Destroyed Ukraine mega-plane headed to Microsoft Flight Simulator
In time for anniversary of its bombing.
The hulking Ukrainian-built Antonov An-225 Mriya - the world's largest-ever aeroplane - is coming to Microsoft Flight Simulator on the anniversary of its destruction by Russian forces.
The Mriya - of which only one was ever made - was bombed on 27th February last year while resting at an airfield near Kyiv, in the early days of Russia's invasion.
Now, the Mriya will get a new lease of life as part of a paid addition for Microsoft Flight Sim, with "all proceeds going to Antonov/Ukraine", Kotaku reported.
As well as being notable for its enormous size, the Mriya is also a fascinating plane for its operational history and ultimate fate.
Ironically built in Kyiv for the former USSR, the Mriya was originally intended to be one of a fleet of massive aircraft able to airlift the Soviet's own range of space shuttles. However, the cancellation of this programme and the collapse of the USSR left the Mriya the only one of its class constructed - and left without purpose.
Still, demand for a supermassive aircraft kept the Mriya in work, and its cavernous hull made it uniquely eqiupped to carry enormous loads for wealthy countries and corporations.
During the early days of the Covid pandemic, the Mriya was used to transport Covid test kits from China to Europe in as big a bulk as possible.
Indeed, its last flight before the Russian invasion and subsequent flight ban over Ukraine was to ship Covid kits to Denmark. The aircraft subsequently set back down in Ukraine - where it met its ultimate fate.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has since confirmed plans to build a new Mriya when safe to do so, with an estimated cost of $500m.