Let’s clear up the myths, look at the reality of Antonov's legendary fleet in 2026, and discuss the future of heavy airlift. The Truth About the "An-990" As of April 2026, there is no real-world Antonov An-990.
The aircraft responds sluggishly to control inputs when flying slow, exhibiting immense aerodynamic inertia. antonov an 990
It can carry 600,000 gallons (2,270 tonnes) of water or fire retardant. Features in X-Plane Let’s clear up the myths, look at the
The death knell for the An-990 was not engineering, but economics. By the late 1980s, the Soviet economy was stagnating. The dissolution of the USSR in 1991 shattered the unified supply chain required to build such a machine. The Ukrainian government, inheriting Antonov, had no budget for experimental super-heavy lifters. It can carry 600,000 gallons (2,270 tonnes) of
Following the destruction of the Mriya, China reportedly expressed interest in re-manufacturing the An-225 using leftover blueprints. This aircraft, tentatively called the , would not be an An-990 but effectively an "An-225M." As of 2025, this project remains in limbo due to engine sanctions.
The Antonov An-990 represents a unique sub-genre of flight simulation content: the challenge.
To put the scale of the Antonov An-990 into perspective, it is often compared to the real-world Antonov An-225 Mriya , which was the heaviest operational aircraft ever built before its destruction. The digital An-990 dwarfs it completely: Antonov An-225 Mriya (Real) Antonov An-990 (Fictional Mod) 290 feet (88.4 meters) 870 feet (265.2 meters) Maximum Weight 640 tonnes (1.4 million lbs) 6,000 tonnes (13.2 million lbs) Primary Material Aluminum / Aviation Alloys Graphene Carbon Matrix Primary Role Strategic Oversized Cargo Ultra-Heavy Wildfire Air Tanker Scale Comparison Baseline standard for "giant" 120x heavier than a Boeing 737-100 Flight Simulation Experience and Physics