To the aveks, those fascinated by aviation, the destruction of the largest commercial plane in the world was one of the most emblematic images of the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. In February, the Antonov AN-225 was attacked at its base in Hostomel, near Kiev, the Ukrainian capital.
“The dream will never die,” the manufacturer tweeted when the aircraft came under attack.
Apparently, the company is keeping its word: Antonov has announced that reconstruction plans are already underway.
Nicknamed “Mriya” (Ukrainian for “dream”), the massive plane was built in the 1980s to transport the Soviet space shuttle.
Its later life, though a little less glamorous, was equally iconic: the AN-225 was the world’s air freighter, with about twice the cargo capacity of a Boeing 747, generating a veritable cult of worship among avgeeks🇧🇷
Antonov was 84 meters or 275 feet long, with the longest wing span of any aircraft in operation. To date, it is the heaviest aircraft ever built.
The destruction of the giant was announced on February 27, 2022. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted that “Russia may have destroyed our ‘mriya’, but it will never be able to destroy our dream of being a strong, free and democratic European state”.
The Antonov Company said at the time that it could not verify the plane’s condition. Paying a visit in April, the journalist from CNN Vasco Cotovio noted that the nose had apparently taken “a direct hit from artillery” and had been “completely destroyed”.
“There was extensive damage to the wings and some of the engines. The final section of the tail has been spared major impacts and has some holes caused by shrapnel or bullets.”
On Monday, the Antonov Company announced on Twitter that the reconstruction project had already begun, with “design work” already in place. When estimating repair costs, the company predicted an amount of more than 500 million euros (about R$ 2.7 billion) for the AN-225 to return to the air, promising more information “after the victory”.
The company already has about 30% of the components needed to build a new plane.
At the start of the work, Ukrainian state defense firm Ukroboronprom, which manages Antonov, had issued a statement estimating the restoration at more than $3 billion – and promised to make Russia pay for the amount. As they said at the time, the reconstruction would take at least five years.
Antonov later confirmed to the CNN who was already working on the project.
“The process of rebuilding the ‘Mriya’ is considered an international project, with the participation of aviation companies from different countries of the world”, declared the company. “We are considering attracting funding from various sources and proposals from many organizations that are ready to join the project are under review.”
The company said it would coordinate research, design and assembly, and confirmed that there are still undestroyed units of the main structure to assemble a new plane.
“The program is carrying out an expert assessment of the units, considering the calculations and subsequent design work,” he wrote, adding that construction would take place “immediately after Ukraine’s victory.”
The announcement coincides with the launch of an exhibition dedicated to the plane at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany, which is home to five other Antonov planes. Called “Light and Shadow: The Story of the Antonov,” the exhibition (playing through December) features photos of the plane before and after its destruction, focusing on the engineering feat that was lost in the Russian attack.
At the opening, Oleksiy Makeiev, Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany, announced that although he flew “almost every Antonov plane, the Mriya remained a dream,” he said.
“We hope it will be restored and we will see this mighty bird in the sky again,” he added.
In the meantime, anyone who misses Mriya can build their own or at least their own model. the ukrainian startup Metal Time is selling AN-225 model kits. Each costs $99, and the proceeds go straight to Antonov to fund the Mriya reconstruction, as well as relocate Antonov employees whose homes were destroyed by the Russian invasion. The money also goes towards training new Ukrainian pilots and aviation engineers.
Source: CNN Brasil
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