Antonov An-225

DUBAI // The world’s largest plane touched down in Dubai on Tuesday.

At around 2pm, the Antonov An-225 Mriya landed at Al Maktoum International Airport, after having recently visited Perth, Australia, to deliver a 117-tonne generator — which is the size of as a small bedroom
On arrival in Dubai, the plane was holding no cargo and was only making a stopover before heading to Italy.
The aircraft’s scheduled departure was 9am Wednesday for Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport in Rome.
Throughout the world, the plane — described as the longest and heaviest yet built — has drawn plenty of attention.
It is 84 metres long and weighs 175 tonnes without cargo or fuel.

Fully loaded, it can hold up to 600 tonnes in its hold, which measures 1,300 cubic metres.

The aircraft is more than seven metres longer than a Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental and 11 metres longer than the Airbus A380-800, the largest passenger plane.

An estimated 15,000 people showed up to view the plane as it landed in Perth, according to Australian media reports. It has also made recent stops in Turkey and Malaysia.

Only one Antonov An-225 exists.

The undisputed superstar of the skies -- the biggest airplane in the world -- is taking flight on a rare delivery mission across three continents.

The Ukrainian cargo jet named "Mriya" is one of a kind. There is no other.

That's why the gawkers showed up Tuesday in Prague. They watched in awe as this big boy defied gravity before it touched down at Vaclav Havel Airport in the Czech Republic.

Officially designated as the Antonov An-225, the plane was developed in the 1980s to carry the Soviet version of the space shuttle on its back.

To carry all that weight Mriya has 32 wheels spread across its oversized landing gear.

This beauty has other nice features ... like the way its nose opens to allow cargo loading through the front end. Fans also like the design of Mriya's split tail. (Sweet!)

It's rare to see it in action.

Lately, Mriya has been making deliveries once -- maybe twice -- a year.

If you need to fly something big -- like gargantuan oil industry equipment or a giant electric generator -- this is the plane you want.

The An-225 holds world aviation records for flying heavy payloads. It set one in 2004 when it flew a 247-ton piece of oil pipeline machinery to Uzbekistan.

From its pickup location in Prague, Mriya has scheduled stops in Turkmenistan, India and Malaysia before arriving this weekend at its final destination in Perth -- on Australia's west coast.

Thousands of spectators are expected to greet the plane and its six-member crew when it arrives, according to the Antonov Company.