Volga-Dnepr, Motor Sich managing AN-124 relaunch

Volga-Dnepr, Motor Sich managing AN-124 relaunch Russia's Volga-Dnepr Group has established a joint venture company with Ukraine-based Motor Sich to manage the production revival of the AN-124, the world's largest commercial cargo aircraft.
   The AN-124, which was originally built for the Soviet military, is mainly used to ferry oversize cargo that doesn't fit on other types of cargo planes. Nearly 60 of the aircraft were built before production ceased with collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
   Volga-Dnepr said the aim of the joint venture, Cargo Aircraft Managing Co., is to develop and produce a new version of the aircraft, the AN-124-100M-150, with an increased payload capacity of 150 tons. It will also attempt to improve the operating life of the aircraft to 60,000 hours and, later, 80,000 flight hours.
   Also, the aircraft's maximum flight distance, when carrying 120-ton payloads, will be increased up to 5,000 kilometers and the number of crew required will be reduced to four, Volga-Dnepr said.
   Volga-Dnepr said its aircraft designing and manufacturing partners in the relaunch project, Aviastar-SP, Antonov Corp. and Progress Design Bureau, will later become shareholders of the new company.
   Within the joint venture, Motor Sich and Progress Design Bureau will be in charge of the D-18T engine modification and production for the AN-124-100M-150. The new aircraft will be built at the Aviastar-SP facilities with the technical support of Antonov Corp.
   Volga-Dnepr Airlines is the largest operator of AN-124 Ruslan aircraft and has already placed an order for two of the new freighters.