NOTE: RADIO CONTROL AIRPLANES ARE ON THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE PAGE.
About 60 Antonov An-124 Ruslan aircraft have been produced to date. The Antonov An-124 is the second largest aircraft mass produced after the A380. Twenty additional Antonov An-124 aircraft have been planned for production.
The Antonov An-124 has about 10% more cargo capacity than the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy. Antonov An-124 missions include global air lift of cargoes which do not fit into conventional transport aircraft.
The Russian army uses a total of 28 Antonov An-124 aircraft for the mass transportation of combat troops and their equipment.
The Antonov An-124 Ruslan utilizes on-board equipment, including two movable cranes and winches for the loading and unloading of cargoes through its front and rear cargo doors. This helps to make the aircraft independent of ground facilities for handling of transported goods.
Avionics of the Antonov An-124 includes the incorporation of 34 computers which handle all of the primary aircraft functions. The computerized avionics enable the Antonov An-124 to fly missions in virtually all weather conditions, day or night.
The latest versions of the Antonov An-124 have more powerful, fuel efficient engines. They result in about 10% more range while achieving better performance.
The Antonov An-124 features a two deck layout with the crew accommodations on the top deck and the bottom deck holds cargo in a pressurized area. There are two cargo doors, front and back, for handling large cargoes.
The heavy aircraft landing gear which are designed for unimproved fields, two auxiliary power units, and a mechanized loading system allow the Antonov An-124 to operate from airports otherwise incapable of handling heavy cargoes. The cargo system of the Antonov An-124 is handled by a double redundancy computer.
Antonov has an upgraded model designated the An-124-100 featuring cargo capacity increased by 60,000 lbs. and takeoff weight increased by 20,000 lbs. over the original Antonov An-124.
Flight range of the new Antonov An-124 has increased from 2,890 miles (4,650 km) to 3,356 miles (5,400 km) while carrying a cargo of 120 tons.
Aircraft service life of the new Antonov An-124 has increased to 24,000 flight hours. New on board equipment can load and unload single cargoes weighing up to 40 tons.
The fuselage structure of the new Antonov An-124 has been reinforced to accommodate cargoes of up to 150 tons.
The new Antonov An-124 aircraft has updated navigation and radar systems, a digital anti skid braking system and an improved ground proximity warning system.
The crew of the Antonov An-124 is reduced from 6 to 4 members in the Antonov An-124 -100 through the use of new aircraft systems.
Since early 2006 a total of 6 Antonov An-124 aircraft have been flying under contract by NATO. Antonov An-124 aircraft have been delivering aid supplies to Afghanistan, Chad and Rwanda.
