Thursday 6 November 2014

The World's Biggest Aircraft




Maximum take-off weight (MTOW) is the criteria to determine world’s largest aircraft. MTOW is the heaviest weight at which the aircraft has been shown to meet all the airworthiness requirements applicable to it. Using MTOW criteria, it is easy to pick a winner. It's the Antonov An-225.
An-225 is powered by six turbofan engines and is the longest and heaviest airplane ever built with a maximum take-off weight of 640 tonnes. This aircraft was initially built to transport Buran space plane and then re-introduced for commercial operations with Antonov Airlines, carrying oversized payloads.
The first flight of Antonov An-225 was held in 1998, when a Buran space plane was carried from Kiev in a 74-minute flight.
The type's first commercial flight departed from Stuttgart, Germany on 3 January 2002. It flew to Thumrait, Oman, with 216,000 meals for American military personnel based in the region.
In May 2011, the Antonov CEO was reported to have said that the completion of a second An-225 Mriya transport aircraft with a carrying capacity of 250 tons requires at least $300 million. However, given the financing, its completion could be achieved in three years.
General characteristics
Crew: 7
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)
Aspect ratio: 8.6
Empty weight: 285,000 kg (628,317 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 640,000 kg (1,410,958 lb)
Fuel capacity: 300,000 kg
Cargo hold – volume 1,300m3, length 43.35m, width 6.4m, height 4.4m
Powerplant: 6 × ZMKB Progress D-18 turbofans, 229.5 kN (51,600 lbf) thrust each
Performance
Maximum speed: 850 km/h (528 mph; 459 kn)
Cruising speed: 800 km/h (497 mph; 432 kn)
Range: 15,400 km (9,569 mi; 8,315 nmi) with maximum fuel; range with maximum payload: 4,000 km (2,500 mi)
Service ceiling: 11,000 m (36,089 ft)
Wing loading: 662.9 kg/m2 (135.8 lb/sq ft)
Source : avitime.com

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