The Antonov An-124 is a very large cargo aircraft for the transport of heavy and/or outsize freight. For some time it was the largest operational aircraft type in the world, until the six-engined An-225 took over.
The Antonov An-124 'Ruslan' (NATO-nickname 'Condor') is developed as a strategic military freighter for the transport of missiles, tanks and other heavy equipment. The aircraft was the Sovjet answer to the United States Air Force's Lockheed C-5A Galaxy, but the An-124 is heavier and carries 25 percent more payload. The An-124 first flew on December 26 1982 and started operations with Aeroflot in January 1986.
With its high wing, the shape of the fuselange and its four engines the An-124 looks much like the C-5A. The main difference is the low tail; the C-5A has a T-tail. To ease the loading of the aircraft the An-124 has big nose and tail cargo doors and it has the ability to 'kneel' (to bend forward) for easier front loading. Behind the wing is a passenger deck with up to 88 seats. The undercarriage has 24 wheels and the An-124 can operate from semi-prepared strips.
It is no surprise that the Antonov An-124 set a number of payload records. Although a fully loaden An-124 doesn't have an impressive range, it can fly much further when the payload capability is used for fuel. In May 1987 an An-124 flew a world record of 20,151 km (10,881 nmi) without refuelling. The aircraft was in the air for 25 hours and 30 minutes The previous record was 18,245 km (9,852 nm) set by a Boeing B-52H Stratofortress bomber. In July 1985 an An-124 lifted a load of 171,219 kg of cargo 10,750 m in the sky, but with such a heavy load it cannot fly far.
 About 60 An-124 aircraft have been built. Although most An-124s are operated by Russian and Ukrainian airlines, like Volga-Dnjepr, Polet Airlines and Antonov Design Bureau, the aircraft are often chartered by Western companies and also by NATO armed forces. The An-124 has unique capabilities not offered by any Western airliner. The cargo bay is much larger than that of a Boeing 747 and the aircraft can fly a bigger payload.
The first version, designated An-124, is the military variant of aircraft. The civil version is designated An-124-100. Series production ended with the break-up of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, although five unfinished airframes were completed in the years 2001-2004. There are plans to restart the production of the aircraft in a modernised guise, the An-124-100M-150 which can carry 30 tons extra payload up to a total of 150 tons (330,700lb). This version also incorporates more powerful engines, a modernised cockpit and other improvements. Older aircraft can be converted to the new standard. Recent proposals are for a stretched aircraft, the An-124-300, and a shortened version, the An-124-102 with also a taller cargo bay.
Many other variants have been proposed, including versions fitted with western engines and a firebomber, but these haven't been built so far. From the An-124 Antonov developed the An-225 'Mriya' with a stretched fuselage, larger wing, six engines and two tails. The An-225, of which only one example flies, was developed to carry the Russian space shuttle Buran on its back.
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