Learn how the Antonov An-225 landing gear used 32 wheels, steerable rear units and a kneeling nose to support, turn and load the giant aircraft.
The Antonov An-225 used hydraulically operated, retractable tricycle landing gear with 32 wheels: four on the nose gear and 28 across seven twin-wheel main units per side. Its many wheels distributed enormous loads, steerable rear main units reduced tyre scrub in turns, and a kneeling nose gear lowered the cargo deck for loading.
For our Aviation & Real-World Flying readers, the key distinction is that this was not a single oversized bogie. It was a network of separate shock-strut units designed to share weight, absorb landing loads and keep the enormous aircraft controllable on the ground.
How were the An-225's 32 wheels arranged?
The An-225 had two twin-wheel nose assemblies and 14 twin-wheel main-gear units, giving four nose wheels and 28 main wheels.
| Landing-gear section | Wheel layout | Primary functions |
|---|---|---|
| Nose gear | Two twin-wheel assemblies | Ground steering, forward-fuselage support and cargo-loading kneel |
| Main gear | Seven twin-wheel units on each side | Weight distribution, landing-load absorption and braking |
| Aft main units | Selected units within the main gear | Supplementary steering during tight ground turns |
Dividing the load between so many tyres reduced the force concentrated at each contact patch and spread it through multiple struts. That mattered at the An-225's exceptional operating weights, although it did not turn the aircraft into a rough-field transport.
How did the An-225 steer with so many wheels?
The nose gear provided the primary steering input, while selected rear main-gear units steered in coordination to help the aircraft follow a turn without dragging all 28 main tyres sideways.
Those aft units angled so that their wheels more closely followed the required turning arc. Without this feature, tight turns would have produced severe tyre scrub, high side loads and greater stress on the gear and pavement. The system centred the units for straight running and retraction; the pilot did not steer every bogie separately.
Rear-wheel steering made the An-225 manageable, not nimble. Crews still needed low taxi speeds, wide turns and careful taxiway planning because of the aircraft's length, wingspan and distance between the nose and main gear.
How did the An-225 kneeling landing gear work?
The kneeling system lowered the forward fuselage through the nose-gear mechanism, reducing the height and angle between the cargo deck and the apron.
With the aircraft parked and secured, the nose cargo door could be raised and the front end lowered for loading. Ramps then formed a shallower path into the hold, making it practical to move very large cargo without relying entirely on external lifting equipment. Kneeling was a dedicated ground-loading mode, not partial landing-gear retraction and never a take-off or landing configuration.
How did retraction, shock absorption and braking work?
Hydraulic actuators moved the nose and main gear into their bays, while mechanical locks secured the assemblies in the selected position.
During landing, oleo-pneumatic shock struts compressed to absorb vertical energy and limit the loads transmitted into the airframe. The main-wheel brakes used anti-skid control to prevent locked tyres, working alongside aerodynamic deceleration and engine reverse to stop the aircraft.
The An-225 applied the same basic principles as other large retractable aircraft, but repeated them across far more gear units. Our explanation of shock struts, steering, brakes and gear locks covers those underlying components in more detail.
Did 32 wheels let the An-225 use weak runways?
No: the large wheel count distributed pavement loads, but the An-225 still required a long, wide and suitably load-bearing runway, apron and taxiway system.
A common mistake is to treat wheel count as proof of soft-field capability. Tyre loading is only one constraint; total aircraft mass, pavement strength, turning loads, runway length and obstacle clearance still govern whether an airport is suitable. The figures behind those limits are covered in our guide to the An-225's weight and runway requirements.
How accurately do flight simulators reproduce the gear?
Flight-simulator models often reproduce the visible 32-wheel arrangement but simplify the underlying ground-contact and steering physics.
- Animated wheels are not necessarily physical contact points. A model may show every tyre touching the runway while the simulator calculates loads through a smaller number of points.
- Rear steering may be visual only. If the aircraft scrubs or pivots during a tight turn, use a slower, wider taxi path rather than assuming every aft unit has been physically modelled.
- Kneeling is usually a custom animation. The normal landing-gear command may not operate it; the add-on may tie it to a cargo-door control, loading panel or bespoke switch.
Our flyable FSX and Prepar3D An-225 package with animated cargo and gear features provides a useful visual demonstration, but simulator behaviour should not be treated as a full engineering model of the real hydraulic and load-sharing systems.