Biggest Plane - The Future An-225 Concept!

This HyperTransport plane can carry more than a 747, fly further than any other cargo aircraft, and is far more fuel-efficient - this is the futuristic cargo competitor to the AN-225 built by both Boeing and Airbus.

In today's video, lets' explore the future of cargo planes, what would a future heavy-lift aircraft look like, and why it may never be built.

Let us jump in and if by the end of the video you feel like I've entertained you with this What If, then a like is appreciated.

The Antonov An-225 is the world's largest most powerful cargo plane. It can carry heavy and bulky items, like a generator or a mining drill, across the world. It was even essentially in transporting the engines for the Boeing 777X to the airframe across North America.

But for all its usefulness, it has some flaws.

First, the fact is there is only one An-225 in existence, with a 2nd airframe hidden half-built in a warehouse. This plane was originally built for the soviet space shuttle, and it was never really intended to be the defacto heavy lifter the world needs today. It is relatively slow, doesn't have a great range fully loaded, and burns a ton of fuel to get where it needs to go.

Simply put, it is old technology, its operators charge a huge premium to the market and don't have any of the versatility we have seen from more modern platforms like the 747-8 series - which is both a freighter and a fantastic passenger aircraft.

That leads us to the topic of today's video, what would it look like if Boeing and Airbus built their own version of the An-225?

This plane would be modern heavy-lift aircraft utilizing the very best new technologies, with the learnings from other passenger and cargo airframes like the A380 and 747, and with the combined efforts of both aerospace firms - a truly world class giga-flying machine.

This plane would be called the Proteus, after the greek god of the same name who served Poseidon and was capable of changing his shape at will to serve the task at hand. A fitting description don't you think.

This beast would have six high-bypass engines, such as the GE9X found on the Boeing 777X, or a future derivative, and would have a range greater than that of the AN-225 and at least equal to the 747-8F. With better engines and using learnings in fuel efficiency, we would expect this aircraft to have a load distance greater than 4,120 nmi (7,630 km).

Its unique design would afford plenty of advantages, with a double tail at the end to allow more space onboard, something that we have already seen utilized by the world's largest plane the Stratolaunch. Its engines and wings would use fuel-saving technology derived by the 787 series, such as saw-teeth" or "chevrons" on the back of the engine casing, to help reduce noise generated from the operation of the engine. The wings would use racked wingtip technology like on the Boeing 777X, to reduce fuel burn while cruising.

When it comes to cargo-carrying capacity, this is where it gets interesting. This aircraft would be able to load in full containers, like those found on trains, trucks and boats, and fill in the missing link found in intermodal delivery channels, directly into the cargo cabin using its own onboard lift technology.. This would mean that while it wouldn't be as long as the 747 and not suitable to tall items - like aircraft wings, but it would be more flexible for boxy items like giant turbines or engines.

We would require this aircraft to carry at least 200 tonnes, or around 450,600 lb, much like the AN-225. Likely we won't be able to carry much more, but the range will be extended with a full load on board. For comparison, the An-225 carrying 200 tonnes can only fly 4,000 km or 2,159 nautical miles.

There is even a possibility to turn it into a combi version with passengers onboard.

This leads us to the next point - the potential military applications. Such a heavy lift aircraft might actually be highly sought after by military forces around the world, able to carry tanks and other heavy military equipment's where needed.

The big issue with cargo carriers is two-fold. For one, cargo companies don't really care so much about fuel-saving and lowing the cost per kilo, because they are more than happy to simply increase the rate that they charge companies for transport. And they don't really care about being competitive, because where else are you going to go?

The second issue is the availability of other platforms. There are very few jobs that the An-225 can perform that other aircraft cant, and there is a lot of other aircraft.

For example, we have yet to see the next generation of cargo carriers, such as A350, 787s, 777xs, and more converted for cargo operations.

We also need to consider its market potential - or lack thereof.

But when the An-225 finally retires, the world is going to need a new heavy aircraft, and a concept plane like this Proteus HyperTransport will be waiting.

[FoundAndExplained]

To clarify why Airbus and Boeing would work together on this. They were about to with the 747X and A380, and any future mega project like this would likewise follow a similar pattern.

[femanvate]

Some rich prince is gonna make a business jet from this, complete with an indoor ice-rink

[caleb]

**This plane is in a flight simulator**
Some player:
"What if I land this on an aircraft carrier?"

[riliryrimaddyvia]

I love these types of videos where we explore concepts made by nick himself

[nong]

Well due to the tragic destruction of the An-225, this might actually happen now.

[spoork]

Humans in the real world: “we don’t need this” humans in ace combat strangereal “I NEED IT”

[AubriGryphon]

There really only needs to be one An-225 because it specializes in carrying weird corner-case cargo, so I kinda suspect it will be replaced by the lone Stratolaunch with a cargo capsule. Making a big weird cargo plane that carries shipping containers misses the point of why the Mriya is still around.

[lj]

“When the an 225 finally retires”
Well…That didn’t age well

[luccavanopdorp]

It's an amazing concept but keep in mind one thing: the flexibility. With this width there is almost no airport that can handle it

[SomeRandomYouTuber_]

So this is the REAL *THICCONOV*
Edit: so Airbus And Boieng collabed to make this but then it was never built

[RedWolfSG]

Got to say... that is a good looking heavy-lift cargo jet.

[digimanga]

2:05 that's a funny looking 747-8 🤔

[rgerber]

This plane looks so smoothly designed and futuristic.
It all fits so well together instead just being a series of connected parts

[jpotter]

The AN-225 comes ot town regularly to haul large aerospace assemblies on to the next higher Boeing assembly plant.
That's a big, big boy. Always attracts gaggles of plane enthusiasts, cameras in hand. The crews love it too, since it stays several days, and they can go shopping!

[thestudentofficial]

I really appreciate you for writing the video transcript in the description. Not that i don't like to watch your videos but sometimes i don't have much time for YT videos

[peteregan]

I expect Boeing and Airbus would not work together as the development cost is not that bad. 4 GE-9X engines and perhaps 4 RR UltraFan engines can support a Mach 0.7 (207 m/s, 745 kmh, 402 kts) at 11, 000 metres freighter of 840 tonnes MTOW. This would be comprised of 320 T OEW, max 320 T Fuel, and max 320 T PL. The 540 T combined max PL and Fuel allows them to range between 200 T and 320 T. It would look like a larger version of the AN 225. Using the main gear wheels of the Airbus A350-900 (35 T of MTOW each), it would have 24 main gear wheels on 6 axles each side. The nose gear would have 4 of the largest nose wheels available. The wing area would be about 1200 sq.m, and the wing span 100 metres with no folding wing tips. The length would be about 100 metres with the cargo cabin 60 metres long, 7 metres high with the floor 8 metres wide. There would probably be a lighter weight version with a cabin 10 metres high than could swallow a SpaceX Starship (50 m long) or booster without engines (both 9 metres diameter, with booster 70 metres long). It would not cater for external cargo and thus have just one tail. The width 2 metres above floor level would be 11 metres. Thus the cabin will have an 8 sided cross-section. An aim being to carry 4 F35 fighters ready for fuel and weapons, the hull of a 777, Starship, a SpaceX booster, or really heavy industrial parts. The cargo floor will need portable extra legs to load heavy items in through the nose or tail and place them between the main gear which are directly below the wings. The aim is a military and civilian transporter. If the applications are kept basis, the cost is kept down. The AN-225 was not that expensive. So, no inflight refuelling, or weapons. 50 to 100 is probably the demand.

[allenwarburton]

I don’t need to enjoy the video to like it, the content is all I need. ❤️

[deathstrike]

As someone who formerly worked in the aviation industry, I can tell you that while this is not a bad idea at all, it is incredibly infeasible. The reason being is that passengers and cargo (pacs in the industry) are assessed a "per mile" figure that calculates how much an aircraft must carry to make the operator a profit. Aircraft like that have been proven time and time again to not be economically sound due to complex maintenance, complex technology, special airport requirements for weight on the tarmac, and size.

This was also attempted by Lockheed Martin in their C-5A (now C-5M) Galaxy cargo aircraft. They had a study of making the Galaxy strictly a passenger airplane. The numbers were amazing, clocking in at 800 passengers well over 5000 plus miles. But the idea had no takers in the airline side as they were happy with the 747. Every attempt at making a "super airplane" has fallen apart when the numbers are crunched. The Boeing C-17A was offered as a civilian version to UPS and FedEx. They didn't want it, and a passenger model was displayed as well carrying around 250 passengers in basically a STOL (short take off and landing) with short, unimproved runway capability, very high performance, and suited for the short routes the Bombardier Challenger and ATR-72 regional planes enjoy. But always the same thing, nobody want to have to comply with strict size, noise regulation, and runway composition to get these projects off the ground.

[ASMRRALPH]

One thing I have learned in my fifty-four years of life is that anything is very possible!

[RedLPS]

We need a gigantic cruise ship of the skies. On board cabins and recreational facilities. Rock climbing, video arcades, mini golf, theaters, etc. Bring back the joy of flight.