The formerly largest aircraft in the world was destroyed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 at its home airport of Hostomel near Kyiv. The Antonov An-225 “Mrija” should take off again soon in the Flight Simulator (test), as the developers of the flight simulation game have now announced. >Detailed replica takes off on February 27
During an hour and a half developer livestream, the developers said they were very upset when the plane was destroyed. The idea of making the An-225 available in Flight Simulator came up immediately, but Antonov's support was needed from the start. Although virtual replicas of the 84 meter long and 285 ton aircraft with a wingspan of 88.4 meters are already available through mods for the Flight Simulator, Microsoft itself wants to surpass these in terms of detail by far as part of a license agreement with Antonov and the simulation specialist iniBuilds . The long-standing pilot of the An-225, Dmytro Antonov, is said to be involved in the development and ensure authenticity in the cockpit.
The Antonov An-225 in Microsoft Flight Simulator (Image: Microsoft)
On February 27, 2023, the first anniversary of the original's destruction, the virtual Antonov An-225 is scheduled to take off in Microsoft Flight Simulator. The plane is available as part of a DLC for $20, with all proceeds going to Antonov or Ukraine.
The Antonov An-225 was a giant of the skies
The Antonov An-225 Mrija was completed in 1985 and was the largest aircraft ever built until its destruction . After being mothballed for several years around the turn of the millennium, the giant one-of-a-kind aircraft returned to service in 2001 and flew numerous transport missions around the world, during which the Antonov An-225 transported loads that no other aircraft could have carried. Her last assignment was in February 2022, when she transported almost 90 tons of COVID-19 test kits from China to Denmark.
In November 2022, Antonov announced a new one To want to build An-225, which will probably cost around 500 million US dollars. The Ukrainian state wants to support the project, but for the time being the priorities are elsewhere – the future of the series is by no means assured.