Antonov An-124 Ruslan ASCC codename: Condor Heavy Transport

Deskripsi:
Sebelum adanya An-225, Antonov An-124 adalah pesawat terbesar di dunia, mengalahkan C-5 Galaxy. An-124 dibuat berdasarkan pengalaman dalam pembuatan turboprop raksasa An-22 dengan beberapa pengembangan yang membuat An-124 lebih efektif.

An-124 dilengkapi dengan sebuah hidung tergantung-menghadap atas dan sebuah lerengan untuk kemampuan roll-on roll-off loading (pengangkutan). Sebagai tambahan, dua set roda hidung yang dapat direndahkan untuk merendahkan hidung dan memudahkan pengangkutan kargo. Desain An-124 mempunyai full-span leading-edge slats pada sayapnya yang memungkinkan kemampuan take-off jarak pendek. Roda pendaratannya mempunyai 24 roda sehingga An-124 dapat beroperasi pada medan yang berat. Kompartemen besar untuk 88 penumpang sebagai tambahan pada dek kargo utama 118 ft x 21 ft x 14.5 ft, dengan total volume 44.725ft³.

An-124 pertama kali beroperasi untuk Aeroflot yang digunakan sebagai pesawat kargo besar. Sejumlah An-124 digunakan oleh militer Rusia untuk misi transpor strategis. Total 54 An-124 dibuat dari 1984 sampai 1997. Pada tahun 2000, 26 beroperasi untuk AU Rusia, 21 beroperasi untuk maskapai penerbangan sipil dan 5 hilang pada kecelakaan. Keterbatasan dana membuat produksi untuk militer dihentikan dan untuk komersial tetap berjalan, 3 pesawat tiap tahun hingga 2003. Walaupun pembuatannya telah dihentikan, tetapi Rusia dan Ukraina setuju untuk memulai kembali produksi pada semester kedua tahun 2008 jika jumlah pesanan memenuhi target.

HISTORY:
First Flight: 26 December 1982
Service Entry: 1987

CREW: six: pilot, co-pilot, navigator, communication operator, engineer, electrical engineer
military models also carry a loadmaster; up to twelve cargo handlers and a second primary crew for long flights may also be carried

PASSENGERS: 88

ESTIMATED COST: $150 to $160 million [2008$]

AIRFOIL SECTIONS:
Wing Root: unknown supercritical
Wing Tip: unknown supercritical

DIMENSIONS:
Length: 226.46 ft (69.10 m)
Wingspan: 240.48 ft (73.30 m)
Height: 69.10 ft (21.08 m)
Wing Area: 6,760 ft^² (628.0 m^²)
Canard Area: not applicable

WEIGHTS:
Empty: 385,810 lb (175,000 kg)
Normal Takeoff: 864,210 lb (392,000 kg)
Max Takeoff: 892,870 lb (405,000 kg)
Fuel Capacity: (An-124) 471,215 lb (213,740 kg); (An-124-100) 468,150 lb (212,350 kg)
Max Payload: 330,695 lb (150,000 kg)

PROPULSION:
Powerplant: four Loratev D-18T turbofans
Thrust: 206,360 lb (918.0 kN)

PERFORMANCE:
Max Level Speed: at altitude: 530 mph (850 km/h) at 25,000 ft (7,620 m), Mach 0.77; at sea level: unknown
cruise speed: 465 mph (750 km/h)
Initial Climb Rate: unknown
Service Ceiling: 39,335 ft (12,000 m)
Range: 2,430 nm (4,500 km) with 330,695 lb (150,000 kg) payload; 6,480 nm (12,000 km) with 88,185 lb (40,000 kg) payload
ferry: 8,690 nm (16,090 km)
Endurance: 20 hr
g-Limits: unknown

ARMAMENT: none

KNOWN VARIANTS:
An-124: Military transport model
An-124A: Proposed military version that would have used six sets of tandem wheels on the main gear instead of five to permit operations from rougher airfields
An-124-100: Civil version modified for compatability with cargo loading infrastructure at commercial airports
An-124-100M: Improved model equipped with uprated D-18 Series 3 engines allowing greater range and shorter takeoff distance, also fitted with more advanced Western avionics allowing crew size to be reduced from 6 to 4 by eliminating the communication operator and engineer
An-124-100V: An-124-100 aircraft modified with noise-reduction covers on the engine nacelles to meet noise pollution standards
An-124-100MV: Model incorporating the improvements of both the An-124-100M and An-124-100V versions
An-124-100M-150: Upgrade for An-124-100M models to increase payload and maximum takeoff weight, extend flight hours from the original 7,500 to 24,000 (and ultimately 40,000), and replace outdated equipment
An-124-102: Proposed model with a three-crew cockpit
An-124-130: Proposed model, details unknown
An-124-200:Proposed upgrade to add General Electric CF6-80C2 turbofan engines to the An-124-100M
An-124-210: Similar to the An-124-100M but to be equipped with Rolls-Royce RB211-52H-T engines as well as new avionics
An-124AK: Proposed launch platform for the Shtil-3A ballistic missile used for launching satellites into orbit, the missile would be carried in the main cargo hold to an altitude of 36,090 ft (11,000 m) and deployed through the aft cargo doors using a parachute before its motor ignited
An-124FFR: Proposed firefighting model capable of carrying over 440,000 lb (200,000 kg) of water or fire retardant

KNOWN OPERATORS:
Civil:
Aeroflot
Air Foyle
AJAX
Antonov Airlines
Antonov AirTrack
Atlant Soyuz Airlines
HeavyLift Cargo Airlines
Libyan Arab Air Cargo
Maximus Air Cargo
Russian State Transport Company
Titan Cargo
Transaero Airlines
TransCharter Titan Cargo
Volga-Dnepr Airlines
Polet Airlines
Rossiya

Military:
Russia, Voyenno Vozdushniye Sili (Russian Air Force)
Ukraine, Viys'kovo-Povitriani Syly Ukrayiny (Ukraine Military Air Forces)
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Voyenno Vozdushniye Sili (Soviet Air Force)

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