AIRCRAFT
The Antonov An-124 was first reported to be under development in the late 1970s, when the designation was thought to be An-40. The definitive designation of An-124 emerged in May, 1985, when an example of this very large transport made an appearance at the Paris Air Show. The first flight of the prototype had been made on Dec. 26, 1982, and production aircraft were reported to be in service by early 1986.
The only An-124s seen outside the former Soviet Union were operated by Aeroflot and some other cargo operators, but it is clear that so large an aircraft had as much military application as commercial. The aircraft was still in production in 1992 at Ulyanovsk. At least 26 have been produced and are active in moving outsize loads. These range from the largest Russian tanks to complete SS-20 nuclear missile systems, and from earth movers to oil drilling equipment; like the An-22 it is therefore of value in major civil engineering projects, but the An-124 is also often chartered to transport disaster relief supplies.
UK-based Heavylift Cargo Airlines pioneered the use of civil An-124s in conjunction with Volga-Dnepr in Russia. Air Foyle of the UK also operates Ukrainian registered An-124s.
The An-124 is of conventional aerodynamic design but makes extensive use of composite materials in its structure, representing some 16,150 sq. ft (1,500 sq. m) of surface area and saving 3,970 lb (1,800 kg) of weight. The floor of the main hold is fabricated from titanium, and the flight control system is completely fly-by-wire. A 24-wheel landing gear helps spread the weight of the An-124, and allows it to operate from unprepared fields, hard-packed snow and ice-covered swampland, although not necessarily at its maximum weights.
The NATO reporting name is "Condor". Technical discussions have been held between Antonov and Rolls-Royce on the feasibility of fitting Roll-Royce RB211-524 turbofans to the An-124. The An-124 is the heaviest aircraft in production in the world, and is surpassed only by the An-225 Mriya, which never went into production.
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