An-124 Strategic Transport: News

Between the military and civilian domestic orders they already have enough to make production viable.
Engine choice will be between modernized D-18 and PD-30.
I think most of the complaints about SOviet Era An-124 will be addressed, after all, decades have passed since the original bird took to the skies.

There is a market for it, but oversize load revenues are only $1 billion annually. Transporters like Airbus Beluga cut into that.

With new PD-30 engines the operating costs could be reduced to the point where it becomes more economically viable to transfer heavy material via aircraft.

I mean lets face it... in the 1970s if you wanted to move 110 ton locomotives from one country to another your choices did not include aircraft.

In the near future I really do think that there will be serious competition from very big airships able to pick up loads in harbours and carry them inland to the job site, whether it is in the middle of a desert or half way up a mountain.

Having said that the Russian military has decided it wants mobility and the Ruslan and its future variants will be a big part of that.

Hopefully the focus on the Far East and the Northern focus will make for an increase in requirements domestically so they can open those areas up to progress.

At the end of the day Reason and mutual scientific/production/export potential advantages have prevailed.



Russia, Ukraine agree to jointly produce AN-124 Ruslan plane


http://www.itar-tass.com/en/c32/810847.html

Finally, this brings hope that compromis could be reached upon AN-70 production and that we might see it in Russian Army.

What make it impossible for russia to manifacture such aircraft alone?

Hachimoto wrote:What make it impossible for russia to manifacture such aircraft alone?

Nothing.
It is Ukraine's dream to steal Russian people's money to develop their technology, to create jobs for themselves and compete Russian products in the international market(they say they won't but they will).
And mock Russians and prove Ukraine is superior later.
Always remember the title of a Ukraine article " We are not brothers, we are not even friends"

xeno wrote:

Hachimoto wrote:What make it impossible for russia to manifacture such aircraft alone?

Nothing.
It is Ukraine's dream to steal Russian people's money to develop their technology, to create jobs for themselves and compete Russian products in the international market(they say they won't but they will).
And mock Russians and prove Ukraine is superior later.
Always remember the title of a Ukraine article " We are not brothers, we are not even friends"

You are talking about butt hurt anti-Russian Ukranians.

Not all Ukrainians are like that, by far.
Can you blame Antonov for wanting to be part of the process?

Mindstorm wrote:

At the end of the day Reason and mutual scientific/production/export potential advantages have prevailed.



Russia, Ukraine agree to jointly produce AN-124 Ruslan plane


http://www.itar-tass.com/en/c32/810847.html

Now the most interesting to look for, is engine development.

This is where An-124 is mot outdated.

What make it impossible for russia to manifacture such aircraft alone?

The intellectual property rights for the An-124 are held by Antonov so in return for producing the plane they want a piece of the pie.

It is the main reason I support the Il-112/114 over the An-140 for a replacement of the An-26/-32/-72 and the MTA replacement of the An-12.

I do think the An-70 should enter Russian service as it is a very good plane that is exactly what the Russian military wants and needs.

I would love to see the An-22 replaced with the Il-106 but that seems to be unlikely.

Now the most interesting to look for, is engine development.

This is where An-124 is mot outdated.

From previous page... PD30 is 4-5 years away...

I would love to see the An-22 replaced with the Il-106 but that seems to be unlikely.

Actually there is a hope:
http://alexeyvvo.livejournal.com/35105.html
Can be something even better than Il-106.

This way russian gov are going to screw Ilyushin

Hachimoto wrote:This way russian gov are going to screw Ilyushin

Ahem, Il-476 is alone fat cheese for Ilyshin.
39 firm orders for the transport alone, and the tanker is not far behind.

Perhaps you guys are reading it differently... I read that link as basically saying that Il have submitted a new long range aircraft cockpit design to the ministry of defence for a tender... they would hardly need to do that for a new modification of the Il-476 and they have no part in the An-124 upgrade... which suggests to me that either the Il-106 is back on, or another related long range aircraft is to be developed.

The current order for 39 Il-476s will dramatically increase because the A-100 next gen AWACS aircraft is based upon it, plus new tankers and also other aircraft types including the A-60 will all be based on it... as well as a few new transports.

Hopefully this new long range transport will be an aircraft in the payload range of perhaps 100-110 ton range... just above the C-17 and a fraction of the cost of the C-17. This of course will be the peak load with normal transport loads of 70-80 tons being more normal.

It seems that Aviastar is ready to resume An-124 production. The drawings have been digitalised. I assume this process was similar to the Il-476. Can someone who speaks Russian provide better understanding?

http://www.aex.ru/news/2013/7/22/108273/

http://sdelanounas.ru/blogs/40203/

Since 2010, Aviastar has repaired and brought back to service 5 An-124s to the VVS.

http://sdelanounas.ru/blogs/42616/

Avistar modernizes another An-124 for MOD.

Ukraine and Russia reached an agreement on production, now they are testing the production scheme.

http://www.ruaviation.com/news/2013/10/29/2016/

http://sdelanounas.ru/blogs/44152/

3rd An-124 modernized for the MOD this year.

The airframe has been waiting repair for 9 years.

Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers approved the draft agreement with Russia on production of An-124

krainian Cabinet of Ministers approved the draft inter-governmental agreement with Russia on serial production of An-124 aircraft powered by D-18T engines. It is stated in the decree of the Ukrainian government, RBC-Ukraine reports.

"To approve the draft agreement between the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers and Russian government on implementation of measures of State Support for resuming the serial production of An-124 aircraft powered by D-18T engines and their modifications", - said in the document.

Moreover, the Cabinet authorized the Minister of Industrial Policy of Ukraine, Mikhail Korolenko, to sign the abovementioned document.

We remind you that following the results of a meeting of the committee for economic cooperation between the countries with the participation of the head of the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers, Nikolay Azarov, prime-minister of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, said in October 2013 that the production of these jets will be resumed “as soon as possible”.

"At present we are completing the process of establishing a joint venture related to production of An-124. We hope to launch the production as soon as possible", - he said.

The serial production of An-124 was being carried out during the period from 1984 to 2004. A total of 56 aircraft of the type have been manufactured.

Aviastar-SP has successfully completed the program of the modernization of heavy transport aircraft An-124-100

http://www.sdelanounas.ru/blogs/64231/

Aviastar completed the modernization of the 10th Ruslan for the MOD.

What is Niger doing with NH-90 and for what purpose?

Werewolf wrote:What is Niger doing with NH-90 and for what purpose?

They are French actually. "France has deployed its NHIndustries NH90 Caiman helicopters on operations for the first time, with two helicopters arriving in Gao on 3 November to take part in France's Operation 'Barkhane' in Mali.

The helicopters are from the 1er Régiment d'Hélicoptères de Combat, based in Phalsbourg, with the deployment coming less than a year after their entry into service within the Alat (French army light aviation)."