Honored Military Pilot Popov: the AN-124 has unique characteristics
Honored Military Pilot of Russia Vladimir Popov listed on Sputnik radio the advantages of the AN-124 over transport aircraft of similar class.
Russia has begun the restoration of AN-124 heavy transport aircraft, which will expand the capabilities of the country's military transport aviation, writes the American edition of Military Watch Magazine.
"The AN-124 is a very valuable asset for Russia and is by far the heaviest aircraft in the country's air fleet. It is assumed that it will become an addition to the lighter, but more widely used Il-76," the publication says .
On the air of Sputnik radio, Major General, Honored Military Pilot of Russia, Candidate of Technical Sciences, Associate Professor Vladimir Popov spoke about what the An-124 (Ruslan) is.
"Today it is the largest transport aircraft in Russia. I must say that it is not massive. It is in service with the Air Force, and is also in operation by the Volga-Dnepr company. By the way, this company works not only for the Russian economy, it fulfills orders all over the world for the transportation of bulky goods, which are inexpedient to disassemble and transfer in detail. Or when there is a need for emergency delivery – for example, after the accident at Fukushima (nuclear power plant in Japan, ed.), powerful pumps were urgently transferred there. We, on the territory of Russia, had the delivery of rotor and stator parts for the Bureyskaya HPP," the honored military pilot gave examples.
He listed the advantages of the AN-124 over similar class transport aircraft.
"It has end–to-end loading capabilities: there is a ramp in the front of the aircraft and in the tail section - you can load and unload at the same time... The aircraft can use almost all modern civil aviation airfields. He is not capricious, he does not need to provide special conditions on the runway, on taxiways. Of course, he will not sit on every asphalt-concrete lane, but on lanes that are used, for example, by the same Airbus or Boeing 747, he will sit quietly. That is, it is used in less harsh conditions than many foreign aircraft of even a lighter class... There are practically no such aircraft abroad that are capable of transporting bulky and heavy products at the same time. Airbus has a Beluga aircraft, it carries bulky but light parts," Popov explained.
In his opinion, the Russian aviation industry, if necessary, will be able to produce a modern analog of the AN-124 in the foreseeable future.
"I think that we can make such an aircraft within five to seven years - not just a replica of that time, 25-30 years ago, when it was made, but use the new materials, new equipment, engines that appeared during this time for it can be completely new... It is better to delay a little in time, but to make an airplane of the XXI century. And those aircraft that we have now in military transport aviation, in civil aviation, they need to extend their life as necessary. If it is economically feasible, then modernize it," the Honored Military pilot of Russia added.
In early March, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that repairs and upgrades would extend the life of the An-124 from 20 to 45 years.
