Antonov An-225 Mriya (UR-82060)

Just lifting off runway 36 Center at Charlotte, North Carolina USA. Open in "full" and count the wheels...23 ...24... Nothing Photoshopped to make extra engines or alterations, this is the real thing. It was extremely popular with the airport personnel, everyone crowded out to get a glimpse of the big plane roar down the runway for takeoff. It seemed to rotate at about the same place as bigger Airbus's and Boeings. The climb out was strong and it went out of sight fairly quickly. The six engines made a slight trail of dark smoke, not as clean running as our Pratts, Rolls and GE engines. This photo was taken at sunset, 4 October 2010.