One Large Aircraft

Bio-T · May 4, 2004

If you are interested in Aviation or just like to look at large aircraft, this one is Huge:

http://www.air-and-space.com/Antonov An-225 Mriya.htm

Rick in PA · May 4, 2004

Yes, it is huge, I saw the Antonov An-225 Mriya up close and personal at the Philly Airport many years ago, it was running a load of medical supplies to the children of Chernoble. It's certainly a big plane. The control deck is above the spacious cargo deck, had to go up a flight of "stairs" to get to it. One thing I remember seeing was a small instrument panel back in the crew area. There was a mount and lights for a movie camera facing the control panel. Remember, this was the plane they used to piggyback the Buran space shuttle. I guessed they took movies of the control panel as a flight data recorder for the Buran flights. Thought it was interesting, simple but effective.

2manydogs · May 4, 2004

Holy Schnikees, that IS big. And I can tell those pictures don't do it any justice. Something creepy about it being Soviet-made though, I wonder just how much the A&P guys make!! Please don't fly it over our house, Comrade

Jim

outrun · May 4, 2004

Makes the C5 Galaxy look like a Cessna

n8wvi · May 4, 2004

It doesn't look any bigger than a B-36

Dave

carrera79 · May 5, 2004

That thing is friggin enormous. I've always liked the Beluga. Here's the latest.

http://www.allaboutguppys.com/beluga/b-aeroa.jpg

Eric · May 5, 2004

That web site is great!!
Worlds prettiest airplane, only 2 made.
http://www.air-and-space.com/Republic XF-12.htm

Kernel Potter · May 5, 2004

Several years back, probably '99 or '00, I was in a plane at O’Hare and as we were next up to take off, the pilot got on the speaker and noted one of those bad boys was about to take off in front of us. The pilot commented it being the largest plane in the world and it did have the triple jet engines under each wing.

As we were in the partial turn to line up the pilot stopped so we were at about a 45-degree angle to the An-225, giving us the best glimpse at it. Needless to say I was lucky enough to see it make its sprint down the tarmac and lift off.

Truly cool and I knew I saw something fairly rare for the typical person to see.

2manydogs · May 5, 2004

Wow, that loading machine is awesome, too. Look at the size of those hydraulic rams! Bet they hold a few quarts. I know a guy that was on the design team for the B-36.I read quite a bit about it. What they could do with a slide rule back then just amazes me. They have an engine off of one at the Tillimook Air Museum. A 4 row, 36 cylinder Wright radial. That's BIG too!

Jim

2manydogs · May 5, 2004

I could have SWORN the sign said it was an engine from a B-36, looks like they had Pratt & Whitneys. OOOPS. Jim

tom slick · May 5, 2004

that is a neat site. that guy is local to me so many of the pics he has of are of airplanes i've seen in person. it's sad to see the old connie leave the camarillo airport.
if you ever get a chance to go to the edwards afb airshow, i highly recommend it. they have almost every aircraft the air force flys or is thinking of flying on display.

Mark in NY · May 6, 2004

It is impressive in the flesh.
"we" were responsible for one of the trips into JFK.
The Antonov (either the giant 6 motor job or the Slightly smaller 4 engine ship) is the only aircraft capable of transporting a Boeing 777 motor without it being partially disassembled.
Since a 777 motor had to be transported cross-country the call went out for the big guy.

Last_Z · May 7, 2004

From big to extremely big:
C-5 Galaxy
AN-124
AN-225
Howard Hughes "Spruce Goose....over 300 feet wing span.....that's Texas size BIG!

Last_Z · May 7, 2004

Another big plane was a Soviet model called "Akronoplane" (spelling?) It was designed to fly just a few feet over the water and meant to carry large amounts of troops. The plane used "physics" similar to the Navy's LCAC transportes.....the plane created a cushion of air between the wings and the surface of the water.

J · May 8, 2004

quote:

Originally posted by Last_Z:
From big to extremely big:
C-5 Galaxy
AN-124
AN-225
Howard Hughes "Spruce Goose....over 300 feet wing span.....that's Texas size BIG!

Do you know how Airbus A3XX (A380?) will
compare to these goliaths? I know that the
transport planes are much larger than
current commercial airliners.

Cheers,

Jae

Last_Z · May 8, 2004

The A3X3 is what's called a Super Jumbo Jet. They are aiming at at Boeing's throat. They seriously want to de-throne the 747 as the world's leading Jumbo Jet....and they are doing pretty good at it! Boeing is also coming out with a Super Jumbo....which is basically a stretched out 747. I'd expect these things to be in excess of 250ft in length and close to or more than 250 wingspan. I've seen the commercials for Boeign's 7E7 "Dreamliner"....don't know if that's the Super Jumbo I speak of or something else.

Pretty soon, we'll be flying planes with pools and shopping centers in them

We will see, in the not too distant future, hyper-sonic flying.....so fast you'll actually enter the edge of space and will make it anywhere in the world within 2 hrs or less!

MolaKule · May 8, 2004

quote:

I've seen the commercials for Boeign's 7E7 "Dreamliner"....don't know if that's the Super Jumbo I speak of or something else.

Negative.

The 7E7 is a new generation aircraft aimed and speced for less drag, a lighter airframe (using more composites), and less fuel burn. It would be somewhere between the 767 and the 777.

Latest I heard about the AB 380 is they were having supply and labor (union) problems.

I have no doubt their engineers are capable of copying any Boeing structure they set their minds to. (That was a politcal comment, BTW).

MolaKule · May 8, 2004

The XF-12 and the RC-2 were rumored to actually have been engined for the latest Propjet powerplants such as the Allison 700 series.

Note the wide-chord propellers which were manly used with propjets.

tom slick · May 9, 2004

quote:

What is the Space Shuttle doing on top of a Russian cargo plane?

i guess when you fly a copy of a c-5 you can fly it with a copy of the space shuttle?

carrera79 · May 9, 2004

The russians had a prototype spaceshuttle that never was put into service. One of them actually was sold on E-bay awhile ago.

One Large Aircraft

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