HERPA ANTONOV AIRLINES AN-225 1/500 (**)

Produced as an officially licensed product to the highest standards, Herpa diecast metal models are developed as a collaborative effort with aircraft manufacturers and the airlines, and are recognized by discerning model airplane collectors worldwide for their unparalleled, accurate realism, attention to detail and exceptional quality. This Herpa 1/500 scale Antonov Airlines AN-225 - Registration UR-82060 - which measures approximately 6-5/8-inches long with a 7-inch wingspan, is a correct, true-to-scale reproduction of the actual aircraft, and features authentic, highly detailed graphics and markings. A Display Stand is not included and is sold separately - Herpa HE521024. Powered by six Progress Design Bureau Motor Sich D18T Turbofans producing 230 kN thrust apiece, the AN-225 took off on its maiden flight on December 22, 1988. Originally designed to support the Soviet Space Program, as well as a transport aircraft for the Buran Shuttle, the AN-225 is the world's largest aircraft. Civil certification was completed in 2001 with its first commercial flight having commenced in Stuttgart in December of that year. The Antonov AN-225 has gone on to set more than 100 world records in many categories, including the heaviest total cargo (5 military tanks weighing a total of 253.8 tonnes), the heaviest single item (a generator weighing 187.6 tonnes), and quite possibly the longest rigid item (2 windmill blades with a length of 42 meters apiece). Virtually self-sufficient, with a range of 15,000 km (9,230 mi), the AN-225 has a unique, unmatched ability for its ability to transport oversized, exceptionally heavy cargo, and does not require ground support equipment, as it is equipped with an onboard nose loading ramp, internal overhead cranes with a capacity of 30 tonnes, and two 30 kN capacity winches. Operated by Anotonov Airlines, which is the airline of its Ukrainian designers, the AN-225 has repeatedly proven its value and capability time and again in relief operations following natural and environmental disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina, the 2010 Earthquake in Haiti and the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill, and has also been utilized for support in industrial and infrastructure projects around the world.

SKU: HE515726