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The Antonov An-124 Ruslan (; russian: Антонов Ан-124 Руслан, , Ruslan; NATO reporting name: Condor) is a large,
strategic airlift An airlift is the organized delivery of supplies or personnel primarily via military transport aircraft. Airlifting consists of two distinct types: strategic and tactical. Typically, strategic airlifting involves moving material long distance ...
, four-engined aircraft that was designed in the 1980s by the
Antonov Antonov State Enterprise ( uk, Державне підприємство «Антонов»), formerly the Aeronautical Scientific-Technical Complex named after Antonov (Antonov ASTC) ( uk, Авіаційний науково-технічни� ...
design bureau in the
Ukrainian SSR The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic ( uk, Украї́нська Радя́нська Соціалісти́чна Респу́бліка, ; russian: Украи́нская Сове́тская Социалисти́ческая Респ ...
, then part of the Soviet Union (USSR). The An-124 is the world's 2nd heaviest gross weight production cargo airplane and heaviest operating
cargo aircraft A cargo aircraft (also known as freight aircraft, freighter, airlifter or cargo jet) is a fixed-wing aircraft that is designed or converted for the carriage of cargo rather than passengers. Such aircraft usually do not incorporate passenger a ...
, behind the destroyed one-off
Antonov An-225 Mriya The Antonov An-225 Mriya ( uk, Антонов Ан-225 Мрія, lit=dream' or 'inspiration; NATO reporting name: Cossack) was a strategic airlift cargo aircraft designed and produced by the Antonov Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. It was o ...
(a greatly enlarged design based on the An-124) and the
Boeing 747-8 The Boeing 747-8 is a wide-body airliner formerly developed by Boeing Commercial Airplanes, and the largest variant of the 747. After introducing the 747-400, Boeing considered larger 747 versions as alternatives to the proposed double-deck ...
. The An-124 remains the largest military transport aircraft in service. In 1971, design work commenced on the project, which was initially referred to as ''Izdeliye 400'' (''Product #400''), at the
Antonov Design Bureau Antonov State Enterprise ( uk, Державне підприємство «Антонов»), formerly the Aeronautical Scientific-Technical Complex named after Antonov (Antonov ASTC) ( uk, Авіаційний науково-технічни� ...
in response to a shortage in heavy airlift capability within the Military Transport Aviation Command (''Komandovaniye voyenno-transportnoy aviatsii'' or VTA) arm of the Soviet Air Forces. Two separate final assembly lines plants setup for the arcraft, one at
Aviastar-SP CJSC Aviastar- SP (russian: «Авиастар-СП») is a Russian aircraft factory based in Ulyanovsk and founded in 1976. It is a closed shares joint stock company. It replaced the Soviet Ulyanovsk Aviation Industrial Complex and manufactures ...
(ex. Ulyanovsk Aviation Industrial Complex) in Ulyanovsk,
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eight ...
and the other was the
Kyiv Aviation Plant AVIANT The Antonov Serial Production Plant ( uk, italic=yes, Серійний завод «Антонов»), formerly AVIANT ( uk, АВІАНТ), is an aircraft manufacturing company in Kyiv, Ukraine, the serial manufacturing division of the Antonov. ...
, in Ukraine. Assembly of the first aircraft begun in 1979; the An-124 (which was sometimes referred to as the ''An-40'' in
the West West is a cardinal direction or compass point. West or The West may also refer to: Geography and locations Global context * The Western world * Western culture and Western civilization in general * The Western Bloc, countries allied with NAT ...
) performed its maiden flight on 24 December 1982. The type made its first appearance in the Western world at the 1985 Paris Air Show. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, commercial operations were quickly pursued for he An-124, leading to civil certification being obtained by Antonov on 30 December 1992. Various commercial operators opted to purchase the type, often acquiring refurbished ex-military airlifters or stored fuselages rather than new-build aircraft. By July 2013, 26 An-124s were reportedly in commercial service while a further ten airlifters were on order."World Airliner Census". Flight International, 16–22 August 2013. During 2008, it was announced that Russia and Ukraine were to jointly resume production of the type. At one point, it looked as if Russia would order 20 new-build airlifters. However, in August 2014, it was reported that the planned resumption of manufacturing had been shelved due to the ongoing political tensions between Russia and Ukraine. The sole remaining production facility is Russia's Aviastar-SP in Ulyanovsk. The various operators of the An-124 are in discussions with respect to the continuing airworthiness certification of the individual An-124 planes. The original designer of the An-124 is responsible for managing the certification process for its own products, but the Russia-Ukraine conflicts are making this process difficult to manage. In 2019, there were 26 An-124s in commercial service.


Development


Background

During the 1970s, the Military Transport Aviation Command (''Komandovaniye voyenno-transportnoy aviatsii'' or VTA) arm of the Soviet Air Forces had a shortfall in strategic heavy airlift capacity. Its largest aircraft consisted of about 50
Antonov An-22 The Antonov An-22 "Antei" (, ''An-22 Antej''; English ''Antaeus'') (NATO reporting name "Cock") is a heavy military transport aircraft designed by the Antonov Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. Powered by four turboprop engines each driving a pa ...
turboprops, which were used heavily for tactical roles. A declassified 1975 CIA analysis concluded that the USSR did "...not match the US in ability to provide long-range heavy lift support." Soviet officials sought not only additional airlifters, a substantial increase in payload capacity was also desirable so that the same task could be completed with fewer trips. In 1971, design work on the project commenced at the
Antonov Design Bureau Antonov State Enterprise ( uk, Державне підприємство «Антонов»), formerly the Aeronautical Scientific-Technical Complex named after Antonov (Antonov ASTC) ( uk, Авіаційний науково-технічни� ...
; the lead designer of the An-124 (and the enlarged
An-225 The Antonov An-225 Mriya ( uk, Антонов Ан-225 Мрія, lit=dream' or 'inspiration; NATO reporting name: Cossack) was a strategic airlift cargo aircraft designed and produced by the Antonov Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. It was or ...
derivative) was Viktor Tolmachev. During development, it was known as ''Izdeliye 400'' (''Product #400'') in house, and ''An-40'' in
the West West is a cardinal direction or compass point. West or The West may also refer to: Geography and locations Global context * The Western world * Western culture and Western civilization in general * The Western Bloc, countries allied with NAT ...
. The design produced broadly resembled the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, an American strategic airlifter, but also incorporated numerous improvements, the greater use of
carbon-fibre Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers (Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon compo ...
composite Composite or compositing may refer to: Materials * Composite material, a material that is made from several different substances ** Metal matrix composite, composed of metal and other parts ** Cermet, a composite of ceramic and metallic materials ...
s in its construction (comprising around 5% of the aircraft's total weight) and the more extensive use of titanium being amongst these benefits.
Aluminium Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It has ...
alloy An alloy is a mixture of chemical elements of which at least one is a metal. Unlike chemical compounds with metallic bases, an alloy will retain all the properties of a metal in the resulting material, such as electrical conductivity, ductility, ...
s make up the primary material used in its construction, limited use of steel and titanium alloys were also made. Unlike the C-5, it lacks a fully-pressurised cargo bay or the ability to receive fuel in-flight.Fricker 1990, pp. 57-78. In 1973, the construction of the necessary facilities to produce the new airlifter began. Two separate final assembly lines plants were established to produce the airlifter: the company
Aviastar-SP CJSC Aviastar- SP (russian: «Авиастар-СП») is a Russian aircraft factory based in Ulyanovsk and founded in 1976. It is a closed shares joint stock company. It replaced the Soviet Ulyanovsk Aviation Industrial Complex and manufactures ...
(ex. Ulyanovsk Aviation Industrial Complex) in Ulyanovsk,
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eight ...
and by the
Kyiv Aviation Plant AVIANT The Antonov Serial Production Plant ( uk, italic=yes, Серійний завод «Антонов»), formerly AVIANT ( uk, АВІАНТ), is an aircraft manufacturing company in Kyiv, Ukraine, the serial manufacturing division of the Antonov. ...
, in Ukraine. Furthermore, the programme used components, systems, and various other elements drawn from in excess of 100 factories across the Eastern world. In 1979, manufacturing activity on the first airframe began. On 24 December 1982, the type performed its maiden flight. Three years later, the An-124 made its first appearance in the Western world when an example was displayed at the 1985 Paris Air Show. Following the fall of the Soviet Union, commercial operations of the An-124 became an increasingly important area of activity; to this end, civil certification was sought for the type by Antonov; this was issued on 30 December 1992.


Post-Soviet developments

Sales of the An-124 to various commercial operators proceeded throughout the 1990s and into the mid 2000s; many of these were former military aircraft that were refurbished by Antonov prior to delivery, or unfinished fuselages that had been preserved, rather than producing new-build aircraft. During the early 2000s, the cargo operator
Volga-Dnepr Volga-Dnepr Airlines, LLC (russian: ООО «Авиакомпания «Волга-Днепр») is an airline based in Ulyanovsk, Russia. It specializes in providing air charter services by operating a unique fleet of twelve Antonov An-124 (l ...
opted to upgrade its An-124 freighter fleet, these works included engine modifications to conform with chapter four
noise Noise is unwanted sound considered unpleasant, loud or disruptive to hearing. From a physics standpoint, there is no distinction between noise and desired sound, as both are vibrations through a medium, such as air or water. The difference aris ...
regulations, various structural improvements that increased service life, and numerous avionics and systems changes to facilitate four person operations, reducing the crew needed from six or seven. During April 2008, it was announced that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to resume the production of the An-124 in the third quarter of 2008. One month later, a new variant — the An-124-150 — was announced; it featured several improvements, including a maximum lift capacity of 150 tonnes. However, in May 2009, Antonov's partner, the Russian United Aircraft Corporation announced it did not plan to produce any An-124s in the period 2009–2012. During late 2009, Russian President
Dmitry Medvedev Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev ( rus, links=no, Дмитрий Анатольевич Медведев, p=ˈdmʲitrʲɪj ɐnɐˈtolʲjɪvʲɪtɕ mʲɪdˈvʲedʲɪf; born 14 September 1965) is a Russian politician who has been serving as the dep ...
ordered production of the aircraft resumed; at this point, Russia was expected to procure 20 new-build An-124s. In August 2014,
Jane's Jane's Information Group, now styled Janes, is a global open-source intelligence company specialising in military, national security, aerospace and transport topics, whose name derives from British author Fred T. Jane. History Jane's Informati ...
reported that, Russian Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Yuri Slusar announced that production of the An-124 had been stopped as a consequence of the ongoing political tensions between Russia and Ukraine. In late 2017, multiple An-124s were upgraded by the
Aviastar-SP CJSC Aviastar- SP (russian: «Авиастар-СП») is a Russian aircraft factory based in Ulyanovsk and founded in 1976. It is a closed shares joint stock company. It replaced the Soviet Ulyanovsk Aviation Industrial Complex and manufactures ...
plant in Ulyanovsk, Russia, three of which were reportedly scheduled to return to flight during the following year. As
Russia–Ukraine relations There are no diplomatic or bilateral relations between Ukraine and Russia. The two countries have been in a state of war since 24 February 2022. Following the Ukrainian Revolution of Dignity in 2014, Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula was occupied by ...
continued to sour, Antonov begun to source new suppliers while also pushing to
westernize Westernization (or Westernisation), also Europeanisation or occidentalization (from the '' Occident''), is a process whereby societies come under or adopt Western culture in areas such as industry, technology, science, education, politics, econ ...
the An-124. During 2018, the American engine manufacturer GE Aviation was studying reengining it with
CF6 The General Electric CF6, US military designations F103 and F138, is a family of high-bypass turbofan engines produced by GE Aviation. Based on the TF39, the first high-power high-bypass jet engine, the CF6 powers a wide variety of civilian ...
s for CargoLogicAir, a Volga-Dnepr subsidiary. It was believed that this would likely provide a
range Range may refer to: Geography * Range (geographic), a chain of hills or mountains; a somewhat linear, complex mountainous or hilly area (cordillera, sierra) ** Mountain range, a group of mountains bordered by lowlands * Range, a term used to i ...
increase; as Volga-Dnepr Group operated 12 aircraft, the change would imply purchasing between 50 and 60 engines with spares. The Russian engine specialist
Aviadvigatel UEC-Aviadvigatel JSC (Russian: АО "ОДК-Авиадвигатель", lit. Aeroengine) is a Russian developer and builder of aircraft engines, most notably jet engines for commercial aircraft. Based at the Perm Engine Plant, its products power ...
also indicated that a further development of its PD-14, which was intended for use on an upgraded model of the Russian-manufactured An-124, designated PD-35, generated 50% more power than the present Ukrainian Progress D-18T engines. During January 2019, Antonov revealed its plans to restart production of the An-124 without support from Russia.


Russian replacement design

At
MAKS Air Show MAKS (russian: МАКС, russian: label=short for, Международный авиационно-космический салон, Mezhdunarodnyj aviatsionno-kosmicheskij salon, "International Aviation and Space Show") is an international air ...
in 2017, the
Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute The Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (also (Zhukovsky) Central Institute of Aerodynamics, russian: Центра́льный аэрогидродинами́ческий институ́т, ЦАГИ, Tsentral'nyy Aerogidrodinamicheskiy Institut, ...
(TsAGI) announced its An-124-102
Slon Slon may refer to: *Elephant in many Slavic languages *Slon, a village in Cerașu Commune, Prahova County, Romania * Slon.ru, a Russian magazine *Russian abbreviation of the Solovki prison camp (Соловецкий лагерь особого н ...
(Elephant) design to replace the similar An-124-100. The design was detailed in January 2019 before wind tunnel testing scheduled for August–September. It is intended to be produced at the
Aviastar-SP CJSC Aviastar- SP (russian: «Авиастар-СП») is a Russian aircraft factory based in Ulyanovsk and founded in 1976. It is a closed shares joint stock company. It replaced the Soviet Ulyanovsk Aviation Industrial Complex and manufactures ...
factory in Ulyanovsk. It should transport over (up from ), or over at . The Russian MoD wants a range of with five Sprut-SDM-1 light tanks, their 100 crew and 300 armed soldiers. The planned An-124-102 is larger at 82.3 m (270 ft) long from , with a span versus and high compared with . A new higher aspect ratio, composite wing and a airframe would allow a gross weight. It should be powered by Russian PD-35s developed for the CR929 widebody, producing up from . Two fuselages are planned, one for Volga-Dnepr with a width of from the An-124's , and one for the Russian MoD of wide to carry vehicles in two lines. On 5 November 2019, the TsAGI released pictures of a long and wide model, ahead of
windtunnel Wind tunnels are large tubes with air blowing through them which are used to replicate the interaction between air and an object flying through the air or moving along the ground. Researchers use wind tunnels to learn more about how an aircraft ...
testing. On 26 March 2020, TsAGI released new pictures of a wind tunnel model, announcing that the researchers of the Institute had completed the first cycle of aerodynamic testing; the results confirmed the characteristics laid down during preliminary studies.


Design

The Antonov An-124 Ruslan is a large,
strategic airlift An airlift is the organized delivery of supplies or personnel primarily via military transport aircraft. Airlifting consists of two distinct types: strategic and tactical. Typically, strategic airlifting involves moving material long distance ...
, four-engined aircraft. Externally, it bears numerous similarities to the American Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, having a double fuselage to allow for a rear cargo door (on the lower fuselage) that can open in flight without affecting
structural integrity Structural integrity and failure is an aspect of engineering that deals with the ability of a structure to support a designed structural load (weight, force, etc.) without breaking and includes the study of past structural failures in order to ...
. The An-124 has a slightly shorter fuselage, has a slightly greater wingspan, and is capable of carrying a 17 percent larger payload. In place of the C-5's
T-tail A T-tail is an empennage configuration in which the tailplane is mounted to the top of the fin. The arrangement looks like the capital letter T, hence the name. The T-tail differs from the standard configuration in which the tailplane is ...
, the An-124 is furnished with a conventional
empennage The empennage ( or ), also known as the tail or tail assembly, is a structure at the rear of an aircraft that provides stability during flight, in a way similar to the feathers on an arrow.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third ed ...
, similar in design to that of the
Boeing 747 The Boeing 747 is a large, long-range wide-body aircraft, wide-body airliner designed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes in the United States between 1968 and 2022. After introducing the Boeing 707, 707 in October 1958, Pan Am w ...
. Many of the flight control surfaces, such as the slats, flaps, and spoilers, closely resemble or are identical that that of the C-5, the An-124 benefits from a fly-by-wire control system. This is a hybrid control system as it also implements conventional mechanical controls for some aspects; these have been arranged in a manner that provides redundancy against the failure of a single
hydraulic Hydraulics (from Greek: Υδραυλική) is a technology and applied science using engineering, chemistry, and other sciences involving the mechanical properties and use of liquids. At a very basic level, hydraulics is the liquid counter ...
circuit. A single An-124 is capable of carrying up to of cargo internally in a standard military configuration; it can also carry 88 passengers in an upper deck behind the wing centre section. The forward area of this upper deck is where the flight deck and the crew area accommodated; movement between the upper and lower decks is via a pair of foldable internal ladders. The cargo compartment of the An-124 is , ca. 20% larger than the main cargo compartment of the C-5 Galaxy, which is . Largely due to the limited pressurisation of its main cargo compartment (24.6 kPa, 3.57 psi),Fricker 1990, p. 78. the airlifter has seldom been used to deploy
paratrooper A paratrooper is a military parachutist—someone trained to parachute into a military operation, and usually functioning as part of an airborne force. Military parachutists (troops) and parachutes were first used on a large scale during Worl ...
s or to carry passengers, as they would typically require oxygen masks and cold-weather clothing in such conditions. In comparison, the upper deck is fully pressurised. The floor of the cargo deck is entirely composed of titanium, a measure that is usually prohibited by the material cost. It is suitable for carrying almost any heavy vehicle, including multiple main battle tanks. The An-124 is powered by four Lotarev D-18 turbofan engines, each capable of generating up to 238–250 kN of thrust. To reduce the landing distance required, thrust reversers are present. Pilots have stated that the airlifter is relatively light on the controls and is easy to handle for an aircraft of its size. A pair of TA18-200-124
auxiliary power unit An auxiliary power unit (APU) is a device on a vehicle that provides energy for functions other than propulsion. They are commonly found on large aircraft and naval ships as well as some large land vehicles. Aircraft APUs generally produce 115&n ...
s (APUs) are accommodated within the main landing gear fairings. As a consequence of the heat and blast effects produced by these APUs, some airports require pavement protection to be deployed. The landing gear of the An-124 is outfitted with an
oleo strut An oleo strut is a pneumatic air–oil hydraulic shock absorber used on the landing gear of most large aircraft and many smaller ones. This design cushions the impacts of landing and damps out vertical oscillations. It is undesirable for an airp ...
suspension system for its 24 wheels. This suspension has been calibrated to allow for landing on rough terrain and is able to kneel, which allows for easier loading and unloading via the front cargo door. Other features intended to ease loading including an onboard
overhead crane An overhead crane, commonly called a bridge crane, is a type of crane found in industrial environments. An overhead crane consists of two parallel rails seated on longitudinal I-beams attached to opposite steel columns by means of brackets. ...
in the cargo deck, capable of lifting up to 30 tonnes, while items up to 120 tonnes can be
winch A winch is a mechanical device that is used to pull in (wind up) or let out (wind out) or otherwise adjust the tension of a rope or wire rope (also called "cable" or "wire cable"). In its simplest form, it consists of a spool (or drum) attach ...
ed on board. Two separate radar units are typically present, one is intended for ground mapping and navigation purposes, while the other is for
weather Weather is the state of the atmosphere, describing for example the degree to which it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. On Earth, most weather phenomena occur in the lowest layer of the planet's atmosphere, the t ...
.


Operational history

During the 2000s, Germany headed an initiative to lease An-124s for NATO
strategic airlift An airlift is the organized delivery of supplies or personnel primarily via military transport aircraft. Airlifting consists of two distinct types: strategic and tactical. Typically, strategic airlifting involves moving material long distance ...
requirements. Two aircraft were leased from SALIS GmbH as a stopgap until the
Airbus A400M The Airbus A400M AtlasNamed after the Greek mythological figure. is a European four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. It was designed by Airbus Military (now Airbus Defence and Space) as a tactical airlifter with strategic cap ...
became available. Under NATO SALIS programme
NAMSA The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (french: L'Agence OTAN de soutien et d'acquisition ), abbreviated to NSPA, is the main logistics and procurement agency of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and is the executive branch of the ''N ...
is chartering six An-124-100 transport aircraft. According to the contract An-124-100s of
Antonov Airlines Antonov Airlines is a Ukrainian cargo airline, a division of the Antonov aviation company. It operates international charter services in the oversized-cargo market. Its main base is Hostomel Airport near Kyiv. In the aftermath of the Battle ...
and
Volga-Dnepr Volga-Dnepr Airlines, LLC (russian: ООО «Авиакомпания «Волга-Днепр») is an airline based in Ulyanovsk, Russia. It specializes in providing air charter services by operating a unique fleet of twelve Antonov An-124 (l ...
are used within the limits of NATO SALIS programme to transport cargo by requests of 18 countries: Belgium, Hungary, Greece, Denmark, Canada, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, United Kingdom, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Finland, France, Germany, Czech Republic and Sweden. Two An-124-100s are constantly based on full-time charter in the
Leipzig/Halle airport Leipzig/Halle Airport (German: ''Flughafen Leipzig/Halle'') is an international airport located in Schkeuditz, Saxony, Germany and serves both Leipzig, Saxony, and Halle, Saxony-Anhalt. It is Germany's 14th largest airport by passengers and ...
, but the contract specifies that if necessary, two more aircraft will be provided at six days' notice and another two at nine days' notice. The aircraft proved extremely useful for NATO especially with ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. United Launch Alliance (ULA) contracts the An-124 to transport the
Atlas V Atlas V is an expendable launch system and the fifth major version in the Atlas launch vehicle family. It was originally designed by Lockheed Martin, now being operated by United Launch Alliance (ULA), a joint venture between Lockheed Martin ...
launch vehicle from its facilities in Decatur, Alabama to
Cape Canaveral , image = cape canaveral.jpg , image_size = 300 , caption = View of Cape Canaveral from space in 1991 , map = Florida#USA , map_width = 300 , type =Cape , map_caption = Location in Florida , location ...
. ULA also uses the An-124 to transport the Atlas V launch vehicle and Centaur upper stage from their manufacturing facility in Denver, Colorado to Cape Canaveral and
Vandenberg Space Force Base Vandenberg Space Force Base , previously Vandenberg Air Force Base, is a United States Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California. Established in 1941, Vandenberg Space Force Base is a space launch base, launching spacecraft from th ...
. Two flights are required to transfer each launch vehicle (one for the Atlas V main booster stage and another for the Centaur upper stage). It is also contracted by
Space Systems Loral SSL, formerly Space Systems/Loral, LLC (SS/L), of Palo Alto, California, is a wholly owned manufacturing subsidiary of Maxar Technologies. SSL designs and builds satellites and space systems for a wide variety of government and commercial cust ...
to transport satellites from Palo Alto, CA to the Arianespace spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana and by SpaceX to transport payload fairings between their factory in Hawthorne, California and Cape Canaveral. By 2013, the An-124 had reportedly visited 768 airports in over 100 countries. By late 2020, three civil operators of the An-124 remained.
Antonov Airlines Antonov Airlines is a Ukrainian cargo airline, a division of the Antonov aviation company. It operates international charter services in the oversized-cargo market. Its main base is Hostomel Airport near Kyiv. In the aftermath of the Battle ...
with seven aircraft, Volga-Dnepr Airlines with 12, and Maximus Air Cargo with one. In November 2020, Volga-Dnepr reported that it was indefinitely grounding its fleet of An-124 aircraft to inspect the 60 engines (including spares) following the 13 November 2020 unconfined engine failure at Novosibirsk. As of 29 December 2020, the first Volga-Dnepr An-124-100 was back in service.


Significant activities

* In May 1987, an An-124 set a world record, covering the distance of without refuelling. The flight took 25 hours and 30 minutes; the takeoff weight was 455,000 kg. * In July 1985, an An-124 carried 171,219 kg (377,473 lb) of cargo to an altitude of and 170,000 kg to an altitude of 10,750 m (35,270 ft). * In June 1994, an An-124 flew the first
IE 201 Class The Iarnród Éireann (IÉ) / Northern Ireland Railways 201 Class locomotives are the newest and most powerful diesel locomotives operating in Ireland and were built between 1994 and 1995 by General Motors Diesel. They are model type JT42HCW, fi ...
diesel-electric locomotive A diesel locomotive is a type of railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine. Several types of diesel locomotives have been developed, differing mainly in the means by which mechanical power is conveyed to the driving wheels ...
from the General Motors Diesel works in London, Ontario, Canada to Dublin, Ireland for clearance testing and crew training, before subsequent units were delivered by ship. * An An-124 was used to transport the Obelisk of Axum back to its native homeland of Ethiopia from Rome in April 2005. * An An-124 was used to transport an EP-3E Aries II electronic intelligence aircraft from Hainan Island, China on 4 July 2001 following the Hainan Island incident. * An An-124 was used to transport the first
Bombardier Movia The Alstom Movia (introduced as the Adtranz Movia and later sold as the Bombardier Movia) is a family of metro train cars designed by Adtranz and later built by Bombardier Transportation and Alstom. The structure and body shell are fully customi ...
-series
railcar A railcar (not to be confused with a railway car) is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach (carriage, car), with a drive ...
for the Delhi Metro on 26 February 2009. * In July 2010, an An-124 was used to transport four 35-foot and three 21-foot skimmer boats from France to the US to assist with the clean-up of the
Deepwater Horizon oil spill The ''Deepwater Horizon'' oil spill (also referred to as the "BP oil spill") was an industrial disaster that began on 20 April 2010 off of the coast of the United States in the Gulf of Mexico on the BP-operated Macondo Prospect, considere ...
. * An An-124 was used in April 2011 to airlift a large
Putzmeister Putzmeister is a German manufacturer of concrete pumps and other equipment for pumping, distributing and placing concrete, mortar and other high-density solids, and for preparing, temporarily storing, processing and transporting these materials. ...
concrete pump from Germany to Japan to help cool reactors damaged in the
Fukushima nuclear accident The was a nuclear accident in 2011 at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Ōkuma, Fukushima, Japan. The Proximate and ultimate causation, proximate cause of the disaster was the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, which occurred on t ...
. The
An-225 The Antonov An-225 Mriya ( uk, Антонов Ан-225 Мрія, lit=dream' or 'inspiration; NATO reporting name: Cossack) was a strategic airlift cargo aircraft designed and produced by the Antonov Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. It was or ...
was used to transport an even larger Putzmeister concrete pump to Japan from the US. * An An-124 was used in May 2018 to transport an 87,000 lb die tools from Eaton Rapids, Michigan, US to Nottingham, England to restart Ford F-150 production after a fire in the Eaton Rapids Magnesium Casting Facility. *Several An-124s were used by the German
Bundeswehr The ''Bundeswehr'' (, meaning literally: ''Federal Defence'') is the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The ''Bundeswehr'' is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part con ...
to airlift military equipment from
Mazar-i-Sharif , official_name = , settlement_type = City , image_skyline = , pushpin_map = Afghanistan#Bactria#West Asia , pushpin_label = Mazar-i-Sharif , pushpin ...
to Leipzig during the 2021 German troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. Among the equipment were two
NH-90 The NHIndustries NH90 is a medium-sized, twin-engine, multi-role military helicopter. It was developed in response to NATO requirements for a battlefield helicopter which would also be capable of being operated in naval environments. The NH90 ...
helicopters. * During the COVID-19 pandemic, several An-124s were used to cargo masks and other medical equipment from China to foreign countries. For example, Terio International Inc. dispatched their first one on June 7 2020 between Nanjing and
Montréal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-pe ...
, which was done as a direct flight. * On 24 February 2022, an An-124 with registration number ''UR-82009'' was confirmed to be destroyed by Russian artillery during the
Battle of Antonov Airport The Battle of Antonov Airport, also known as the Battle of Hostomel Airport, was a military engagement which occurred at the Antonov Airport in Hostomel, Kyiv Oblast, during the Kyiv offensive of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. On 24 Fe ...
, Kyiv. Five other Ukrainian An-124s were diverted to Leipzig at the conclusion of their commercial flights.


Variants

;An-124 Ruslan :Strategic heavy airlift transport aircraft ;An-124-100 :Commercial transport aircraft ;An-124-100M-150 :Version with a payload increased to 150 tonnes (maximum take-off weight 420 tonnes), with uprated Lotarev D-18T series 4 engines; one An-124-100 converted ;An-124-102 Slon :Commercial transport version with an EFIS flight deck, developed by TsAGi ;An-124-115M :Planned new variant with EFIS based on Rockwell Collins avionic parts ;An-124-130 :Proposed version ;An-124-135 :Variant with one seat in the rear and the rest of the cargo area (approx. 1,800 square feet) dedicated to freight ;An-124-200 :Proposed version with
General Electric CF6-80C2 The General Electric CF6, US military designations F103 and F138, is a family of high-bypass turbofan engines produced by GE Aviation. Based on the TF39, the first high-power high-bypass jet engine, the CF6 powers a wide variety of civilian a ...
engines, each rated at 59,200 lbf (263 kN) ;An-124-210 :Joint proposal with
Air Foyle Air Foyle HeavyLift was an aviation company based in Bishop's Stortford, United Kingdom. It specialised in heavy air cargo services. It was the worldwide sales agent for Antonov Airlines of Kyiv, Ukraine. This relationship ceased in June 20 ...
to meet UK's Short Term Strategic Airlifter (STSA) requirement, with Rolls-Royce RB211-524H-T engines, each rated 60,600 lbf (264 kN) and
Honeywell Honeywell International Inc. is an American publicly traded, multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. It primarily operates in four areas of business: aerospace, building technologies, performance ma ...
avionics—STSA competition abandoned in August 1999, reinstated, and won by the Boeing C-17A. ;An-124-300 :Variant ordered by the Russian Air Force with new avionics, a new improved braking system and a payload of 150 tonnes.


Operators


Military

; * Russian Aerospace Forces ** Russian Air Force – 12 in service, 14 in reserve. In 2008, a contract was signed with
Aviastar-SP CJSC Aviastar- SP (russian: «Авиастар-СП») is a Russian aircraft factory based in Ulyanovsk and founded in 1976. It is a closed shares joint stock company. It replaced the Soviet Ulyanovsk Aviation Industrial Complex and manufactures ...
for modernization of 10 aircraft by 2015. As of December 2019, at least 11 aircraft were modernized. 2 on order. ***
12th Military Transport Aviation Division The 12th Mginskaya Red Banner Military Transport Aviation Division (''12-я Мгинская Краснознаменная военно-транспортная авиационная дивизия'') is a formation of the 61st Air Army of the ...
**** 566th Military Transport Aviation Regiment – Seshcha air base,
Bryansk Oblast Bryansk Oblast (russian: Бря́нская о́бласть, ''Bryanskaya oblast''), also known as Bryanshchina (russian: Брянщина, ) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Bryansk. As of t ...
*** 18th Military Transport Aviation Division **** 235th Military Transport Aviation Regiment – Ulyanovsk Vostochny Airport, Ulyanovsk Oblast *** 224th Air Detachment of Military Transport Aviation –
Migalovo Migalovo (also given as Tver Migalovo, Kalinin) is an air base in Tver Oblast, Russia located 10 km west of Tver. It is a large military airlift base. It currently houses all of Russia's remaining Antonov An-22 fleet. It is an Ilyushin Il-7 ...
,
Tver Oblast Tver Oblast (russian: Тверска́я о́бласть, ''Tverskaya oblast'', ), from 1935 to 1990 known as Kalinin Oblast (), is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Tver. It was named after Mikh ...


Former military operators

; * Soviet Air Force – aircraft were transferred to Russian and Ukrainian Air Forces after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.


Civil

As of late 2020, 20 An-124s were in commercial service. ; *
Volga-Dnepr Volga-Dnepr Airlines, LLC (russian: ООО «Авиакомпания «Волга-Днепр») is an airline based in Ulyanovsk, Russia. It specializes in providing air charter services by operating a unique fleet of twelve Antonov An-124 (l ...
(12, with 3 on order) ; *
Antonov Airlines Antonov Airlines is a Ukrainian cargo airline, a division of the Antonov aviation company. It operates international charter services in the oversized-cargo market. Its main base is Hostomel Airport near Kyiv. In the aftermath of the Battle ...
(7) ; * Maximus Air Cargo (1)


Former civil operators

; *
Libyan Arab Air Cargo Libyan Air Cargo is an inactive cargo airline based in Tripoli, Libya. It is the cargo division of Libyan Airlines, operating all-cargo services. Its main base is Tripoli International Airport. It serves destinations throughout Africa, Europe, a ...
– had 2 aircraft in service as of 2013; 1 seized by Ukraine in 2017, and 1 destroyed on ground by shelling at
Mitiga International Airport Mitiga International Airport (مطار معيتيقة الدولي) is an airport in Libya, located about east of Tripoli's city centre. The airport has a diverse international history and has been known by a variety of names. It was original ...
in June 2019. ; *
Aeroflot PJSC AeroflotRussian Airlines (russian: ПАО "Аэрофло́т — Росси́йские авиали́нии", ), commonly known as Aeroflot ( or ; russian: Аэрофлот, , ), is the flag carrier and the largest airline of Russia. The ...
Russian International Airlines – retired from fleet in 2000 * Ayaks Cargo ( Ayaks Polet Airlines) *
Polet Airlines CJSC «Polet Airlines» (russian: ЗАО «Авиакомпания „Полёт“», ''ZAO «Aviakompániya "Polyót"»'') was an airline based in Voronezh, Russia. It operated a worldwide cargo and domestic passenger charter services from Vor ...
– ceased operations 2014 *
Rossiya Airlines Rossiya Airlinesrossiya-airlines.com - About us
retrieved 2016-09-19
( ...
– retired from fleet * Transaero Airlines – retired from fleet * Titan Cargo – company ceased operations 2002 * TransCharter Titan Cargo – ceased operations 2003 ; *
Aeroflot PJSC AeroflotRussian Airlines (russian: ПАО "Аэрофло́т — Росси́йские авиали́нии", ), commonly known as Aeroflot ( or ; russian: Аэрофлот, , ), is the flag carrier and the largest airline of Russia. The ...
Soviet Airlines – transferred to the Russian Aeroflot fleet ; *
Air Foyle Air Foyle HeavyLift was an aviation company based in Bishop's Stortford, United Kingdom. It specialised in heavy air cargo services. It was the worldwide sales agent for Antonov Airlines of Kyiv, Ukraine. This relationship ceased in June 20 ...
(in partnership with Antonov Design Bureau) – joint venture dissolved 2006 * HeavyLift Cargo Airlines (in partnership with Volga-Dnepr Airlines) – ceased operations 2006 ; * Antonov AirTrack – ceased operations


Notable accidents

, five accidents with An-124 hull-losses have been recorded involving a total of 97 fatalities, including: * On 13 October 1992, CCCP-82002, operated by
Antonov Airlines Antonov Airlines is a Ukrainian cargo airline, a division of the Antonov aviation company. It operates international charter services in the oversized-cargo market. Its main base is Hostomel Airport near Kyiv. In the aftermath of the Battle ...
crashed near Kyiv, Ukraine during flight testing, suffering nose cargo door failure during high-speed descent (part of test program) resulting in total loss of control. The airplane came down in a forest near Kyiv, killing eight of the nine crew on board. * On 15 November 1993, RA-82071, operated by Aviastar Airlines crashed into a mountain at while in a holding pattern at Kerman, Iran. There were 17 fatalities. * On 8 October 1996, RA-82069, owned by
Aeroflot PJSC AeroflotRussian Airlines (russian: ПАО "Аэрофло́т — Росси́йские авиали́нии", ), commonly known as Aeroflot ( or ; russian: Аэрофлот, , ), is the flag carrier and the largest airline of Russia. The ...
but operated by Ayaks Cargo, crashed at
San Francesco al Campo San Francesco al Campo is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about northwest of Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important ...
, Italy, while initiating a go-around after a low visibility approach on
Turin Caselle airport Turin Airport ( it, Aeroporto di Torino) , also known as Turin-Caselle Airport (''Aeroporto di Torino-Caselle''), is an international airport located at Caselle Torinese, north-northwest of the city of Turin, in the Metropolitan City of Turin, ...
's runway 36. There were four fatalities. * On 6 December 1997, RA-82005, operated by the Russian Air Force, crashed in a
residential area A residential area is a land used in which housing predominates, as opposed to industrial and commercial areas. Housing may vary significantly between, and through, residential areas. These include single-family housing, multi-family resid ...
after take-off in Irkutsk, Russia. All 23 people on board and 49 people on the ground were killed. * On 13 November 2020, the second engine of RA-82042, operated by Volga-Dnepr Airlines, suffered an uncontained engine failure after takeoff from Novosibirsk, Russia. Subsequently, after landing there, the aircraft suffered a runway excursion and the nose landing gear collapsed. On 25 November, the airline voluntarily grounded its entire fleet of An-124 aircraft. By 29 December, the first Volga-Dnepr An-124-100 was back in service.


Specifications (An-124-100M)


See also


References


Citations


Bibliography

* *


Further reading

*


External links

* {{Authority control
An-124 The Antonov An-124 Ruslan (; russian: Антонов Ан-124 Руслан, , Ruslan; NATO reporting name: Condor) is a large, strategic airlift, four-engined aircraft that was designed in the 1980s by the Antonov design bureau in the Ukraini ...
1980s Soviet cargo aircraft 1980s Soviet military transport aircraft Quadjets High-wing aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1982 Double-deck aircraft