The world’s heaviest aircraft ever built is flying Covid-19 relief missions these days.
The only built Antonov An-225 Mriya (NATO reporting name: Cossack) strategic airlift cargo aircraft landed in Warsaw today, carrying material help for Poland fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. The giant airlifter landed at the Chopin airport around 9.30 AM.
The aircraft carried personal protective equipment from China. The volume of goods transported was more than 1,050 cubic meters, Michał Chludzinski, President at KGHM (the company that organized the transport operation together with Lotos and the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs) said.
Designed at the end of Cold War, the main purpose of the AN-225 was to carry the Soviet “Buran” space shuttle and parts of the “Energia” rocket. Currently, the sole existing example (UR-82060) is used commercially, as an international cargo transporter.
Notably, this is the first operation carried out by Mriya to fight the Pandemic, and it has also been the third visit of that aircraft in Poland (with the previous ones happening in 2003 and 2005, in Poznan and Pyrzowice, respectively).
Reminds me that it is well past time to replace the C-5. 1970s aircraft seriously needs replacing. Yes, I know they put all sorts of money into keeping it going and updating it, but in a war, how long would it last before failures kept it from flying?