Antonov AN-124

Contrat Salis [modifier]
Pour pallier un manque en appareil de transport lourd, dix-huit états membres de l'OTAN, dont la France, ont choisi d'utiliser de manière coordonnée plusieurs AN-124 via le contrat Salis (Strategic Air Lift Interim Solution). Il est géré par la Strategic Air Lift Coordination Cell, située sur la base aérienne d'Eindhoven aux Pays-Bas et a été passé entre une agence de l'OTAN, la Namsa, et une société de droit allemand, Ruslan Salis Gmbh, basée à Leipzig. Cette société peut affréter des An-124 auprès de deux compagnies : Antonov Design Bureau (ADP) à Kiev (Ukraine) et la Volga-Dnepr Airline (VDA) d'Oulianovsk (Russie). Par défaut, deux appareils sont disponibles pour les pays participant au contrat mais ce nombre peut être porté à six appareils avec une disponibilité de six à neuf jours.
La France dispose d'un droit d'utilisation de 1195 heures par an, soit 23 heures par semaines, ce qui en fait un des plus gros utilisateurs. Chaque semaine, un vol part ainsi de Châteauroux pour l'Afghanistan acheminer du soutien logistique. A raison de 2500 € l'heure de vol, la facture s'élève ainsi à 30 millions € par an pour le ministère de la Défense.

Up to 150 tonnes of cargo can be carried in a military An-124; it can also carry 88 passengers in an upper deck behind the wing centre section. The cargo compartment of An-124 is 36 m x 6.4 m x 4.4 m, slightly larger than the main cargo compartment of C-5 Galaxy, which is 36.91 m x 5.79 m x 4.09 m. However, due to limited pressurization in the main cargo compartment (3.57 PSI) [6], it seldom carries paratroopers.

tons of cargo = 15,000 km (8,100 nmi) [26]
10 tons of cargo = 14,125 km (7,627 nmi)
20 tons of cargo = 13,250 km (7,154 nmi)
30 tons of cargo = 12,375 km (6,682 nmi)
40 tons of cargo = 11,500 km (6,210 nmi)
72 tons of cargo = 8,700 km (4,698 nmi)
90 tons of cargo = 7,125 km (3,847 nmi)
97 tons of cargo = 6,495 km (3,507 nmi)
104 tons of cargo = 5,900 km (3,186 nmi)
108 tons of cargo = 5,550 km (2,997 nmi)
120 tons of cargo = 4,500 km (2,430 nmi)
122 tons of cargo = 4,325 km (2,335 nmi)

Russian Air Force Backing Needed For An-124

Russia's big An-124-100 Ruslan freighter appears closer to a new lease on life, provided promised funding and commitments are forthcoming.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev recently approved a plan to restart production of an upgraded An-124 version at the Aviastar-SP plant in Ulyanovsk, under the responsibility of United Aircraft Corp. (UAC). Known as the An-124-500, it would feature a glass cockpit for four crewmembers and enhancements to the aircraft's Motor Sich D18-T powerplant that would boost range and payload and double the aircraft's operating life to 50,000 hr. Deliveries would begin by 2014-15.

Schemes to reinstate An-124 pro­duction have been kicking around for a while but began to take shape with the emergence of UAC, which devised a business plan acceptable to the Russian and Ukrainian governments. The resurgence in government aerospace and defense spending also played a crucial role.

Volga-Dnepr Group--which with UAC and the Antonov design bureau has led the fight to restart production--says the upgrade was recently validated by Russia's Central Aerohydrodyamics Institute (TsAGI) and the State Research Institue of Civil Aviation. However, for the new plan to go forward, Moscow must agree to invest $500 million to retool the plant and refurbish the assembly line, and launch customers must come forward with firm commitments.

VolgaDnepr says it is ready to commit to 20 of the new An-124s during 2011-20 and another 20 during 2021-27.

According to the air cargo operator, studies show the outsize freight service market has grown 30% annually during the past five years, to more than $1.1 billion, and will reach $7 billion by 2030. Consulting company SH&E predicts this will translate into a need for 70 An-124s.

However, it is not yet clear if the defense ministry, which already has a long list of hardware purchases on its wish list, is interested in a new An-124 acquisition just now. The ministry may place higher priority on renovating the 24 An-124s currently listed in the Russian air force inventory, most of which require a major overhaul.

On June 10, 2010, the biggest transport aircraft in the world Antonov-225 Mriya operated by ANTONOV AIRLINES, carried a cargo, which became the longest one in the airlift history. Two wind turbine blades of 42.1 m long each had been delivered from China to Denmark on order of GEODIS WILSON A/S, one of the leading freight forwarding and logistics companies.

Although a total weight of the blades was no more than 15 t, the cargo of such dimensions could be carried only by Antonov-225 owing to its cargo compartment length of 43 m. These blades have to pass special tests in Danish laboratories. So, the transportation could be provided as soon as possible. For this reason, it was not purposeful to use sea or automobile transport. For example, transportation by the sea could take about one month. Mriya delivered the cargo during 12 hours only. In such way, periods of the new wind turbines tests and launch of their production were reduced. So, the world will receive the new “green” sources of electric power sooner.

Russian outsize freight specialist Volga-Dnepr has reached another development agreement to modernise the Antonov An-124, this time into a version designated the An-124-111VD.
It will have a maximum take-off weight of 402 tonnes and a payload capability of 150 tonnes, with a range of 5,000km with a 120-tonne load.
The upgrade will include powerplant modification to the Ivchenko-Progress D-18T 3M series engine, with full authority digital engine control.
Antonov, which disclosed the agreement during the MAKS Moscow air show, said the engine would have a life of 50,000h and 11,111 cycles.
"This will significantly improve the fuel efficiency of the aircraft, to increase its reliability, as well as reduce noise and maintenance costs," it added.
The heavy transport would have a crew of three and its cockpit would be modernised with digital avionics.
Upgrade of the type has been a long-running effort. Antonov Airlines operates a modernised variant known as the An-124-100M-150, which needs a four-person crew.
Volga-Dnepr, which has 10 An-124s, said the lifetime of the new type would eventually be lengthened to 60,000h and 12,000 cycles, potentially taking service life to 50 years.
The aircraft would be able to comply with requirements for ICAO Category IIIa landing performance, it added.
Volga-Dnepr said the modernisation of the carrier's first aircraft would lay a platform for production launch of a new-build version known as the An-124-300.
Antonov chief Dmitry Kiva said the agreement set out design specifications for Volga-Dnepr's aircraft and added: "The An-124 is undergoing yet another landmark moment in its history. The demand for these unique aircraft has exceeded supply."
Volga-Dnepr Group president Alexey Isaikin added that the modernisation, ready by 2013, would be an "important practical step" towards resumption of An-124 production. He said the company was committed to the type and was prepared to order 40.

Even if the news has been around for several years (and always
denied), according to Defence24.pl, vice Prime Minister of Ukraine, Yuri Boyko has recently announced that the An-124 production will be resumed in cooperation with Russia.

According to Mr. Boyko, the Antonov 124
is a perfect solution for both the countries, due to its unique
features. Firstly it allows for transporting over 100 tons of load,
secondly it can operate from short runways.
The project is to be financed by creating an Ukrainian-Russian joint venture, where Ukrainian Antonov
bureau provides the technology and design, whilst the Russians provide
financial assets and market to sell the airplane. The copyrights of
An-124 belong to Ukrainians, and the Ukrainian party demands for the
things to remain this way.

The joint programme may decrease competition between the countries and boost their chances in the international market.

When the Americans developed C-5 Galaxy
in 1968, the Soviets responded with An-124 in 1972, entering the mass
production in 1986 and, later An-225 being constructed back in 1988, at
the dusk of the Cold War. The planes got codenames Condor and Cossack respectively.

The Condor, till Jul. 26, 1985, set 21 world records, e.g.
took 171,000 kg of load to altitude of 10,700 meters, beating the
preceding Galaxy record by 53%. But it was not the end of Soviet giants.

Beochien a écrit:Je me demande quel angle il peut prendre, ça ne semble pas épais, à voir la photo !

Poncho (Admin) a écrit:Sacrée vis