The An-225 is a Soviet design. It was originally used as the transport plane for the Buran shuttle and parts of the Energia rocket. It is now the largest and heaviest aircraft ever built. There is only one such giant. An interesting fact about the name - "Mrija" means a dream in Ukrainian.

The six-engine giant is now used commercially by Antonov Airlines to carry very heavy loads. In Poland, it was possible to admire it twice. On August 14, 2003 at the Ławica airport in Poznań, when it delivered parts of the production line for the chipboard factory. Two year later, on March 3, 2005 in Katowice Pyrzowice, "Mrija" received three helicopters to be transported to Algeria.

Technical data:

• Dimensions:
  • Wingspan: 88.4 m
  • Length: 84 m
  • Height: 18.1 m
  • Wing area: 905 m²
  • Empty weight: 285,000 kg
  • Cargo hold: volume 1,300 m3, 43.35 m long × 6.4 m  wide × 4.4 m tall
  • Max cargo weight: 250 000 kg
  • Max takeoff weight: 640,000 kg
  • Powerplant: 6 × Progress D-18T turbofans, 229.5 kN (51,600 lbf) thrust each
• Performance:
  • Maximum speed: 850 km/h
  • Minimal speed: 250 km/h
  • Cruise speed: 800 km/h
  • Service ceiling: 11,000 m
  • Range: 15,400 km with maximum fuel; with 200 tonnes of cargo: 4,000 km
  • Average fuel consumption: 18 tonnes per hour

Trivia:

• The length of the Mriji's cargo hold is greater than the distance covered during the first flight by Wright Brother Flyer I.
• The An-225 cargo hold could fit the entire hull of a Boeing 737.
• In the movie "2012" the role of Antonova 500 was played by An-225.
• In the computer game Saints Row: The Third, several An-225 appear in different variants, including as an AWACS aircraft belonging to the paramilitary organization STAG.

Sources: Wikipedia, my own.