Antonov AN-225

g0g

Have been fascinated by this plane in recent years and would love someone who understands this stuff to explain something to me. I get it, this plane is perfect for lifting huge loads, but what is the real point of it?

For purely oversized objects I get it, but how many of those could only possibly be carried on the AN-225?

For everything else, why not split over multiple planes? If AN-225 made really good economic sense there'd be loads of them in the sky surely? Often when I see videos it's just being packed with loads and loads of stuff, not one big thing. That being the case, why does it gets used? Would it not be cheaper to use two planes with half the capacity? I have notifications from FR24 and it seems to be in use so little of the time too.

Storm 10

You answered your own question

 I get it, this plane is perfect for lifting huge loads, but what is the real point of it?

Just because you don't see it on FR24 does not mean its not flying, it goes into very remote areas where it probably cant be picked up and they may have their system shut down.

g0g

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117731854#Comment_117731854

That would make sense to me if it was a single massive object or few objects that wouldn't fit in any other plane, but that doesn't seem to be the case. e.g. wasn't it moving heaps of Covid PPE or something at some stage last year? Why not break into (e.g.) two loads half that size and use regular planes? It's hard to believe that there is only a market for one of these. The amount of energy if seems to use taking off, the age of it surely means it's really inefficient engines?

Flinty997

It was designed for one mission. To support the Russian Shuttle and it's boosters etc.

It was never a commercial project, or even a military project.

So when that was over, it really has no role. But it exists so might as well use it. It's has found a small niche carrying specialized cargo.

Suckler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117736714#Comment_117736714

I've been involved in a project where it was used just for the "prestige" of it for the most part. It wasn't essential but the the project director convinced the client higher ups it was a requirement. I think they agreed for similar reasons. It was a government(not Irish) funded project so cost wasn't an issue.

Flinty997

Since it got into Orbit, I'm not sure you could say the Russian Shuttle was done only for "prestige". Well unless you apply it to exploration of Space.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASQl2b0-yDQ&ab_channel=adimifus

The project, fell apart due the breakup of the Soviet Union.

Suckler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117737662#Comment_117737662

No, was only meant as a reply to your 'niche/specialised cargo' comment; in that the reason (or main reason) we used it was for the 'prestige' of being able to say it was required/used on the project. We had to do a justification exercise on it etc. it wasn't on a whim but the client did have us emphsise the benefits heavily.

Stovepipe

it is often used to lift heavy equipment where a road/rail/sea journey would be a very tough task. This kind of airlift tends to cost a couple of million dollars a time so it's users have to weigh up the cost versus the potential savings.

HTCOne

The 124 and 225 have on board cranes and thus don't require ground handling equipment, so they can get heavy cargo in and out of places that can't handle commercial freighters. If you need a large generator, piece of mining equipment or large volume of humanitarian aid brought somewhere especially remote, they're the only game in town really.

You can also just drive trucks or other vehicles on board too, again very useful for humanitarian aid in the poorest parts of the world.

Board Walker

It flew a turbine to us in Russia a few years back. Landed in South Sakhalin and was driven down over night to us at the LNG plant.