No, it’s not the Airbus Beluga we’ve shown here or its Boeing equivalent; Russia’s Antonov 225 Mirya, a 6-engined monster originally designed to move a space station to its launch site, recently visited Shannon in Ireland on a tour. Next stop, France.
Only a few airports can host the plane, which needs a runway more than 3 km long, is used for freight service in Russia. After the original space program it was part of was cancelled, it was abandoned on a field, but then reclaimed and repaired by Antonov, the company designed it. You might say it’s the original Dreamliner because that’s what Mirya means. Below, from the Clare Herald, an enthusiast’s video of the takeoff from Shannon.
Photo at top: Wikimedia / Anthony Noble
