Antonov An-990

The represents an ambitious attempt to revive the ultra‑heavy cargo segment with a modern, twin‑engine architecture that balances payload capacity, operational flexibility, and environmental responsibility. If funded and certified, it could become the world’s most capable strategic air‑lift platform, offering a unique combination of:

The only operational anecdote comes from a purported "leak" by a former Antonov test engineer in a 2012 forum post, since deleted. He claimed that a single prototype—registration CCCP-990100—was rolled out of a modified hangar in Kyiv in December 1991, just weeks before the fall of the Soviet Union. antonov an-990

Officially, the An-990 never existed. No technical manual, no wind tunnel model, no grainy black-and-white photograph has ever been authenticated. Yet, among post-Soviet aerospace engineers, it is a cautionary fable of "what if the constraints of physics were merely suggestions?" The represents an ambitious attempt to revive the

It is typically modeled with six massive custom turbofans, such as the fictional GE-990-480, each capable of producing 480,000 lbf of thrust. Officially, the An-990 never existed

| Parameter | Value (Approx.) | |-----------|-----------------| | | 640 t | | Empty Weight | 230 t | | Maximum Payload | 250 t | | Cruise Speed | Mach 0.78 (≈ 830 km/h) | | Service Ceiling | 12 500 m (41 000 ft) | | Take‑off Runway Requirement | 2 800 m (9 200 ft) on a paved surface; 3 600 m (11 800 ft) on semi‑prepared strips with soft‑field gear. | | Fuel Capacity | 180 t (internal wing tanks + auxiliary fuselage tanks) | | Environmental | Designed to meet ICAO Chapter 4 noise standards; equipped with low‑emission engine combustors meeting EASA/FAA Stage 4/5 criteria. |

While the An-990 is a fictional creation, it takes inspiration from the high-capacity cargo tradition of the Antonov Company . An-990 (Fictional) An-225 Mriya (Real-World) ~870 ft (265 m) 290 ft (88.4 m) Max Takeoff Weight 6,000 tonnes ~640 tonnes Primary Use Heavy Firefighting / Shuttle Launch Oversized Cargo / Space Shuttle Transport Status Simulation Mod Single unit built; destroyed in 2022 AI responses may include mistakes. Learn more How HUGE Can Planes Get? - Antonov An 990

At the time of writing (April 2026) the AN‑990 remains a conceptual project awaiting a committed launch customer and full funding.