Antonov AN-124
- Payload 120000 kg/264554-330693 pounds
The AN-124 transport plane is one of the largest aircraft in the world, specifically designed for transporting heavy or bulky cargo. This aircraft has an ultra-high cargo capacity, equipped with drive loading ramps and various built-in cargo handling equipment, making it a high-quality choice for your cargo charter flight
About AN-124
- The design work for the AN-124 transport aircraft began in 1971, and the production facilities for the aircraft began construction in 1973
- The first AN-124 transport aircraft completed its maiden flight in December 1982 and made its debut at the Paris Air Show in 1985
- The AN-124 transport aircraft (nicknamed "Ruslan" and NATO codename "Bald Eagle") has been put into service with the Russian military, mainly used for military transportation
- Since this aircraft was put into service in 1986, 55 AN-124 transport planes have been produced; There are currently 26 civilian models in operation
- This aircraft has multiple improved models, such as An-124-100 and An-124-100M-150
The AN-124 transport aircraft is one of the largest civilian cargo planes in the world. In order to enable the AN-124 transport aircraft to carry over 150000 kilograms (depending on different models) of ultra heavy and oversized cargo within its maximum range, this aircraft has been specially designed to optimize its properties
Even multi strut landing gear is specifically designed to handle extremely heavy loads. The landing gear is equipped with 24 wheels, which can self orient and includes a kneeling design that allows the aircraft to adjust ground clearance and angle to assist in loading and unloading self-propelled equipment
The new An-124-100M-150 (developed by Aviastar Airlines) increases the aircraft's payload from 120000 kilograms to 150000 kilograms, takeoff weight from 392000 kilograms to 402000 kilograms, and range for carrying 120000 kilograms from 4650 kilometers to 5400 kilometers
Internal Design
The AN-124 transport aircraft is divided into a double-layer layout, with the cockpit, standby personnel cabin, and 88 seat passenger cabin located on the upper level, and the cargo hold located on the lower level. The cockpit can accommodate six crew members: the pilot and co pilot, two flight engineers, navigator, and communicator
For the AN-124 prototype, the pressurized cargo hold is 36.5 meters (119.75 feet) long, 6.4 meters (21 feet) wide, 4.4 meters (14.43 feet) high, and has a maximum capacity of 1040 cubic meters
For the convenience of cargo loading and unloading, the AN-124 transport aircraft is designed with two huge hatches. The entire nose of the aircraft can be lifted upwards and the front cargo hold hatch can be opened. There is a larger cargo hold hatch at the rear of the fuselage, both of which are equipped with extendable loading ramps
In order to load non-standard cargo, the cargo hold is equipped with two electric winches with a towing capacity of 3 tons and four electric cranes with a universal loading capacity of up to 30 tons< b> The AN-124 transport aircraft can load and unload cargo without ground support facilities and can help speed up operations. The onboard system of the cargo loading and unloading equipment consists of two mobile cranes, two winches, rolling floors, and securing equipment
Technical Features
The avionics system of the new An-124-100 transport aircraft adopts a quadruple redundancy design, including an integrated flight control and navigation system, communication facilities, airdrop equipment, and cargo handling equipment. 34 computers cover four main system areas: navigation, autonomous driving remote control, and monitoring
The integrated flight control and navigation system includes autonomous navigation system, altitude and speed indication system, short-range radio navigation and landing system, global positioning system, automatic radio compass, integrated flight control system, ground surveillance radar, forward-looking weather radar, optical aiming equipment and electro-optical aiming equipment, as well as identification friend or foe (IFF) equipment
The standard communication facilities include aviation communication radio, high-frequency radio transceiver equipment, very high frequency/ultra-high frequency radio transceiver equipment, walkie talkies, voice alarms, and file systems
Development History
The design work for the AN-124 transport aircraft began in 1971, and the production facilities for the aircraft began construction in 1973. The production of the first aircraft began in 1979, carried out simultaneously by two factories: Aviastar Airlines (Ulyanovsk Aviation Industrial Complex) and Antonov Design Bureau Kiev Factory (Ukraine). More than 100 factories are also involved in the production of various systems and components. The first An-124 transport aircraft completed its maiden flight in December 1982 and made its debut at the Paris Air Show in 1985
By improving the engine to meet the noise regulations in Chapter 4 and enhancing the service life through structural improvements, the operation of aviation electronic equipment and systems has been reduced from six or seven people at the beginning of the 21st century to four people. In May 2008, the An-124-100M-150 transport aircraft was officially unveiled. It is an enhanced version of the An-124-100 transport aircraft (with a payload of 120000 kilograms) and can withstand a payload of 150000 kilograms
Fun Stories
- The pilot claimed that the AN-124 transport aircraft appears to be large in size, but its control devices are very lightweight and can be easily operated
- In the early stages of its service, the AN-124 transport aircraft added a lot of points to the Soviet Union during the Cold War, setting 30 world records, including the largest commercial air transport volume in history, the largest aircraft, and the largest payload lifted to the highest altitude
- In April 2005, an AN-124 transport plane was used to transport the Aksum Obelisk from Rome back to its homeland Ethiopia
Manufacturer
The history of Antonov Airlines can be traced back to 1946, when Oleg Antonov established the Oleg Konstantinovich Antonov Design Bureau No. 153 (OKB-153) in Novosibirsk. Five years later, the Antonov Design Bureau moved from Novosibirsk to Kiev, and the popular An-12 turboprop military transport plane was born in Kiev in 1957, which later won the Soviet Union's Lenin Prize
In 1959, the Antonov Design Bureau began building flight testing and improvement facilities at the Gostomil Airport in the suburbs of Kiev, which was eventually named "Antonov Airport". In 1960, the Antonov Design Bureau began developing the world's first wide body aircraft, the An-22 "Antai" transport plane, which made its debut at the 1965 Paris Air Show
In 1971, the Antonov Design Bureau developed one of the world's largest aircraft - the AN-124 transport plane. The prototype was built in Kiev, Tashkent, and Ulyanovsk, and 11 years later, the AN-124 transport aircraft completed its first flight on December 26, 1982
After the death of Oleg Antonov in 1984, Piotr Vasilyevich Balabuev was appointed as the chief designer. Barabyev and his team designed a transport plane capable of carrying the Soviet Union's Bran Space Shuttle in just four years - the AN-225 "Miria (Dreamy)" transport plane. The AN-225 transport aircraft, which is one of the heaviest planes ever manufactured and only produced globally, completed its first flight on December 21, 1988. Subsequently, it completed a series of flights and made its debut at the Paris Air Show in June 1989
According to new reports, AN-225 was damaged during the Russo Ukrainian War in March 2022
After Ukraine's independence in 1991, the Antonov Design Bureau was still classified as a state-owned company. Now known as Antonov State Owned Enterprise, the company's headquarters and main industrial facilities are located in Kiev. On May 12, 2015, the company was transferred from the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade to the Ukrainian Defense Industry Group (Ukroboronprom). One year later, the Ukrainian Defense Industry Group announced the establishment of the Ukrainian Aircraft Corporation within its structure to integrate all aircraft manufacturing enterprises in Ukraine
Cost
The production cost of an AN-124 transport aircraft is approximately $50 million to $90 million
Charter rates
The charter rate for AN-124transport aircraft may vary significantly depending on the length of your planned flight and the airport you decide to take off and land from
If you believe that the AN-124 transport aircraft can meet your cargo charter needs, please contact us and we will arrange the charter for you
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