At the time the Antonov An-124 commenced its first flight on December 26 1982, it was the largest aircraft in the world. At the start of the design, knowledge gained from the already succesuful Lockheed C5 Galaxy was used and apart from its lower mounted horizontal stabilizer the An-124 has some major similarities with it.

The Antonov 124 is powered by four Lotarev D-18T turbofan engines and are installed two-by-two underneath its huge wings. Although the aircraft looks a bit lumbering it in fact has an impressive short field capability due to its large flaps and full span leading edge slats. Another thing many would remember after seeing this giant is its 20 wheel main landing gear which allows the aircraft to use rough strips and airfields. The retractable nose gear consists of two struts each carrying two wheels and are capable of retracting on the ground in order to facilitate loading or unloading of freight. The An-124 is operated by a crew of six and consists of two pilots, two flight engineers, one navigator and one radio operator. On the upper deck aft of the wing the aircraft can accomodate up to 88 passengers. The main cargo hold is 118 feet long and is fully pressurized and equipped with two electrically powered cranes that can lift a maxiumum load of 20.000 kg into position.

Click for a large image...	Click for a large image...	Click for a large image...

After its introduction in 1986, the An-124 set several world records. In 1987 the aircraft covered a distance of 20.151 km without having to refuel. Total flight time was 25 hours and 30 minutes while the aircraft took of with a take-off weight of 455.000 kg. In July 1985 the An-124 took a total load of 171.219 kg up to an altitude of 10.750 m. Before the introduction of the Airbus A380, the Antonov An-124 was the largest aircraft in the world mass produced.

Besides being in service with both Aeroflot and the Soviet Air Force, the An-124 is commonly leased by Western companies in order to carry mostly outsized cargo. Some of its most impressive performances were the transport of an EP-3E Aries II electronic intelligence aircraft and a 110-tonne train locomotive from Canada to Ireland back in 1994. Volga Dnepr, one of the largest An-124 operators, has contracts with Boeing to ship outsized cargo like the massive GE-90 turbofan engine, used on the Boeing 777, to their plant in Everett.

The flight crew of the An-124 consists of a total of six members that include two pilots, two flight engineers, one navigator and one radio operator. Furthermore, the aircraft is capable of accomodating up to 88 passengers in a cabin located behind the wing on the upper deck.

Click for a large image...	Click for a large image...	Click for a large image...