New Build An-124's

[Mossie]

Just read In Aircaft Illustrated that Volga Dnepr & Motor Sich have negotiated a re-opening of the An-124 production line with Antonov.  This includes 17 new aircraft & updating of older ones.  Payload will increase from 120 to 150 tonnes, navigation, air brakes & thrust reverse will be improved & Motor Sich will provide improved versions of the D-18T.

There's been a lot of interest in the An-124 especially with civil heavy lift companies, but militaries have also leased the services of the beast on many occasions.  Begs the question, if the production line is open again, who else might buy them???

[Hobbes]

Cool! This has been in the works for a while, nice to see an agreement being reached.

NATO would be an obvious candidate (instead of the ones they're leasing now). Maybe the USAF will see sense and buy them instead of upgrading old C-5s.  

[B777LR]

Maybe the USAF will see sense and buy them instead of upgrading old C-5s.

Im afraid Boeing and Lockheed have already beaten it oput of that competition, accusing it of being unsafe

Could the VVS be a possible costumer? They are about to retire their current fleet of AN-124s.



PS: I read somewhere that the new builds will have greater wingspan and will be streched slightly  

[Hobbes]

Haven't been able to confirm that. The new builds (An-124-100M-150) will have a higher maximum payload, but the Antonov site doesn't say anything about changes to the dimensions.

[Spey_Phantom]

The new builds (An-124-100M-150) will have a higher maximum payload, but the Antonov site doesn't say anything about changes to the dimensions.

im getting error 404 on the antonov page, my guess is theyve taken the aircraft off the site  :redx:  

[Hobbes]

Curious, it works here. this better?

[B777LR]

Nope, same problem here  

[Hobbes]

What if you start at www.antonov.com and browse from there? Could be that the issue is your browser not understanding XML pages.  

[B777LR]

What if you start at www.antonov.com and browse from there? Could be that the issue is your browser not understanding XML pages.

Sorry, wont even work if i google it. Frontpage will come up, but all links will result in error 404  

[nev]

Begs the question, if the production line is open again, who else might buy them???

India

China

Fed-Ex

[B777LR]

Begs the question, if the production line is open again, who else might buy them???

India

China

Fed-Ex

India yes, but china is developing their own, so i dont know about them...

How about north korea? airborne comand post to control satelites that focus sunshine?

[Mossie]

I think civil operators will be the biggest buyers, the russian outfits that already have them & I saw somewhere that Air Foyle/Heavy Lift was interested but can't find it now.  Volga Dnepr are predicting an increasing need for outsize cargo handling & other carriers are following suit.

Safety wise, I think the modernisation program will bring the levels up to Western standards, although I just can't see the US buying Russian.  Thomas, reading between the lines I think most of the extra payload will be made availble by improved engines & airframe modernisation, rather than any stretches, but I may be wrong.