Posted on 02/27/2022 6:09:36 PM PST by BenLurkin
The world's largest aircraft, the Antonov AN-225, has been destroyed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to Ukrainian officials, generating alarm and sadness among the aviation world...
There has been no independent confirmation of the aircraft's destruction. A tweet from the Antonov Company said it could not verify the "technical condition" of the aircraft until it had been inspected by experts.
Ukrainian state defense company Ukroboronprom, which manages Antonov, on Sunday issued a statement saying the aircraft had been destroyed...
If confirmed, the attack would mark a shocking end to an aircraft that has seen more than 30 years of service dating back to the days of the Soviet Union.
"The restoration is estimated to take over 3 billion USD and over five years," the statement said. "Our task is to ensure that these costs are covered by the Russian Federation, which has caused intentional damage to Ukraine's aviation and the air cargo sector. In a later statement, the company said the airplane had been in on the ground near Kyiv on February 24 undergoing maintenance.
"According to the director of Antonov Airlines, one of the engines was dismantled for repairs and the plane wasn't able to take off that day, although the appropriate commands were given,"
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
“No independent confirmation”
This is also a big economic impact as well.
This plane made a lot of money transporting huge specialized cargo around the world.
Seems plausible with the missiles attacking military facilities across Ukraine.
Some sheet aluminum, couple tons of pop rivets, it’s all good man....
For a guy like Putin who wants to bask in the “glory” of the old Soviet Union, this was a strange thing to do. Well, hey, he captured Chernobyl, so he still has something to wax nostalgic about the good ‘ol days.
At the end of the day an air frame is very basic, what's most important are the engines and the electronics.
Bmkm
“You won’t see it around no more.”
That things toast. I just read that it was the ONLY AN-225. Sad. Destroying that plane accomplished nothing.
That's how much they're going to demand Biden reimburse them for its loss.
The F-35’s are doing really well… Thanks Obama!
Pretty risky to build just one of something.
Look at how the production volume of the B-52 has helped to extend its active design life.
Wikipedia says there’s a partially built airframe somewhere in storage and the engines are common with an airliner (188 built) so maybe they can cobble a replacement together.
Used by Boeing to bring the 777 engines to the Everett plant since they were too large to be trucked.
It should have been long gone out of Ukraine weeks ago.
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