The Antonov An-990 "Juggernaut" is a fictional, ultra-heavy aircraft designed exclusively for flight simulation environments like X-Plane. While it does not exist in the real world, it represents an extreme conceptual evolution of heavy-lift aviation, dwarfing even the legendary (and real) Antonov An-225 Mriya. The "Juggernaut" Series: Variants
The An-990 is typically presented as a "Graphene" series of four specialized versions, each designed for high-intensity simulation challenges:
Air-Launcher: Capable of carrying and mid-air launching entire aircraft, such as a Boeing 747-400.
Buran-Launcher: Designed to launch the Buran Space Shuttle as a missile, featuring a 12-minute controlled flight mode.
Fire-Retardant Bomber: A specialized tanker variant carrying up to 600,000 gallons of fire retardant to combat massive wildfires.
Water Bomber: Features a "water-scooping" mechanism to refill its 600,000-gallon tanks during flight. Theoretical Performance Specifications
In the simulation, the An-990 operates at a scale far beyond any current real-world engineering capability: Max Weight: 13.2 million lbs (6,000 tonnes).
Propulsion: Six custom GE-990-480 turbofan engines, each producing 480,000 lbf of thrust.
Take-Off Speed: Rotates at approximately 145+ knots (KIAS) with Flaps 3 or 4.
Cruising Altitude: Reaches a ceiling of 32,100 ft even at maximum load.
Defensive Systems: Equipped with flares and chaff for self-defense simulations. Simulation vs. Reality antonov an 990
It is important to note that the An-990 is not a real-world aircraft. While Antonov is a real manufacturer known for massive planes like the An-124 and the late An-225, the An-990 is a "what-if" project created by the flight sim community (notably developers like hangglider and MGouge) to test the limits of physics engines.
In real aviation history, the largest aircraft produced by Antonov was the An-225 Mriya, which had a maximum takeoff weight of about 640 tonnes—roughly one-tenth the weight of the fictional An-990.
The Antonov An-990 "Juggernaut" is a colossally-sized fictional aircraft created specifically for the X-Plane 11 flight simulator. Designed by flight-sim developer "hangglider," it is imagined as a "Graphene-constructed" ultra-giant capable of performing tasks that are physically impossible for real-world aircraft. Performance Specifications
The An-990 is designed to dwarf even the largest real-world aircraft, such as the Antonov An-225. Feature Specification Max Takeoff Weight 6,000 Tonnes (13.2 million lbs) Wingspan 870 feet (265.2 meters) Powerplant 6× Custom GE-990-480 Turbofans Engine Thrust 480,000 lbf (2135 kN) per engine Cargo/Liquid Capacity 600,000 Gallons (5 million lbs) Operational Guide for Flight Simulators
Operating the "Juggernaut" requires specialized techniques due to its extreme mass and cockpit height. Take-Off Procedures: Set Flaps to 3 or 4. Rotate at 145+ KIAS (knots indicated airspeed).
The aircraft is capable of taking off from water even at its full 6,000-tonne weight. Landing Procedures:
Runway Requirements: Requires at least 10,000 feet of runway with 500 feet of side clearance due to its massive wingspan.
Approach: Maintain a long approach at 165 KIAS with Flaps 3. Touchdown: Aim for 163 KIAS.
Visual Correction: Pilots must account for the extreme cockpit height above the runway to avoid "landing short".
Stopping: Use a combination of regular brakes, speedbrakes, and thrust reversers to stop within standard large-scale runways. Available Variants The Antonov An-990 "Juggernaut" is a fictional, ultra-heavy
The An-990 series for X-Plane includes four specialized versions:
Air-Launcher (Graphene): Designed to carry and launch other aircraft, such as a Boeing 747, mid-flight.
Buran-Launcher: Specialized for carrying and launching the Soviet Buran space shuttle.
Fire-Retardant Bomber: Equipped with a 600,000-gallon tank for massive aerial firefighting.
Water Bomber: Features water-scooping capabilities to refill its tanks from open water.
You can download the An-990 mod and find detailed community discussions on the X-Plane.Org Forums.
The Antonov design bureau’s numbering typically follows the An-2, An-24, An-124, An-225 sequence. The largest operational Antonov is the An-225 Mriya (only one unit, destroyed in 2022). The next in line, the An-124 Ruslan, remains in service. There is no credible project or prototype labeled An-990.
If this was a hypothetical or satirical request, here is a mock review of a “Antonov An-990” as an imagined ultra-heavy transport:
If you’d like, I can:
The Antonov An-990 is a fascinating, albeit phantom, entry in the annals of aviation history. It represents a "what might have been"—a conceptual leap in Soviet heavy-lift cargo design that never quite materialized into flying steel. Legacy and relevance
Because the An-990 was a project that never progressed past the design/concept stage, a deep text on the subject requires exploring the context of its conception, its intended technological breakthroughs, and the reasons for its cancellation.
Here is a deep dive into the Antonov An-990 project.
Short, evocative, and practical: the Antonov An-990 lives as an emblem of ambition in heavy-lift aviation—bold in idea, constrained by cost and infrastructure in reality.
The Antonov An-990 is a purely fictional aircraft created solely as a mod for flight simulation games like X-Plane. No real-world plane has ever been built with these specifications.
The concept behind the An-990 community creation is outlined below: 🎮 The Flight Simulator Concept Role: Massive water bomber. Purpose: Fighting extreme global wildfires. Origin: Custom community mod for X-Plane. Material: Fictionalized "graphene" construction. ⚖️ Mind-Boggling Specifications Max Weight: 6,000 tonnes (13.2 million lbs). Wingspan: 870 feet (265.2 meters). Capacity: 600,000 gallons of fire retardant.
Scale: 3 times larger than the real-world Antonov An-225 Mriya. ✈️ Real-World Context
The actual Ukrainian manufacturer Antonov is famous for building some of the largest real planes in history. However, the An-990 is physically impossible to construct or fly with current modern technology and is strictly intended for simulator amusement.
While the An-990 is a myth, Antonov did study aircraft that would have carried a "900-series" logic. After the success of the An-225, the OKB (Experimental Design Bureau) drafted two major upgrades:
The Antonov An-990 is a concept for a large, long-range, high-capacity transport aircraft that never reached production but occupies an evocative corner of aviation imagination. Below is a compact, vivid portrait to help you picture its scale, purpose, and why it matters to aircraft enthusiasts and transport planners.
Following the destruction of the Mriya, China reportedly expressed interest in re-manufacturing the An-225 using leftover blueprints. This aircraft, tentatively called the CH-225, would not be an An-990 but effectively an "An-225M." As of 2025, this project remains in limbo due to engine sanctions.
During the Cold War, the Antonov Design Bureau (now Antonov ASTC) in Kyiv, Ukraine, did explore concepts beyond the An-225. Declassified documents from the late 1980s reference studies for a "super-heavy transport" to support the Soviet Energia-Buran space program and oversize cargo for Siberian development. However, those concepts were designated An-218 (a wide-body airliner) and An-325 (a modified An-225 with extra engines).
There is no archival evidence of an "An-990." The number "990" does not fit the Soviet GURT indexing system. So where did the myth begin?
