Pictured below, the An-124 Ruslan is the largest air transport airliner on the planet today. The ship was designed by the Antonov Design Bureau. Its main purpose was the transportation over long distances of heavy and bulky cargo for the needs of the national economy, as well as airborne and motorized rifle equipment with crews. In addition, the machine is capable of performing tasks related to the parachute landing of military equipment and cargo.
First flights and records
The An-124 model made its very first flight in Kyiv on December 21, 1982. The crew, headed by V. I. Tersky, included: test pilot A. V. Galunenko, navigator A. P. Poddubny, flight engineers V. M. Vorotnikov and A. M. Shuleshchenko, and flight radio operator M. A. Tupchienko. V. S. Mikhailov and M. G. Kharchenko acted as the leading test engineers. After successful testing of the machine, its mass production started.
In 1985, the airliner set 21 world records. Their list included an achievement in suchparameter, as the carrying capacity (weight 171 219 kg was raised to a height of 2 thousand meters). In the same year, the ship was demonstrated to the world community. This happened during the air show in Paris. Two years later, the aircraft appeared in service with the Soviet Army. Feedback from pilots and testers characterized it as a reliable airliner, which is distinguished by precise control and navigation systems. In addition, experts noted the high load capacity and fast loading and unloading.
General structure
The model is built according to the scheme of a high-wing aircraft equipped with a swept wing, like many other heavy transport aircraft. This solution allows to significantly improve the aerodynamic characteristics, and hence the flight range. An airliner is characterized by a single tail. In general, composite materials are widely used in the design and upholstery of the machine, which made it possible to reduce its weight by almost two tons. The floor is made of durable titanium alloy. The landing gear of the aircraft is multi-column and hides during the flight. It is equipped with 24 wheels, thanks to which the liner can be operated even if there are unpaved runways. In addition, the vessel boasts the ability to change the angle of the hull and clearance, which makes it much easier to load and unload it.
Specifications
One of the main advantages of the model over its competitors, which the Ruslan aircraft can boast of, istechnical characteristics of its power plant. It consists of four D-18T bypass engines developed by V. A. Lotarev. The total power of the motors is 23,400 kgf. At the same time, they are characterized by low weight and low fuel consumption, as well as a relatively low level of generated noise. Under the condition of a maximum load (120 tons), the aircraft is able to cover a distance that is 5600 km. The carrying capacity of the vessel exceeds that of the Il-76 and An-22 models by almost three times. At the same time, fuel consumption for each ton-kilometer of cargo is 2.5 times less. Such characteristics of the An-124 allow it to significantly outperform its main competitor, the American S-5V Galaxy.
Flight and other characteristics
The maximum possible speed of the model is 865 km/h, while the cruising speed is 800 km/h. The flight range with a reserve fuel supply with a load of up to 120 tons is 4800 kilometers, and with a load of up to 40 tons - 12,000 kilometers. The highest flight altitude is 12,000 m. With a normal takeoff weight, an airliner needs a distance of 2,520 meters for takeoff. The crew, depending on the modification of the vessel, consists of four to six people. The maximum fuel weight is 230 tons.
Fuselage
At the An-124 "Ruslan" airliner, the fuselage consists of two decks. This is done to facilitate repair and maintenance. Each of them is divided into separatesealed compartments with a specialized purpose. The main and shift crews are located on the upper front deck, and the people who accompany cargo and equipment are in the upper rear compartment (it is designed for 80 people). It should be noted that due to the pressurization system inside, a pressure drop is provided that does not exceed 25 kPa. Thanks to this, passengers can be at an altitude of up to 8000 meters without oxygen equipment.
Loading and unloading
The loading and unloading processes in this model are carried out quite quickly. In addition to the rear hatch, the vessel has a reclining bow, which allows you to quickly work with non-standard, long and bulky cargo. The length without a ramp, the width and height of the cargo compartment are 26.5, 6.4 and 4.4 meters, respectively. Thus, its total volume is more than 1000 cubic meters. Due to the fact that the floor is made of high-strength titanium alloy, it becomes possible to load all types of self-propelled and non-self-propelled equipment on caterpillar tracks. The lifting capacity of each of the onboard cranes with which the machine is equipped is 10 tons. In addition, the designers installed electric mobile floor winches in it.
Chassis
An-124 is an aircraft whose chassis is equipped with a set of devices that provide the ability to squat. This allows you to significantly reduce the slope of the ramps. Each of the main landing gear has five two-wheeledracks that are independent of each other. As for the front support, it consists of two racks (also with two wheels each). Thanks to the presence of a control system for the rotary mechanism, the liner is able to turn around on the runway, the width of which is 50 meters. At the same time, in order to ensure the full use of the vessel's capabilities, it must be operated on strips with a concrete coating and a length of at least three kilometers. Be that as it may, it has already been noted above that under certain conditions the liner can take off and land on an unpaved surface.
Other equipment
The on-board equipment of the An-124 Ruslan aircraft includes: an automated steering control system, a four-channel hydraulic complex, and a navigation radar system. In total, there are 34 computers in its control system. It is impossible not to note the high level of life support for the crew and the power supply of the vehicle. Among the auxiliary devices used here are: automatic communication complex TYP-15, navigation sighting system PNPC-124, as well as Omega and Loran radio navigation equipment.
Main modifications
One of the first modifications of Ruslan was the An-124-100 airliner. It was built in 1992 to provide commercial transportation of goods. A little later, a civilian version of this model was born and was certified.
The An-124A model is considered the next stage in the development of the aircraft. She was differentimproved takeoff and landing characteristics, which made it possible to use the liner even on second-class runways.
On March 18, 1999, the Russian company Aviastar, together with the British company Air Foyle, approached the Antonov Design Bureau with a proposal to lease another version of the airliner, the An-124-200 / 210, to the UK. In particular, it was proposed to install engines manufactured by Rolls-Royce on the ship. Another modification was to be the An-124-200 with power plants from the American corporation General Electric. In both cases, the practical flight range should increase by almost 10 percent. In addition, new motors can significantly reduce the takeoff distance. Both the first and second versions of Ruslan are proposed to be equipped with LCD monitors and modern digital equipment, which will reduce the crew size to three people. The result of this decision will be a reduction in the total weight of the equipment and an increase in its reliability. Such characteristics of the An-124 allow it to surpass its serious competitor (S-17 from Boeing) in all key parameters. As for the construction time, if an order for one of these modifications is received, it can be completed in about 2.5 years from the date of the contract.
Operation
At the very beginning of 1986, the active use of the An-124 Ruslan airliners by Aeroflot began. It was mainly operated on Siberian airlines, where it met the state's need fortransportation of oversized cargo for oil and gas development. In addition, the ship was actively used for military needs. For example, they transported the Patriot anti-aircraft missile system during the fighting in Afghanistan. In September 1990, Ruslan managed to transport 451 refugees on the Amman-Dhaka route in one flight. Then the liner was additionally equipped with a 570-liter drinking water tank and toilet blocks with a chemical regeneration function. To accommodate passengers in a horizontal position, the cabin was covered with sponge rubber.
The biggest disaster
During the entire period of operation, several tragic accidents occurred with aircraft of this brand. The largest of them happened on December 6, 1997 at 14.40, when the An-124 Ruslan airliner of the Russian Air Force crashed near the Irkutsk-2 construction village. The result of the crash was the death of seventeen crew members and six employees of the Irkutsk aviation plant. In addition to them, death overtook 72 residents of the town. The fact is that about 25 seconds after takeoff, the liner crashed onto a four-story residential building, completely destroying it. During the investigation of the tragedy, the "black boxes" were deciphered. The investigation found that the cause of the accident was the shutdown of the engines, which occurred as a result of a malfunction of the on-board computer.
