Reshared post from +Gerhardt Himmelmann
21 Dec 1988 – Alexander Galunenko and Sergei Grbik pilot the Soviet Antonov An-225 transport on its first flight; the heaviest aircraft ever built. Designed as a transport for the Soviet space shuttle program, the An-225 weighs 285 tonnes empty and can lift a cargo of 253 tonnes. At 84m, it is also the longest heavier-than-air aircraft ever built, and its 88-metre wingspan is second only to the Hughes "Spruce Goose". Following the cancellation of the Soviet space shuttle program and the collapse of the Soviet Union, Antonov placed the An-225 in storage for several years before finding a market for its services airlifting oversize cargo, particularly construction and mining equipment. #aerospace #history