Antonov working on new airlifters

Ukrainian aircraft manufacturer Antonov has commenced flight trials of the transport version of its An-148 regional jet. The first prototype of the new airlifter dubbed An-178 was rolled out in Kiev this April and made its maiden flight in early May. Antonov says it is assembling the second airframe, which will be used for static tests. The first international presentation is planned to take place at Paris Air Show 2015.

The new airlifter differs from the An-148 regional jet in an aft ramp door and reinforced landing gear. It will be powered by a pair of Ivchenko D-436-148FM turbofans, each rated at 7,010 kgf take-off thrust compared to the baseline An-148 baseline powerplant’s 6,570 kgf.

Antonov says the An-178 airlifter will serve as a replacement for the aging An-12 and Transall C-160 transport fleets. It will be able to carry up to 18,000 kg of freight in standard containers, and to operate from unpaved runways. According to Antonov President and General Designer Dmytro Kiva, the company will be able to assemble up to 24 aircraft after it has upgraded its production facilities. The airlifter’s list price will be around $40 million, Kiva says.