Have you seen the stunning videos circulating of the "Antonov An-990" taking off in Microsoft Flight Simulator? The graphics are breathtaking, showing a colossal aircraft dominating the runway. But for aviation enthusiasts, this raises a burning question: Does the Antonov An-990 actually exist?
The real An-225 was called "Mriya," the Dream. In a poignant and perhaps unintentional way, the An-990 carries that torch into the digital age. With the real An-225 now gone, the only place you can still experience a "Mriya" is in a simulation. The An-990 takes that concept and runs with it, creating a dream so big that it could only ever exist on a screen. It’s a fun, over-the-top tribute to the spirit of "what if" that drove the original Antonov designers.
For aviation enthusiasts, the An-990 serves as a tantalizing reminder of the technological arms race. It was a machine ahead of its time—a ghost ship built to haul tanks at the speed of sound, silenced before it ever truly took flight. Whether it was a genuine prototype or a masterful piece of disinformation intended to spook NATO analysts remains one of the enduring mysteries of the Antonov Design Bureau.
The An-990's simulated stats are designed to be "earth-shattering," making it several times larger than the real-world Antonov An-225 Mriya . Simulated Specification Real-World Comparison (An-225) 6,000 tonnes (13.2 million lbs) 640 tonnes Wingspan 870 feet (265.2 metres) Powerplant 6x custom GE-990-480 engines 6x Progress D-18T turbofans Payload Capacity 600,000 gallons of retardant ~60,000 gallons equivalent Comparison with Real Aircraft antonov an 990
The forums dedicated to the aircraft highlight the fun. Pilots discuss landing the 6,000-tonne monster on a tiny 900-meter runway, or using the VR-Mod for an immersive experience of being on the flight deck of the largest "plane" ever made. The aircraft is also available with VR-Mod support, letting you immerse yourself in the cockpit of this impossible machine.
The is a massive, fictional concept aircraft that exists strictly within flight simulation communities, most notably featured as a popular mod in X-Plane 11 and X-Plane 12 . Taking stylistic cues from real-world Antonov Company heavy-lifters, this virtual titan is designed with gargantuan proportions that defy real-world physics and structural engineering limits. The Origin and Purpose of the Virtual Behemoth
: It is powered by six custom GE-990-480 turbofan engines, each generating 480,000 lbf of thrust. : It can carry approximately 600,000 gallons Have you seen the stunning videos circulating of
The four versions of the An-990 "Juggernaut" showcase a remarkable diversity of imagination:
The flight simulator community created the An-990 with two major objectives in mind: 1. The Ultimate Global Firefighting Tanker
The aircraft is presented in four versions collectively known as the series, designed for specific fictional roles: Air-Launcher (to carry and launch other planes like the Boeing 747), Buran-Launcher , Fire-Retardant Bomber , and Water Bomber . The real An-225 was called "Mriya," the Dream
Let us answer the burning question immediately:
In programs like X-Plane 11, flying the Antonov An-990 is less about standard navigation and more about surviving an extreme physics challenge. 1. Extreme Scale Problems