Antonov An-124
| An-124 Ruslan | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Volga-Dnepr An-124-100 | |
| Type | Transport aircraft |
| Manufacturers | Antonov Aviastar-SP |
| Designed by | Antonov OKB |
| Maiden flight | 1982 |
| Introduced | 1986 |
| Primary users | Russian Air Force (25) Volga-Dnepr (10) Antonov Airlines (7) Polet Airlines (6) |
| Number built | 56 |
| Unit cost | ~US$150-200 million |
| Variants | An-225 Mriya |
The Antonov An-124 Ruslan (NATO reporting name: Condor) was the largest aircraft ever mass produced until production of the Airbus A380 started, and was, until the advent of the An-225 Mriya, the largest aircraft in production. During development it was known as the An-400 and An-40 in the West, and it flew for the first time in 1982. Over forty are currently in service (26 civilian models with airlines and 10 firm orders at August 2006)[1] in Russia, Ukraine, UAE and Libya.
Physically, the An-124 is similar to the American Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, but it has a 25% larger payload. An-124s have been used to carry locomotives, yachts, aircraft fuselages, and a variety of other oversized cargoes. The An-124 is able to kneel to allow easier front loading. Up to 150 tonnes of cargo can be carried in a military An-124: it can also carry 88 passengers in an upper deck behind the cockpit. However, due to limited pressurization in the fuselage, it seldom carries paratroopers.[2]
The An-124 was manufactured in parallel by two plants: the Russian company Aviastar-SP (ex. Ulyanovsk Aviation Industrial Complex) and by the Kyiv Aviation Plant AVIANT, in Ukraine. Series production ceased with the break up of the Soviet Union. The last five unfinished airframes left from the Soviet times were completed in 2001 (1), 2002 (1), and 2004 (3). While currently no An-124 are being produced - there are joint effort of Russia and Ukraine to resume series production in 2008-2009.[3]
Since the type was initially designed for only occasional military use, original An-124s were built with a projected service life of 7,500 flight hours with possibility for extension. However many airframes have flown more than 15,000 flight hours. In response to complaints by commercial users, aircraft built after 2000 (the An-124-100) have an improved service life of 24,000 hours, older airframes are being upgraded to this standard. The works on its extension up to 40,000 flight hours are being performed. The state enterprise Kyiv Aviation Plant AVIANT (Kiev, Ukraine) offers upgrades to the АN-124-100М-150 version.
Service
Germany led the recent effort to lease An-124s for NATO strategic airlift requirements. Two aircraft are leased from SALIS GmbH as a stopgap until the Airbus A400M is available.[4]
Russian cargo company Volga-Dnepr has contracts with Boeing to ship outsize aircraft components to their Everett plant. The An-124 is used for airlifting (in fully assembled form) the massive General Electric GE90 turbofan engines used in the Boeing 777 airliner.
Airbus Transport International has selected another Russian cargo company, Polet Airlines as 'designated carrier' to the company. Polet expects its three An-124-100s will transport astronautic equipment manufactured by EADS, which owns 80 percent of Airbus and full-size components of a model of the Airbus A380 superjumbo.[5] As the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 is the only A380 engine that can be transported whole in a Boeing 747F[6], the competing Engine Alliance GP7200 needs a larger aircraft, like the An-124, if it is to be shipped in one piece.
Significant activities
- On May 1987, an An-124 set a world record, covering the distance of km ( nmi) without refuelling. The flight took 25 hours and 30 minutes; the takeoff weight was 455,000 kg. The previous record was held by B-52H (18,245 km).
- In July 1985, an An-124 took 171,219 kg of cargo to an altitude of 10,750 m.
- An An-124 was used to transport the Obelisk of Axum back to its native homeland of Ethiopia in April 2005. The shipment was done in three trips, each carrying a third of the monument's 160 tons and 24-metre (78 ft) length. Modifications were done to the airstrip at Axum in order to accommodate such a large aircraft.
- An An-124 was used to transport an EP-3E Aries II electronic intelligence aircraft from Hainan Island, China on July 4, 2001 during the U.S.-China spy plane incident.
- A 109-tonne train locomotive was transported by an An-124 from Canada to Ireland in June 1994.[7]
- A Volga-Dnepr An-124 delivered a whale from Nice (France) to Japan; another flight was to deliver an elephant from Moscow to Taiwan.[8]
- On September 9, 2003, an Antonov An-124 carried an 85-ton vessel head to Harrisburg International Airport in Pennsylvania, for use at the nearby Three Mile Island Unit One nuclear power plant.
- The Air Launch Aerospace Corporation (ALAC) in Russia will develop a space transportation system for near-earth orbit using a space launch vehicle ejected from the AN-124-100AL aircraft.
Safety record
As of 2005 there have been four major crashes of An-124s, with a total of 50 fatalities, taking place between 1992 and 1997:
- CCCP-82002, operated by Antonov Airlines crashed near Kiev, Ukraine on October 13 1992 during flight testing. 8 fatalities
- RA-82071, Operated by Aviastar Airlines crashed into a mountain at 11,000' while in a holding pattern at Kerman, Iran on November 15 1993. 17 fatalities.
- RA-82069, owned by Aeroflot but operated by Ajax, crashed at Turin, Italy, during a go-around on October 8 1996. 2 fatalities.
- RA-82005, operated by the Russian Air Force, crashed after take-off in Irkutsk, Russia, on December 5 1997. 23 fatalities.[9]
Minor incidents of An-124s include:
- UR-82029, owned by Antonov Airlines overran the runway at Windsor, Ontario while landing at night and in snow on December 18 2000. It stopped feet ( m) beyond the runway after landing some feet ( m) beyond the threshold of runway 25, which is feet ( m) long. None of the 20 crew was injured, and the plane suffered minor damage.[10]
Operators
Military
Civil
In August 2006 a total of 26 Antonov An-124 aircraft remain in airline service, with a further 10 firm orders. It is currently operated by:
| Airline | In Service | On Order |
|---|---|---|
 Volga-Dnepr |
10 | 5 |
 Antonov Design Bureau |
7 | 0 |
| Polet Airlines |
6 | 5 |
 Libyan Arab Air Cargo[1] |
2 | 0 |
| Kyiv
Aviation Plant AVIANT (Operated for the UAE government) |
1 | 0 |
Former Operators
- Aeroflot Russian International Airlines
- Aeroflot Soviet Airlines
- Air Foyle (in partnership with Antonov Design Bureau)
- Antonov AirTrack
- Ayaks (Ajax)
- HeavyLift Cargo Airlines (in partnership with Volga-Dnepr Airlines)
- Russia State Transport Company
- Titan Cargo
- Transaero Airlines
- TransCharter Titan Cargo
Flight Range
An-124-100
- 0 tons of cargo = km ( nmi) [11]
- 10 tons of cargo = km ( nmi)
- 20 tons of cargo = km ( nmi)
- 30 tons of cargo = km ( nmi)
- 40 tons of cargo = km ( nmi)
- 72 tons of cargo = km ( nmi)
- 90 tons of cargo = km ( nmi)
- 97 tons of cargo = km ( nmi)
- 104 tons of cargo = km ( nmi)
- 108 tons of cargo = km ( nmi)
- 120 tons of cargo = km ( nmi)
- 122 tons of cargo = km ( nmi)
АN-124-100М-150
- 92 tons of cargo = km ( nmi)
- 113 tons of cargo = km ( nmi)
- 120 tons of cargo = km ( nmi)
- 122 tons of cargo = km ( nmi)
Flight range comparison with other aircraft
- Airbus A380F has a flight range of km ( nmi) with metric tonnes ( S/T/ L/T) of cargo.
- C-5 Galaxy has a flight range of km ( nmi) with metric tonnes ( S/T/ L/T) of cargo. An-124 has 32% longer range.
- Boeing 747-400 has a range of km ( nmi) with metric tonnes ( S/T/ L/T) of cargo, 39% more than An-124 and 79% more than the C-5 Galaxy.
- Il-96-400T has a range of km ( nmi) with metric tonnes ( S/T/ L/T) of cargo. An-124 has 56% more range. However with metric tonnes ( S/T/ L/T) of cargo both An-124 and Il-96-400T have the same range: km ( nmi).
Specifications
Data from antonov.com[12]
General characteristics
- Crew: 6
- Capacity: 88 passengers
- Payload: 150,000 kg (330,000 lb)
- Length: 68.96 m (226 ft 3 in)
- Wingspan: 73.3 m (240 ft 5 in)
- Height: 20.78 m (68 ft 2 in)
- Wing area: 628 m² (6,760 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 175,000 kg (385,000 lb)
- Loaded weight: 229,000 kg (505,000 lb)
- Useful load: 230,000 kg (508,000 lb)
- Max takeoff weight: 405,000 kg (893,000 lb)
- Powerplant: 4× Lotarev D-18 turbofans, 230 kN (51,600 lbf) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 865 km/h ( kt ( mph))
- Cruise speed: 800 km/h ( kt ( mph))
- Range: 5,400 km (2,900 nm, mi ( km))
- Service ceiling: 12,000 m (35,000 ft)
- Rate of climb: ft/min (m/s)
- Wing loading: 365 kg/m² (74.7 lb/sq ft)
- Thrust/weight: 0.41
References
- ^ a b Flight International, 3-9 October 2006
- ^ Phillips, CPT W. Scott (1999-08-31). Fixed-Wing Aircraft. Federation of American Scientists Military Analysis Network.
- ^ "Antonov plan to resume An-124-100 production", podrobnosti.ua, 2006-07-19. Retrieved on 2007-01-21. (Russian)
- ^ "Strategic airlift agreement enters into force", NATO Update, 2006-03-23.
- ^ "Airbus Taps Russian Carrier", Kommersant, 2005-11-25.
- ^ Trent 900. Rolls Royce: Civil Aerospace.
- ^ "The first flying train in history", The HeavyLift Group, 2001-09-03.
- ^ press release 14-10-2004. Volga-Dnepr Group (2004-10-14).
- ^ Aviation Safety Network
- ^ Transportation Safety Board of Canada Incident Report
- ^ www.voldn.ru
- ^ www.antonov.com. Official Antonov website.
External links
14. www.airlaunch.ru
Related content
 Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
|
Related development
Comparable aircraft
Designation sequence
Related lists
- List of cargo aircraft
- List of civil aircraft of the Soviet Union and the CIS
See also
| Antonov aircraft | |
|---|---|
| Airliners | |
| Transports | |
| Reconnaissance/Surveillance | |
| Experimental |
A-40 · SKV |
| ? |
An-204 |
| Giant aircraft | |
|---|---|
| Production |
Airbus A380 · Antonov An-124 Ruslan · Antonov An-225 Mriya · Boeing 747 (SP/-400/LCF) · Lockheed C-5 Galaxy |
| Proposed | |
| Concepts/prototypes | |
| Lists relating to aviation | |
|---|---|
| General | Timeline of aviation · Aircraft · Aircraft manufacturers · Aircraft engines · Aircraft engine manufacturers · Airports · Airlines |
| Military | Air forces · Aircraft weapons · Missiles · Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) · Experimental aircraft |
| Notable incidents & accidents | Military aviation · Airliners · General aviation · Famous aviation-related deaths |
| Records | Flight airspeed record · Flight distance record · Flight altitude record · Flight endurance record · Most produced aircraft |
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
