Take An Amazing Flight On The Tail Of The An-225 Mriya, The World's Largest Plane

It's amazing that the Antonov An-225 Mriya (Dream) has been flying for three decades now and has held the mantle of the world's largest plane that whole time. That looks like it is set to change in the near future, but regardless, the super-sized adaptation of the already gargantuan An-124 Condor continues to earn its keep by flying outsized cargo for Ukraine's Antonov Airlines.

Being one of the world's most photographed and videoed airplanes means there aren't many angles of the one-off jet that we haven't seen, but Antonov is going the extra mile to continue showing off the Mriya in new and creative ways. Case in point, they posted an amazing video of the six-engined jet taking flight from Chimore, Bolivia from the perspective of its super-wide h-tail. 

Check the video out below as well as one showing the cockpit and ground perspectives: 

Watching all those gear fold into the fuselage and the An-225's petal-like gear doors close up is fascinating, but probably the coolest part of the video is seeing the An-225's transforming wing in action from takeoff to cruise.

The big jet completed a deep overhaul and upgrade period last March that had kept it from the skies for an extended period of time. Suffice it to say that aviation aficionados and photographers are more than pleased to see it back in the air and hopping around the globe once again.

You can read all about the An-225—which was originally created to carry Soviet space shuttle orbiter Buran—and its potentially bright production future in China in this past piece of mine. 

The An-225 Mriya—keeping us dreaming for 30 years with no end in sight!

Contact the author: Tyler@thedrive.com