to Bruce Bird, Air Foyle’s director who heads up the company’s cargo charter operation:
“The An225 has an unmatched payload and is a realistic proposition in today’s outsized cargo market. It can carry 250 tonnes of cargo up to 4,500 km (2,800 miles) at a cruising speed of 800-850 km (500-530 miles) per hour.”
“We have for some time been talking to potential customers in a variety of industries and are already seeing a lot of interest. With the An225’s ability to carry heavy loads both inside the aircraft and outside using external attachment points on the fuselage as well as particularly large loads externally, we are targeting aerospace, heavy industry, petro-carbon and mining organisations and the chemical and power generation market. However, it is not our intention that the An225 should carry out work which is possible with the An124 but will be retained as a unique solution when all else fails”
Although only one An225 was completed before the collapse of the Soviet space programme in 1991, Antonov had, by then, built a second airframe which remains available for completion with systems and components. With suitable investment from interested partners, Antonov intends to finish assembling this second Mriya to further support commercial cargo charter activities.
The 84 metre (275.6 ft) long An225 has a wingspan of 88.4 metres (290 ft), with a pressurised cargo cabin measuring 43 metres (141.1 ft) long, 6.4 metres (21ft) wide and 4.4 metre (14.4 ft) high. Externally the aircraft can carry loads of up to 10 metres (32.8 ft) in diameter and up to 70 metres (229.6 ft) in length.
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From Belgium, joined May 2000, 397 posts, 
From , joined Dec 1969, posts, 
, was designed and built in the late 1980’s by the Kiev based Antonov Design Bureau. The ‘Mriya’ was developed originally by Antonov to support the space programme of the former Soviet Union. The An225 made its first appearance in the Western world in June 1989 at the Paris Air Show, together with the Buran shuttle mounted on top of the fuselage. The ability to carry cargo externally is one of the aircraft’s unique features.
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