The Antonov An-124 Ruslan is a large, strategic airlift, four-engined aircraft that was designed in the 1980s by the Antonov design bureau in the Ukrainian SSR, then part of the Soviet Union (USSR). Until the Boeing 747-8F, the An-124 was, for thirty years, the world’s heaviest gross weight production cargo airplane and second heaviest operating cargo aircraft, behind the one-off Antonov An-225 Mriya (a greatly enlarged design based on the An-124).
| Role | Heavy transport aircraft |
|---|---|
| National origin | Soviet Union |
| Design group | Antonov |
| Built by | Aviastar-SP Antonov Serial Production Plant (former) |
| First flight | 24 December 1982 |
| Introduction | 1986 |
| Status | In service |
| Primary users | Russian Air Force Antonov Airlines Volga-Dnepr Airlines |
| Produced | 1982–2004 |
| Number built | 55 |
| Developed into | Antonov An-225 Mriya |
Specifications (An-124-100M)
General characteristics
- Crew: 6 (pilot, copilot, navigator, chief flight engineer, electrical flight engineer, radio operator) + 2 loadmasters
- Capacity: 88 passengers in upper aft fuselage, or the hold can take an additional 350 pax on a palletised seating system / 150,000 kg (330,693 lb)
- Length: 69.1 m (226 ft 8 in)
- Wingspan: 73.3 m (240 ft 6 in)
- Height: 21.08 m (69 ft 2 in)
- Wing area: 628 m2 (6,760 sq ft)
- Aspect ratio: 8.6
- Airfoil: TsAGI Supercritical
- Empty weight: 181,000 kg (399,037 lb)
- Gross weight: 214,000 kg (471,789 lb) maximum fuel weight
- Max takeoff weight: 402,000 kg (886,258 lb)
- Maximum landing weight: 330,000 kg (727,525 lb)
- Fuel capacity: 348,740 l (92,130 US gal; 76,710 imp gal)
- Powerplant: 4 × Progress D-18T high-bypass turbofan engines, 229 kN (51,000 lbf) thrust each
Performance
- Cruise speed: 865 km/h (537 mph, 467 kn) max
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- 800–850 km/h (500–530 mph; 430–460 kn) at FL 328-394 (32,800–39,400 ft (9,997–12,009 m) at regional pressure setting)
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- Approach speed: 230–260 km/h (140–160 mph; 120–140 kn)
- Range: 3,700 km (2,300 mi, 2,000 nmi) with max payload
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- 8,400 km (5,200 mi; 4,500 nmi) with 80,000 kg (176,370 lb) payload
- 11,500 km (7,100 mi; 6,200 nmi) with 40,000 kg (88,185 lb) payload
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- Ferry range: 14,000 km (8,700 mi, 7,600 nmi) with max fuel and minimum payload
- Service ceiling: 12,000 m (39,000 ft) max certified altitude
- Wing loading: 640.1 kg/m2 (131.1 lb/sq ft)
- Thrust/weight: 0.23
- Take-off run (maximum take-off weight): 3,000 m (9,800 ft)
- Landing roll (maximum landing weight): 900 m (3,000 ft)
Photos Marcel van Leeuwen and Rob Vogelaar
