21 Dec 1988 – Alexander Galunenko and Sergei Grbik pilot the Soviet Antonov An-225…

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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 U