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Meet the aircraft
The An-225 was developed from Antonov's heavy-airlift work to support the Soviet space programme, including transport of the Buran orbiter. Six engines, a vast wing and a twin-fin tail distinguish it from the related An-124. Its name, Mriya, means dream in Ukrainian. The only completed aircraft later became associated with outsized commercial cargo.
Aircraft background
Wikipedia contributors · Read more ↗Working cargo flights bring an extraordinary welcome
Antonov remembered a series of flights carrying power-station equipment from Chile into Bolivia. The individual sectors were short, but the cargo and the difficulty of transporting it overland made the work distinctive. Recording those journeys also helped start his habit of sharing the aircraft’s working life on YouTube. The 2016 journey to Australia left a different impression.
AeroTime interview · June 2022. An-225 work between Chile and Bolivia and the 2016 visit to Australia; the China–Denmark flight elsewhere in the interview was flown by other crews.
AeroTime · Read more ↗Six engines and a specialised loading interface
The An-225 guide shows separate pitch, roll and yaw trim controls and indicators, together with autopilot and hydraulic panels. Its electronic flight bag covers loading and ground services as well as navigation-related information.
An-225 · Microsoft Flight Simulator · MSFS 2024
Microsoft / aircraft developers · Read more ↗Into the cockpit
YouTube Dmytro Antonov · 13 min ·
Уникальный рейс Ан-225 МРИЯ Шатору - Тель-Авив. Видео из кабины экипажа от командира.
Commander Dmytro Antonov shares an An-225 journey from Châteauroux to Tel Aviv.
Real aircraft · Antonov An-225
Watch on YouTube ↗Preview images are served by AirframeDB. Videos open on YouTube only when you choose to watch.
Meet Antonov An-225
The An-225 was developed from Antonov's heavy-airlift work to support the Soviet space programme, including transport of the Buran orbiter. Six engines, a vast wing and a twin-fin tail distinguish it from the related An-124. Its name, Mriya, means dream in Ukrainian.
The only completed aircraft later became associated with outsized commercial cargo. The simulation includes a specialised flight deck and loading interface, with electronic flight bag and ground-service features described in the developer manual.
Antonov An-225
Aircraft type designators
Use the code for the model you are flying. The linked authority lists the applicable aircraft.
History & design
Development milestones
Designer: Antonov
First flight: 21 December 1988
Developed from: Antonov An-124 Ruslan
Wikipedia contributors · Antonov An-225 Mriya ↗Antonov An-225 Mriya · family/variant named by the source · Wikipedia revision 1372714731
Pilot accounts
Working cargo flights bring an extraordinary welcome
Antonov remembered a series of flights carrying power-station equipment from Chile into Bolivia. The individual sectors were short, but the cargo and the difficulty of transporting it overland made the work distinctive. Recording those journeys also helped start his habit of sharing the aircraft’s working life on YouTube.
The 2016 journey to Australia left a different impression. Crowds greeted the aircraft at stops along the way, and the welcome at Perth was unlike anything he had seen before. Yet he resisted making every memory dramatic: asked about his first An-225 flight, he could recall the year but no remarkable moment. For him, learning the aircraft had happened gradually through the ordinary work of preparation and training.
AeroTime interview · June 2022. An-225 work between Chile and Bolivia and the 2016 visit to Australia; the China–Denmark flight elsewhere in the interview was flown by other crews.
Read the full account · AeroTime ↗Showing the aircraft also becomes a lesson in geography
Halunenko recalled the An-225’s first flight as an aircraft behaving much as its designers had expected. The memories he particularly enjoyed telling came from showing it to the public. Arriving in Paris with Buran on its back, the crew was invited to circle so people below could see the unusual combination.
At an Oklahoma airshow, long queues formed to enter the cargo hold. Visitors repeatedly asked whether the aircraft was a Boeing and where it had been built. Explaining that Kyiv was in Ukraine did not always settle the questions, so Halunenko put a map on the wall and marked the country. He later joked that displaying the aircraft had also given the visitors a geography lesson.
The War Zone interview · 2022. First An-225 pilot recalling the 1989 Paris Air Show visit with Buran and a subsequent Oklahoma airshow.
Read the full account · The War Zone ↗In your simulator
Systems, equipment and documentation for each developer’s aircraft.
Compare simulator versions →MSFS 2024An-225
Microsoft Flight Simulator · Released
An-225
Microsoft Flight Simulator · Released
MSFS 2020An-225 Mriya
Microsoft Flight Simulator · Released
An-225 Mriya
Microsoft Flight Simulator · Released
Aircraft specifications
Published figures for the named real-aircraft variant. Simulator equipment and performance can differ.
| Specification | Published value |
|---|---|
| Length | 84 m (275 ft 7 in) |
| Wingspan | 88.4 m (290 ft 0 in) |
| Height | 18.1 m (59 ft 5 in) |
| Wing area | 905 m² (9,740 sq ft) |
| Empty weight | 285,000 kg (628,317 lb) |
| Max takeoff weight | 640,000 kg (1,410,958 lb) |
| Powerplant | 6 × Progress D-18T turbofans , 229.5 kN (51,600 lbf) thrust each |
| Maximum speed | 850 km/h (530 mph, 460 kn) |
| Cruise speed | 800 km/h (500 mph, 430 kn) |
| Range | 15,400 km (9,600 mi, 8,300 nmi) with maximum fuel; range with 200 tonnes payload: 4,000 km (2,500 mi) |
| Service ceiling | 11,000 m (36,000 ft) |
Manuals & resources
Find your next read
Choose a topic for a short introduction and a link to the original source. Simulator references identify the developer and edition they cover.
Simulator documentation
Six engines and a specialised loading interfaceAn-225 · Microsoft Flight Simulator · MSFS 2024
The An-225 guide shows separate pitch, roll and yaw trim controls and indicators, together with autopilot and hydraulic panels. Its electronic flight bag covers loading and ground services as well as navigation-related information.
Archived simulator manual; installed package revision not observed · PDF pp.14-17,32
Microsoft / aircraft developers · Read the source ↗The tablet connects loading with flight planningAn-225 Mriya · Microsoft Flight Simulator · MSFS 2020
Cockpit EFBs manage ground power, aircraft states, weather and moving maps, with links to the flight-management system.
iniBuilds manual v2 · 2023 MSFS 2020 interface
Microsoft / aircraft developers · Read the source ↗Cargo changes more than the viewAn-225 Mriya · Microsoft Flight Simulator · MSFS 2020
The EFB’s Main Door control opens the nose, lowers the ramp and kneels the aircraft. Cargo adds weight; loading requires stopped engines.
Manual pages 9–12
Microsoft / aircraft developers · Read the source ↗Cockpit interaction depends on the selected modeAn-225 Mriya · Microsoft Flight Simulator · MSFS 2020
The manual distinguishes PC Lock and Legacy interactions and Xbox controller inputs. Xbox text entry uses the keyboard within the EFB.
Manual pages 7–8
Microsoft / aircraft developers · Read the source ↗Checklists can take you to the correct panelAn-225 Mriya · Microsoft Flight Simulator · MSFS 2020
The simulator checklist’s eye icon moves the view to the relevant control. Expandable subitems help navigate the distributed cockpit stations.
Manual page 13 · MSFS 2020
Microsoft / aircraft developers · Read the source ↗The original MSFS 2020 releaseAn-225 Mriya · Microsoft Flight Simulator · MSFS 2020
The February 2023 announcement records a PC release first, with Xbox support scheduled to follow. This record identifies the original MSFS 2020 Marketplace aircraft; platform timing in the announcement is historical.
2023-02-27 · release and package scope
Microsoft Flight Simulator Team · Read the source ↗Pilot account
Working cargo flights bring an extraordinary welcomeAeroTime interview · June 2022. An-225 work between Chile and Bolivia and the 2016 visit to Australia; the China–Denmark flight elsewhere in the interview was flown by other crews.
Antonov remembered a series of flights carrying power-station equipment from Chile into Bolivia. The individual sectors were short, but the cargo and the difficulty of transporting it overland made the work distinctive. Recording those journeys also helped start his habit of sharing the aircraft’s working life on YouTube. The 2016 journey to Australia left a different impression. Crowds greeted the aircraft at stops along the way, and the welcome at Perth was unlike anything he had seen before.
Dmytro Antonov
AeroTime · Read the source ↗Showing the aircraft also becomes a lesson in geographyThe War Zone interview · 2022. First An-225 pilot recalling the 1989 Paris Air Show visit with Buran and a subsequent Oklahoma airshow.
Halunenko recalled the An-225’s first flight as an aircraft behaving much as its designers had expected. The memories he particularly enjoyed telling came from showing it to the public. Arriving in Paris with Buran on its back, the crew was invited to circle so people below could see the unusual combination. At an Oklahoma airshow, long queues formed to enter the cargo hold. Visitors repeatedly asked whether the aircraft was a Boeing and where it had been built.
Oleksandr Halunenko
The War Zone · Read the source ↗Read the original documentation from the people who created it. Manuals open on their publisher’s website.
Manual
AN225_MSFS_Manual_V2Microsoft / aircraft developers Microsoft Flight Simulator aircraft manualsMicrosoft / aircraft developersAircraft background
Antonov An-225 MriyaWikipedia contributors · Research background · Wikipedia revision 1372714731 · retrieved 2026-09-12Resource
MSFS 2024 FAQ and edition aircraft inventoryMicrosoftDeveloper documentation
Famous Flyer IV: Antonov AN-225 MriyaMicrosoft Flight Simulator Team · 2023-02-27 · release and package scopeType designator
FAA JO 7360.1K — aircraft type designatorsFederal Aviation Administration · Active FAA order; checked 2026-09-14Built-in force-feedback profiles
Read the documentary basis, editable starting settings and remaining questions for the aircraft you fly. Each explanation refers to the exact profile revision shown.
Catalogue programme-20261022-v1 · 1 profile choice
Antonov An-225
Free and Pro · Revision 1 · Partial review
MSFS 2024 · MSFS 2020
Antonov An-225: The configured powered-control response is a starting approximation for the An-225; the documented cockpit equipment does not specify a hand-force schedule.
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