Antonov An-225 Mriya, by Ron Cole

The Antonov An-225 Mriya was a strategic airlift cargo aircraft designed in the 1980s by the Antonov Design Bureau. It was originally developed to transport the Soviet Space Shuttle, and only one example was ever completed. After successfully fulfilling its military missions, it was refurbished and reintroduced into commercial operation with Antonov Airlines, carrying oversized payloads.

With a maximum takeoff weight of 640 tons the An-225 held several records, including heaviest aircraft ever built and largest wingspan of any aircraft in operational service. The Mriya attracted a high degree of public interest, attaining a global following due to its size and its uniqueness. People frequently visited airports to see its scheduled arrivals and departures.

The An-225 was destroyed in the Battle of Antonov Airport during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

In this composition, Ron Cole has depicted the An-225 reconstructed and flying again in a future context. A damaged cityscape of Ukraine stands in the lower right while a futuristic new city is being built in the lower left at the end of a faint rainbow behind the climbing aircraft. 

All sizes, papers, canvas, framed and unframed, are signed and numbered.