Ac 50 Aircraft

Ac 50 Aircraft - As the creators and builders of 5th Generation aircraft, we at Lockheed Martin - along with our partners at Korea Aerospace Industries - bring the experience and leadership needed to support the next generation of fighter pilots.

The AC-47 was also configured with the same weaponry as the C-47 across the world. The guns were operated through the yoke where the pilot could actuate the guns separately or cooperatively, notwithstanding that gunmen were also among the crew to help when the guns fail or encounter any problem.

Ac 50 Aircraft

The Douglas AC-47 was a modification of the military transport C-47 incorporating 3×7.62 mm miniguns by General Electric firing from the rear windows on the left side, as well as the cargo door, to deliver close air support for ground troops.

Fast Facts

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The Douglas AC-47 Spooky was developed by the United States Air Force as a ground attack aircraft and close air support gunship. It was a modification of the C-47 and was the first in a family of fixed-wing gunships throughout the Second Indochina War.

Sustainment support for the T-50A would include enhanced reliability, diagnostics and technology to minimize unscheduled maintenance; predictive health monitoring, which deploys advanced analytics to forecast maintenance actions and inform supply requirements; high-velocity supply chain, which provides a global view of supply inventories to allow for the proactive movement of parts;

and a condition-based approach to maintenance, which improves readiness and fleet availability by optimizing aircraft maintenance planning and execution. The aircraft could circle the target for hours, firing suppressive fire to prevent an enemy force from moving or shooting.

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It was also equipped with flares to counter an infrared bombing surface-to-air missile or air-to-air missile. The aircraft had an external length of 19.6 meters, an external height of 5.16 meters, a tail height of 4.1 meters, and a fuselage diameter of 2.1 meters.

It has a wingspan of 29 meters, a wing area of ​​91.7 square meters, and a wheelbase of 10.9 meters. It could accommodate seven crew members including a pilot, copilot, navigator, flight engineer, loadmaster, and two gunners.

The aircraft has a maximum speed of 200 knots, a cruise speed of 152 knots, and a travel range of 1,890 nautical miles. It can fly up to 24,450 feet and can climb up to 1,130 feet per minute.

The maximum takeoff weight is 15,000 kg and the maximum payload is 2,700 kg. It can store a maximum fuel capacity of 822 gallons. The AC-47 is powered by two Pratt and Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp engines.

T- Sustainment

The engine is a fourteen-cylinder two-row supercharged air-cooled radial type with two overhead valves per cylinder, single-speed General Electric centrifugal-type supercharger, and a two-barrel Stromberg carburetor. Each engine produces a maximum thrust of 1,200 horsepower. This dialogue will close in 60 seconds or you can click the exit icon in the top right corner to go back to the flight map immediately.

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A-20 Aircraft Ww2

A-20 Aircraft Ww2 - Almost one year after the French had taken delivery of their DB-7s, A-20A Havocs were delivered to the USAAC/USAAF and were operated by the 3rd Bombardment Group at Savannah Georgia. Additional aircraft were provided for the 27th Bombardment Group.

Initially, the engines suffered from overheating and after modifications were made to improve engine cooling, pilots were reporting good results. They performed training exercises in Shreveport, Louisiana in September 1941 and shortly afterwards, the aircraft was officially designated the Havoc.

A-20 Aircraft Ww2

At the end of the war, most Havocs were scrapped and by the early 1960s, only six complete airframes were known to be in existence. Recently, more Havocs have been discovered at crash sites in Russia and the jungles of New Guinea and are undergoing restoration.

Production ended on September 20, 1944 with a total of 7,098 Havocs built by Douglas and an additional 380 built by Boeing. By the time of V-E Day, all USAAF A-20 Havocs were replaced with A-26 Invaders and the British Bostons were replaced with de Havilland Mosquitoes.

The Boston III (DB-7B) was the first batch to be ordered directly for the RAF. It was a pleasant surprise to the British crews who had been operating Bristol Blenheims.8 It was twice as powerful and carried twice the load and was a very strong reliable aircraft—it was also 80 mph faster.

If an engine was lost on takeoff, control was considered outstanding with one-engine performance, unlike the Lockheed P-38 Lightning and Martin B-26 Marauder which took a lot of experience to maintain control on one engine. As a light-bomber, it was operated by the No.

88 Squadron in conjunction with Bristol Blenheim IVs. The Nos. 88 and 226 Squadrons were involved in the attempt to stop the "Channel Dash" by the German battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. The German ships made the passage safely because they were able to jam British radar delaying offensive movement by British aircraft.10

The 7A would have been obsolete upon delivery and it was revised. The new design would have a three man crew and power was increased with two 1,100 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1830C Twin Wasp engines.

The observers compartment was eliminated and the bomb bay enlarged. The fuselage was narrowed and allowed no physical contact between the crew members. The aircraft was unique in that it could be built with two different nose configurations as an attack or bomber version.

The attack version had a solid nose designed to carry six 0.30 caliber machine guns with two 0.50 caliber machine guns in the nose. The bomber version nose was glazed and allowed space for a bombardier and bomb site which replaced the machine guns.

The new design was given the Douglas designation Model 7B.4 (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); All DB-7 versions were known to the British as the Boston. The British later converted their Bostons to radar equipped night-fighters and these were collectively known as Havoc Is.

The USAAF referred to the plane as the A-20 Havoc, and the reconnaissance version as the F-3. Design work began in 1936 by Donald Douglas, Jack Northrop and Ed Heinemann as the Model 7A attack-bomber with a crew of two, a top speed of 250 mph, and a gross weight of 9,500 lbs.

It was powered by two 450 hp Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior engines, but conditions were changing rapidly in 1937, due to events in the Chinese and Spanish wars. Looking to replace their Curtiss A-12s and Northrop A-17s, the US Army Air Corps (USAAC) issued the following requirements:3

In the Western Desert and the Mediterranean, Bostons were flown by RAF Squadrons Nos. 13, 18, 55 and 114 and the Nos. 12 and 24 Squadrons of the South African Air Force (SAAF). They engaged in raids dubbed ``Boston Tea Parties'' and flew missions in Tunisia, Sicily and Italy.

Bostons were replaced with de Havilland Mosquitoes in 1946. After the United States entered the war, plans were made to produce an aircraft specifically as a night-fighter. The Northrop P-61 would eventually fulfill this role, but until then, something else was needed to fill the gap.

The Americans followed the British lead and designated the night-fighter version of the Havoc as the P-70, making it perhaps the only bomber to convert to a fighter. 6 The P-70 was equipped with the British AI Mk.IV radar and

four 20 mm canons mounted in a bathtub located in the bomb bay. Training was conducted in Orlando, Florida and crews used to perform mock low-altitude attacks on nearby Panama City and drop dummy bombs on trains.

The next morning, train crews would be puzzled to find fluorescent dye splattered on top of the cars. 7 The A-20B was powered the same as the A model and had a modified Plexiglas nose. Bombs racks were changed from a vertical to horizontal configuration and the bomb bay could house a 200 gallon (750 liters) fuel tank for ferrying purposes.

Two 0.50 caliber machine guns were mounted in the forward fuselage, one 0.50 was placed in the open dorsal position and one 0.30 was mounted in the ventral position. A field modification replaced the plastic nose with a solid nose, which housed four to six 0.50 caliber machine guns.

999 A-20Bs were built at the Douglas plant in Long Beach, California. Six A-20Bs were transferred to the US Navy and designated BD-2s. Visibility for the Havoc was good from the cockpit and stall characteristics were considered docile and it handled very well during low flying operations.

During evaluations, it was found that the Spitfire V could only keep up with it for only a few minutes before overheating, but the Bristol Beaufighter was said to be slightly faster. More than 3,600 havoc were sent to Russia under lend-lease, which was almost twice that sent to the British, and substantially more than the 1,962 aircraft delivered to the USAAF.

The majority of the aircraft delivered to the Soviets were A-20s, but records indicate that 20 aircraft were DB-7Bs. The first planes to go into service with the RAF were Havoc Is with the No. 23 Squadron during the winter of 1940-41 in night fighter roles.

They were later joined with the No. 418 Squadron (RCAF) and the No. 605 Squadron with Boston IIIs. Other squadrons included the No. 25, No. 85 and no. 93. Turbinlite versions of the Havoc I, Havoc II and Boston III were operated by the Nos.

530 to 539 Squadrons. It was also known as the DB-7 (Douglas Bomber 7) and as the Boston or Ranger to the British. It was said to be easy to fly with good handling characteristics during takeoff and landing.

It represented an advance in flight control systems with light handling during high-speed flight, with no overbalance on small control inputs. The tricycle landing gear made takeoff, landing and ground handling very simple and pilots were able to fly it with a minimum of instructions.

It also provided a stable gun platform for night-fighter missions. Handling with one engine out was also said to be very satisfactory, although the prototype crashed while simulating an engine-out procedure. 2 It was very durable and was able to withstand extreme battle damage and found a role in every combat theater of the war.

It was a "pilot's airplane". The final foreign recipient of the Havoc was the Fora Area Brasileira, which received 30 SAAF A20G to A-20K Havocs in 1944-45. They saw very little service and one A-20K is on display at the Museu Aerospespacial in Brazil.

The first Havocs to perform bombing missions in the Pacific were operated by the 3rd and 89th Bombardment Group and began operations on August 3, 1942 from Port Moresby, New Guinea. They were later joined by the 312th and 417th Bombardment Groups and by September 1944, the Fifth Air Force had a peak inventory of 370 Havocs.

By the war's end, all three groups were operating with A-20Gs. The majority of aircraft were used in low-level missions and some aircraft were equipped with three-cluster bazooka tubes under each wing. The A-20A was the first major production version for the USAAC.

They were powered by 1,600 hp Wright R-2600-11 engines and were not turbocharged. Turbochargers were not included because of cooling difficulties and since the Havoc was intended to perform low and medium altitude missions, turbocharging was not required.

Weight was increased to 3,750 lbs (1,700 kg), self-sealing fuel tanks were installed and fuel capacity was 394 US gallons (1,500 liters). The planned armament consisted of four 0.30 caliber machine guns in side-mounted fuselage blisters instead of in the nose, twin 30s in an open dorsal position, and one 0.30 in the ventral position.

Provisions were made to mount aft-firing 30s in the engine nacelles triggered by a foot pedal by the pilot, but these were rarely installed.9 Not being perfect, there were some complaints. The takeoff speed was 100 mph, so the airplane required a lot of runway, and the flaps operated too slowly and were not very effective making it difficult to land on grass airfields, leading to accidents caused by skidding.

Dual controls were located in the aft gunner's compartment, but were said to be of little use. The dual controls were eliminated on the A-20G. The no. 22 Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force operated 69 DB-7s and A-20s against Japan.

They had a variety of different versions of the Havoc from the SAAF and the Netherlands, but to the Australians, they were all known as Bostons. Operations began from Ward's Strip in Port Moresby on November 5, 1942. The squadron was reequipped with Bristol Beaufighters after suffering their worst loss of 13 Bostons on the ground after a Japanese raid at Morotai on November 23, 1944.

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A-1 Skyraider Aircraft

A-1 Skyraider Aircraft - Sources claim that the canopy could be jettisoned, although it seems odd that wouldn't have been a feature in earlier variants, it not being a new idea, nor hard to implement. Later on in their careers, in the mid-1960s the AD-6

was fitted with a pilot escape scheme, known as the "Yankee" system, apparently for its method of operation. It wasn't an ejection seat; it was a rocket attached to the pilot's harness that was fired to yank him out of the

A-1 Skyraider Aircraft

cockpit. It apparently worked pretty well, and was no doubt preferable to trying to climb out of the cockpit and hope to jump clear of the tail -- but it is unclear how much confidence pilots had in this contraption.

Development Of The Skyraider

In any case, 713 AD-6 Skyraiders were built; there were no subvariants. The wings had a dihedral of 6 degrees, and an incidence of 4 degrees. They folded up hydraulically near mid-span. The tail assembly, as mentioned, was

of conventional layout, with a flat tailplane -- no dihedral or anhedral. The control surface arrangement was conventional as well, with a large flap on each inboard wing section, a large aileron running the full span of the outer

wing section, plus elevators and a rudder. There were very large hydraulically-operated dive brakes on each side of the fuselage, and on the belly behind the wings. The Douglas A-1 Skyraider was used by the US Navy over Vietnam and Korea.

The A-1 was the main close air protective aircraft for the VNAF and USAF during the Vietnam War. It was also renowned for taking hits and keeping on track. In the mid-1960s, it was replaced by the Grumman A-6 Intruder as the main medium attack aircraft of the Navy.

The Skyraider Thrived During The Vietnam War

It wasn't until Smith was given a four-hour introduction to the Skyraider before entering combat in the Korean War that he realized its potential: "My original opinion of the plane did a complete 180," Smith said.

The Douglas design ended up being preferred. Initial flight of the first of 25 prototype / evaluation "XBT2D-1 Dauntless II" aircraft was on 18 March 1945, with test pilot Laverne Brown at the controls. Initial production

Contracts followed only weeks later. While the XBT2D-1 couldn't carry the warload that the Mauler could, it was more reliable, easier to fly, and easier to handle on the carrier deck. It was also designed for flexibility,

with a range of variants for different roles planned. Of the 25 prototypes: Another heavy-load configuration was twelve HVARs, at about 65 kilograms (150 pounds) each, and three 450-kilogram (1,000-pound) bombs, for a total warload of about 2,130 kilograms (4,800 pounds).

[] Footnote Ad- Skyshark

A realistic external warload limit was probably more like 2,720 kilograms (6,000 pounds). Along with bombs and HVARs, Skyraiders could carry napalm tanks, the "Tiny Tim" unguided rocket (along the lines of a giant HVAR), and air-dropped torpedoes.

It doesn't It appears from photos that Skyraiders often carried Tiny Tims or torpedoes in service -- although there was a case in the Korean War where torpedoes were used to destroy a dam. The freighter kit even included a hoist that could be set up to load and

unload cargo, with the host rigged for use to the tip of a folded wing with a brace added. It was also possible to install auxiliary fuel tanks in the rear cockpit. Sources mention interest in using the Spad as an inflight

tanker using a buddy refueling pod, but apparently it was rarely if ever used in that role -- likely because it was just too slow for refueling jet "fast movers". The AD-5 was sometimes referred to as the "12-in-1" Skyraider

Versions / Variants

because of its configurability. No AD-5 saw any real action in the Korean War; production priority was on the AD-4 series, which led to delays in the Introduction of the AD-5. The Douglas Skyraider was first developed during WWII to meet the needs of the US Navy – which had realized that carrier air wings needed to change due to new weapons advancements.

Designed by Ed Heinemann from the Douglas Aircraft Company, the first A-1 prototype, XBT2D-1, was ordered in July 1944. * Clearly, one of the contributing factors to the truncated life of the BTD-1 was the fact that the Navy wanted a more optimized single-seat scout /

torpedo bomber Four manufacturers submitted proposals during 1944: Curtiss offered the "XBTC-1", Douglas offered the "XBT2D-1", Kaiser-Fleetwings the "XBTK-1", and Martin the "XBTM-1". Some sources also claim the monster Boeing "XF8B-1" was submitted for the requirement, but it was actually

designed as a long-range fighter; Possibly Boeing suggested that it could be adapted to the scout / torpedo role. U.S. Air Force Skyraiders were later assigned to the 1st Air Commando Squadron in Vietnam in 1964. These aircraft were modified from the older versions used in Korea to help support search and rescue missions.

Elisabeth Edwards

Supporting special operations along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, Skyraiders aided ground forces by spraying defoliant or assisting in the extraction of troops from enemy territories. The AEW.1s were effectively replaced by the Fairey Gannet AEW.3 in late 1960,

although a few continued to fly in secondary roles into 1962. After their retirement, a dozen were sold to a Swedish company, Svensk Flygjanst AB, to be operated as target tow tugs under contract to the Flygvapnet, the

Swedish air force. They were modified for the role by Scottish Aviation at Prestwick, with extraneous gear such as the radar / radome and tailhook removed, and the fuselage compartment set up as a tow winch operator's

station, with bubble windows on each side to give the operator a view to the rear. These aircraft were painted bright yellow in service, lest pilots get confused and took on the tug instead of the target.

[] Prologue The Douglas Btd- Destroyer / Xbtd- Dauntless Ii

Two more AEW.1 machines were later obtained as spare hulks. The Swedish Skyraider target tugs served into the early 1970s. The pilot sat under a bubble-type canopy that slid back to open. Field of The view was said to be excellent.

The pilot was protected by cockpit armor, but there was no ejection seat; clearing the big tail was a problem when bailing out. Avionics were simple, including a radio, identification friend or foe (IFF) unit, and radio navigation aids;

the pilot used a deflection gunsight for targeting weapons delivery. Although the prototypes had generally been flown in natural metal colors, in service Skyraiders were typically painted overall dark blue, the Navy standard colors of the era.

* The AD-5 was the only Skyraider with the four-seat cockpit. The "AD-6" retained the single-seat configuration of the AD-4; it was in fact similar to the AD-4B, with a slightly improved R-3350-26WD engine providing 2,015 kW

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(2,700 HP), providing the same power as the -26WA engine. It was apparently oriented towards the close-support mission. The changes included modernized and simplified avionics; Modernized bomb racks and long ventral airbrake as per the AD-5;

airframe reinforcement; and armor added to the sides and bottom of the cockpit. The second XA2D-1 didn't take to the air until 3 April 1952. Matters didn't improve; despite extensive changes in the course of the flight test program,

Douglas still couldn't get the machine to fly right. The AD-4 seemed to be well good enough for the war in Korea, and the Navy was feeling more confident about pure jet propulsion; in mid-1952, the Skyshark program was

canceled, although ten production machines were to be completed -- it seems just to see if the aircraft could be fixed. The Douglas A-1 Skyraider was not only an integral aircraft used following WWII, but it was also a deadly weapon capable of eviscerating the enemy into nothing more than a grease spot – making it one of the best attack planes of all time.

Notable Accidents And Incidents

* In 1959, the Armee de l'Air (AA, the French Air Force) obtained 53 AD-4N and 40 AD-4NA machines, a total of 93, all hand-me-downs from USN service obtained from the US Military Assistance Program -- some sources claim 113

machines were passed on. They were refurbished by SFERNA in France, with the AN-4N aircraft converted to AD-4NA standard. They were obtained to help combat the insurgency in Algeria. The French Skyraiders lingered in service into the early 1970s, often being used in "brushfire wars" in Africa.

* The "A2D-1 Skyshark", mentioned above, grew out of a US Navy request to Douglas in the spring of 1945 to investigate a turboprop-powered attack aircraft. The Navy was uncertain that the new jet technology was really

appropriate for carrier operations; turboprop technology seemed to offer a reasonable compromise between advanced technology and operational prudence. The immense firepower of the Skyraider was also a key asset during the Vietnam War. According to Boeing, the A-1 was the only aircraft of its time capable of delivering 8,000 pounds of bombs with impressive precision over difficult targets like dams and bridges.

[] Skyraider In Southeast Asia

The centerline and inboard pylons were "wet" and could be used to carry external fuel tanks, it seems typically one 568-liter (150 US gallon) tank on the centerline or two 1,140-liter (300 US gallon) tanks on the inboard

pylons. The outboard stores pylons were intended for carrying smaller munitions like the 127-millimeter (5-inch) "high velocity air rocket (HVAR)" or 115-kilogram (250-pound) bomb. * The AD-2 was quickly followed in production by the "AD-3" -- incidentally,

that designation was originally given to a dead-end turboprop version of the Skyraider, the "Skyshark", discussed below, but the Skyshark ended up different enough to warrant its own type designation of "A2D-1". Equipped with fifteen hardpoints, it could carry a large amount of ordnance over a longer period of time, while still easily maneuverable at low speeds.

Unlike faster fighter planes like Vought F4U Corsair, the A-1 was well suited to ground attacks. * Along with the 242 AD-1 Skyraiders, a total of 35 "AD-1Q" ECM machines were built, based on the XBT2D-1Q.

The Korean War Saw Planes Lost

They accommodated an ECM operator in a cozy compartment in the fuselage behind the pilot's cockpit; there was a door with a window on the right side of the fuselage and a window on the left side of

the fuselage. It looked like it might have been difficult to get out of the compartment in a hurry. A jammer pod was carried under the right wing, while a chaff dispenser was carried under the left wing.

A suite of other ECM gear was carried internally, manifested by additional antennas, a small fairing on each side of the rear fuselage, and an air scoop to cool the ECM gear mounted on the aircraft's back between the cockpit and tailfin.

The Douglas A-1 Skyraider has several versions, starting with the version called AD-1. Then, it was named AD-2 and AD-3 with several minor improvements. Afterwards, it was named AD-4 with a more powerful engine known as R-3350-26WA.

[] Skyraider In Korea / Ad- / Ad- / Ad-

The AD-5 was pointedly widened, providing two crew to occupy the space side-by-side. Another version is the AD-1Q with a dual seat for the crew. The AD-3N, on the other hand, has a 3-seater, while the AD-5N came with a 4-seater with a night fight version.

The final version of the Douglas A-1 Skyraider is AD-7. The precise fate of the TBD program is unclear, with different sources giving different readings on the story. Some sources claim the program was cancelled July 1944 with no production machines built, others more plausibly claim that

28 BTD-1 production aircraft were built up to the end of the war; two of were fitted with an auxiliary Westinghouse 19B turbojet in the rear fuselage, providing 6.7 kN (680 kgp / 1,500 lbf) thrust, and designated "XTBD-2".

Whatever the case, the program was abandoned and the BTD-1 never saw operational service. Sources are also mixed on the virtues of the type. One survives as a museum piece. The fuselage air brakes were deleted on the AD-5, along with the ventral air brake

[] Comments Sources Revision History

lengthened. The AD-5 retained the armament of the AD-4, with four 20-millimeter cannon and 15 stores pylons -- though for whatever reasons, the inner wing pylons were modified to a "raked" configuration that extended forward of the wing, possibly to maintain center of gravity while carrying

stores. The first AD-5, a modified AD-4, flew on 17 August 1951. 212 were built in all, along with a number of subvariants: US Navy Skyraiders were among the first aircraft to perform strikes on North

Vietnam with the escalation of the conflict in 1964. For four years, the Spad would prove its value in close-support missions over South Vietnam and incursions into North Vietnam. Ground-pounders really liked the Skyraider, since it had a heavy bombload, was capable of very accurate strikes, and

could remain over the battle area for far longer than a jet "fast mover". Elisabeth Edwards is a public historian and historical content writer. After completing her Master's in Public History at Western University in Ontario, Canada Elisabeth has shared her passion for history as a researcher, interpreter, and volunteer at local heritage organizations.

[] Skyraider In Foreign Service / Survivors / Variant List

By 1960, the United States began to transfer over some of its A-1 Skyraiders to the Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF). By 1968, the RVNAF had received over 150 Skyraiders. Potential Vietnamese pilots were sent to NAS Corpus Christi in Texas to receive flight training on the Skyraider, which was a primary aircraft used by the Vietnamese throughout the war.

Built-in armament consisted of a single M3 20-millimeter cannon in each wing just inboard of the wing fold or two cannons in total, with a maximum of 200 rounds per cannon. As far as external warload went, there was a centerline

stores pylon, a single pylon under each inner wing, and six pylons on each outer wing -- for a total of 15 pylons. The centerline pylon could carry a store with a weight of up to 1,630 kilograms (3,600 pounds), while each

inboard pylon could handle up to 1,360 kilograms (3,000 pounds), and each Outboard pylon could handle up to 225 kilograms (500 pounds). However, the total warload on the outboard pylons for each wing could not exceed 1,135

Development And Production

kilograms (2,500 pounds), and since the outboard pylons were tightly spaced, Clearance issues also led to limitations on store configurations. The A-1 (formerly known as the AD Skyraider) is a single-seat attack aircraft that saw service from 1946 until the 1980s.

The piston-engined, American-designed plane's ability to carry large amounts of weapons over a long period of time made it especially powerful during the Southeast Asia War. It provided close air support to ground forces, escorted helicopters during rescue missions, and attacked enemy supply lines.

* The Douglas SBD Dauntless dive-bomber had a remarkably successful combat career during World War II with the US Navy and Marine Corps, but even at the time it was clearly a somewhat antiquated design. The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver

was supposed to have replaced it, but the Helldiver was one of the most despised US Navy aircraft of the conflict, and flight crews tended to prefer their reliable, if outdated, Dauntless. The AD-1 was generally similar to the XBT2D-1 attack prototypes, although the

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The first four XBT2D-1 prototypes were powered by the Wright R-3350-8 1,715 kW (2,300 HP), not the R-3350-24W; the prototypes also had some small ones detail differences from the AD-1 -- for example, their landing gear and wing

skinning had also proven not robust enough, demanding strengthening. * The AD-1 provides a useful baseline for the Skyraider family. The AD-1 was the product of a design team under the well-known Ed Heinemann, along with

Leo Devlin and Gene Root. It was of generally straightforward configuration, of all-metal construction -- mostly aircraft aluminum, with a low-mounted wing and a conventional tail arrangement. Somewhat unusual for the postwar period, it featured taildragger landing gear, all gear assemblies with single

wheels and retractable, with each main gear assembly backwards into the wing, and the wheel folding 90 degrees to lie flat. There was a stinger-style arresting hook behind the tailwheel. Following conversion of an AD-1 to an AD-2 preproduction prototype, initial

Service deliveries began in 1948, with 156 AD-2s built in all. Two AD-2s were later converted to "AD-2D" drone director aircraft, carrying a radio link and an operator to remotely pilot a robot aircraft -- some sources claim

these machines were actually drones, however. An ECM version, the "AD-2Q", an updated AD-1Q, was produced as well, with 22 built. One was eventually converted into a target tow tug and redesignated "AD-2QU". The AD-3 featured more airframe strengthening;

lengthened main landing gear struts; a tailwheel that was no longer fully retractable; an updated propeller extensive cockpit tweaks; and a redesigned rudder. Some AD-2s had a pitot tube mounted high on the leading edge of the tailfin;

the AD-3 deleted this item. 125 AD-3 Skyraiders were built into 1949. A number of Subvariants were built as well, exploiting the multi-role potential considered in the various XBT2D-1 prototypes:

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Aeronca Aircraft

Aeronca Aircraft - List of all Aeronca Aircraft airplanes and aircraft types, with images, specs, and other information. These active and retired Aeronca Aircraft planes are listed in alphabetical order, but if you're looking for a particular aircraft you can look for it using the "search" bar.

The Aeronca Aircraft aircraft on this list include all planes, jets, helicopters, and other flying vehicles ever made by Aeronca Aircraft. Unless you're an aviation expert you probably can't think of every aircraft made by Aeronca Aircraft, so use this list to find a few popular Aeronca Aircraft planes and helicopters that have been used a lot in the course of history.

Aeronca Aircraft

John Demyan's 7EC Traveler was restored and flownto Sun 'n Fun by its restorer Ted Davis. It was on display in front of the Type Club tent at AirVenture 2005, where he won the Contemporary Bronze Lindy!

Aeronca Champ, Chief, Sedan, L-3 (O-58), L-16, Defender, C-2, C-3, Models 50, 65, series K et al. We promote these capable and historic aircraft through their preservation and maintenance, and celebrate their History. The Aeronca Aviators Club welcomes all owners, pilots and

enthusiasts of these fine aircraft.

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A-5 Vigilante Aircraft

A-5 Vigilante Aircraft - Select models of the F-14 Tomcat would eventually carry the multi-sensor Tactical Air Reconnaissance Pod (TARPS) and the Digital Tactical Air Reconnaissance Pod (D-TARPS). Following up to present day, the weight of fighters such as the F-14 Tomcat and Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet have evolved into the same 62,950 lb (28,550 kg) class as the Vigilante.

With the retirement of the F-14, the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet strike fighters and EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft are planned to cover the strike, reconnaissance, tanker and electronic warfare roles of the F-14 Tomcat , A-6E Intruder, A-7E Corsair II, RF-8G Crusader, RA-5C, KA-6D Intruder, Grumman EA-6B Prowler, S-3B Viking, ES-3A Shadow and EA-3B Skywarrior.

A-5 Vigilante Aircraft

I was in USN from 07/70 until 01/74. I went to RVAH-3 for training following "C" school, then deployed with RVAH-11 for WestPac 71 /72 and Med Cruise 73. I was a PH-2 when I got out after 3.5yrs (early out due to base move

Design And Development

from NAS Albany, GA to NAS Key West, FL. The Viggie was a great aircraft. I always remember the "nose up" attitude in flight, and how loud she was on take-off and landing. One of the biggest, nosiest AC

on a carrier. While the Vigilante served in the attack and reconnaissance roles, its design and planform was a direct descendant of the earlier WS-202 or XF-108 Rapier Mach 3 fighter, designed originally to escort the North American XB-70 Valkyrie bomber.

Although both experimental programs were ultimately unsuccessful, the Soviet's Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 "Foxbat" interceptor was greatly influenced by American advances in high speed flight.[11] [N 1] Although there is a superficial resemblance to the F-108/Vigilante configuration, the MiG-25 was an entirely unique design.[12]

The A3J-2 attack variant, later dubbed the A-5B, and the RA-5C reconn. variant were built later on. In all, 156 Vigilantes were built including the prototypes, one of which still survives on display at the Naval Aviation Museum

(Pensacola, Florida). I worked 14 of my 22 year tour on that aircraft. The flight controls were the latest and lots of fun to work on. Didn't like the back carts. All systems were a lot to learn.

I still can remember PIN numbers on amps. Was a real challenge for an old mo boy. Made a reunion in Sanford in 2004. Eight of 10 squadrons of RA-5C Vigilantes also saw extensive service in Vietnam starting in August 1964, carrying out hazardous medium-level reconnaissance missions.

Although it proved fast and agile, 18 RA-5Cs were lost in combat: 14 to anti-aircraft fire, three to surface-to-air missiles, and one to a MiG-21 during Operation Linebacker II. Nine more were lost in operational accidents while serving with Task Force 77. Due, in part, to these combat losses, 36 additional RA-5C aircraft were built from 1968 to 1970 as attrition replacements.[9]

The reconnaissance version of the Vigilante, the RA-5C, had slightly greater wing area and added a long canoe-shaped fairing under the fuselage for a multi-sensor reconnaissance pack. This added an APD-7 side-looking airborne radar (SLAR), AAS-21 infrared linescanner, and camera packs, as well as improved ECM.

An AN/ALQ-61 electronic intelligence system could also be carried. The RA-5C retained the AN/ASB-12 bombing system, and could, in theory, carry weapons, although it never did in service. Later-build RA-5Cs had more powerful J79-10 engines with afterburning thrust of 17,900 lbf (80 kN).

The reconnaissance Vigilante weighed almost five tons more than the strike version with almost the same thrust and an only modestly enlarged wing. These changes cost it acceleration and climb rate, though it remained fast in level flight.

what wonderful memories @ the naa columbus plant. i was lead man in the non destructive testing dept (x-ray) spent a lot of time x-raying the titanium duct work for the boundry layer control (blc) system that was a whole new control system concept.

at the time titanium was almost an exotic metal that was very difficult to form into the complex shapes for the system and consequently had to be welded from many small pieces and inspected for welding defects 100%.

the vig had a very strange trade mark sound that could be heard all over the east side of columbus in the wee hours out on the ramp @ run up. this was in 1963 / 1965. best job i ever had.

I was a Dynamicist from June 57 to May 63 on the A3J /RA5C. It was a beautiful airplane, esp the A3J. We had a great Group doing the analyses, lab tests, wind tunnel tests and flight tests.

George Hoskins was the Test Pilot on the A3J doing Flutter Tests, a GREAT test pilot. The A-5 Vigilante was originally developed as a supersonic nuclear bomber, but submarines had taken on the mission when the A-5 entered service in 1964. Fortunately, the Vigilante's excellent performance lent itself to the reconnaissance role.

A special 'canoe' fitted to the belly housed not only cameras, but infrared sensors, electronic surveillance devices, side-looking radar, and defensive electronic jammers. Vigilante's saw extensive service in the Vietnam War, flying hazarduous pre- and post-bombing raid reconnaissance and surveillance flights.

Despite the Vigilante's useful service, it was expensive and complex to operate and occupied significant amounts of precious flight deck and hangar deck space aboard both conventional and nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. With the end of the Vietnam War, disestablishment of RVAH squadrons began in 1974, with the last Vigilante squadron, RVAH-7, completing its final deployment to the Western Pacific aboard USS Ranger (CV-61) in late 1979. The final flight by

an RA-5C took place on 20 November 1979 when a Vigilante departed NAS Key West, Florida.[10] Reconnaissance Attack Wing ONE was subsequently disestablished at NAS Key West, Florida in January 1980. The Vigilante's early service proved troublesome, with many teething problems for its advanced systems.

Although these systems were highly sophisticated, the technology of the time was in its infancy, and its reliability was poor.[citation needed] Although most of these reliability issues were eventually worked out as maintenance personnel gained greater experience with supporting these systems, the aircraft

tended to remain a maintenance-intensive platform throughout its career. Re: Keene LittleCudos to you! In a previous comment, I mentioned as being in the first Vigilante squadron (also RCAH7) back when they were A5A's. This was in 1962. I'd love to see your movies and, if there is a picture of the Vigilante.

please email it? in flight suitable to put on a shirt?I reside still in Sanford, Fl. where there is a beautiful static display of an RA5C at the entrance to the old NAS! After leaving the Navy in Aug.

of 1959 as a 2nd class aircraft electronic tech. I went to work at North American Aviation in Columbus Ohio. Got to work on the A3J from the early stages and then on to the RA5C recon version.

A beautiful airplane and fast. I was on the team that set the altitude record for it's type and also help deliver the first A3J's to the Navy in Sanford Fl. The recon version had tons of electronic equipment.

and I got to work on the camera systems made by Chicago Areal Industries. Seems to me I remember a mad scramble to get one ready to take pictures over Cuba before it actually became operational.

I maintained, repaired, and tested the Auto Pilot system on the A3-J aircraft, in flight test. You could always tell when the A-3J was taxiing or flying in the area, as it had a sound all of it's own.

It was a very good program to work on. A lot of good people. Designated A3J-1, the Vigilante first entered squadron service with Heavy Attack Squadron THREE (VAH-3) in June 1961 at Naval Air Station Sanford, Florida, replacing the Douglas A-3 Skywarrior in the heavy attack role.[8]

All variants of the Vigilante were built at North American Aviation's facility at Port Columbus Airport in Columbus, Ohio, alongside the North American T-2 Buckeye and OV-10 Bronco. The Vigilante was designed as a Mach 2 carrier-based attack aircraft capable of carrying nuclear or conventional bombs.

The first prototype flew on 31 August 1958 and 57 production A-5A attack aircraft were delivered to the US Navy, becoming operational on board USS Enterprise in February 1962. The other major version of the Vigilante was the RA-5G, a reconnaissance type of

which more than 90 were built as new; most of the A-5A were subsequently converted to this standard. The RAN controlled all reconnaissance functions, although the pilot could assume control of the oblique-mounted serial frame cameras.

Each crewmember had a catapult/rocket-powered ejection seat, also designed and produced at the Columbus facility, capable of high-altitude, high-speed or ground-level recoveries. On December 13, 1960, Navy Commander Leroy Heath (Pilot) and Lieutenant Larry Monroe (Bombardier/Navigator) established a world altitude record of 91,450.8 feet (27,874.2 m) in an A3J Vigilante carrying a 1,000 kilogram payload, beating the previous record by over four

miles (6 km). This new record held for over 13 years.[13] Under the Tri-Services Designation plan implemented under Robert McNamara in September 1962, the Vigilante was redesignated A-5, with the initial A3J-1 becoming A-5A and the updated A3J-2 becoming A-5B.

The subsequent reconnaissance version, originally A3J-3P, became the RA-5C. The combination of the RA-5C Vigilante's ability to deliver conventional weapons, day or night in all kinds of weather, as well as to complete tactical reconnaissance missions made it one of the most versatile aircraft in the world.

RA-5Cs served throughout the Vietnam War and were retired from service in 1979. Fighters replaced the RA-5C in the carrier-based reconnaissance role. The RF-8G version of the Vought F-8 Crusader, modified with internal cameras, had already been serving in two light photographic squadrons (VFP-62 and VFP-63) since the early 1960s, operating from older aircraft carriers unable to support the

vigilante. The Marine Corps' sole photographic squadron (VMFP-3) would also deploy aboard aircraft carriers during this period with RF-4B Phantom II aircraft. These squadrons superseded the Vigilante's role by providing detachments from the primary squadron to carrier air wings throughout the late 1970s and early-to-mid-1980s until transfer of the recon mission to the Navy's fighter squadron (VF) community operating the Grumman F-14

Tomcat. RA-5C Vigilante, BuNo 156608, from Reconnaissance Attack Squadron 7 (RVAH-7) during what may have been its final flight in 1979. This aircraft is now on permanent display at Naval Support Activity Mid-South (formerly Naval Air Station Memphis)

, Tennessee. When I arrived at NAS Albany Georgia in August 1969 assigned to RVAH-3. We had the C-47,TA-3B,TA4J,and the best looking aircraft the Navy has ever purchased RA-5C. I got to work with some really good sailors while being assigned to RVAH-3.

I had orders to RVAH-9 but transferred to Naval hospital Jax and never got to go on cruise with her. After 31 years active duty and now working at Pax River MD the Vigilante in the air museum was one I had worked on.

The RA-5C featured a high, thin swept wing and all-movable slab-type tail surfaces with spoiler/deflectors in lieu of conventional ailerons for lateral control. The wing was equipped with flaps and droopable leading edges with boundary layer control, which, when used in conjunction with the spoiler/deflectors, improved low-speed flight characteristics.

The Vigilante, designed and built for the U.S. Navy by North American Aircraft Division at Columbus, Ohio, was the only Mach 2 bomber to serve aboard a Navy carrier. Initially designated the A3J-1 attack bomber, it was one of the largest and heaviest aircraft ever accepted for service aboard U.S.

Navy carriers. Production began in 1956, and it entered squadron service in June 1961. It was redesignated the A-5 and fully deployed by August 1962, when the USS Enterprise, the Navy's first nuclear aircraft carrier, made its inaugural cruise.

In 1968, Congress closed the aircraft's original operating base of NAS Sanford, Florida and transferred the parent wing, Reconnaissance Attack Wing ONE, all subordinate squadrons and all aircraft and personnel to Turner AFB, a Strategic Air Command (SAC) B-52 and Boeing

KC-135 base at Albany, Georgia. The tenant SAC bomb wing was then deactivated and control of Turner AFB was transferred from the Air Force to the Navy with the installation renamed Naval Air Station Albany. In 1974, after barely six years of service as a naval air station, Congress opted to close NAS Albany as part of a post-Vietnam force reduction, transferring all RA-5C units and personnel to NAS Key West, Florida.

Served with RVAH-1, NAS Sanford, 1964-66, Heavy 1 flew off the USS Indepence CVA-62 in 1965 in South China Sea. Biggest beast on the Carrier & fastest. But now protection over mission site. The Vigis took the heaviest losses per mission of the war.

Like to go back to Sanford and see the place. Guess we won't hear "Launch the Heavies" anymore. This is one of the most underrated aircraft ever. I observed them coming on board the ship. Then if you have had the opportunity and when you saw them show off and do what they were designed for, it takes your breath away.

There is nothing in the air that can compete with it today. Years ahead of its time. A few years ago the Navy wanted to bring them back, but Politics got in the way. Worked in airframes in Key West.

Yes a neat airplane but hard to keep in the air the older it got. The flight control system and hydraulic system was not mechanic friendly. Still the coolest looking plane in the air by far!

Despite being designated by the US Navy as a "heavy", the A-5 was surprisingly agile for such a large aircraft. Without the drag of bombs or missiles, even escorting fighters found that the clean airframe and powerful engines made the Vigilante very fast at high and low altitudes.

However, its high approach speed and high angle of attack in the landing configuration made returning to the aircraft carrier a challenge for inexperienced or unwary pilots.[5] In 1953, North American Aviation began a private study for a carrier-based, long-range, all-weather strike bomber, capable of delivering nuclear weapons at supersonic speeds.[2]

This proposal, the NAGPAW (North American General Purpose Attack Weapon) concept, was accepted by the United States Navy, with some revisions, in 1955.[3] A contract was awarded on August 29, 1956. Its first flight occurred two years later on August 31, 1958 in Columbus, Ohio.[4]

RA-5C BuNo 151629 on outdoor display in RVAH-3 markings at the Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum in Pueblo, Colorado in November 2007. This aircraft has since been repainted in RVAH-7 markings and is now displayed indoors. TravisFlew RA-5c version '70-74.

In '81 went to work at AEDC in wind tunnels as an aero. Worked there for over 30 years. Worked with quite a few folks from GD/FW. Mack Shafer and I became good friends. The Vigilante had advanced and complex electronics when it first entered service.

It had one of the first fly-by-wire systems of an operational aircraft (with mechanical/hydraulic backup) and a computerized AN/ASB-12 nav/attack system incorporating a head-up display (Pilot's Projected Display Indicator (PPDI), one of the first), multi-mode radar, Radar-Equipped Inertial Navigation System (REINS, based on technologies developed for the Navaho missile), closed-circuit television camera under the nose, and an early digital computer known as VERDAN (Versatile Digital

Analyzer) to run it all.

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A124 Aircraft

A124 Aircraft - I replied: "That almost might be a broad comment on Russian technology general." He added that the Russians complained bitterly about the poor quality of American vodka, and that half a case of Russian vodka was provided

as part of the repair kit. That made me imagine a conversation: "What's Like Kansas, Dmitriy Mikhailovich?" * The Soviet Union had a certain admiration for the virtue of sheer impressive size, and this bias was reflected in aircraft design.

A124 Aircraft

The most spectacular examples are three of the largest aircraft ever built, all products of the Antonov design bureau: the "An-22 Antheus (Cock)", the "An-124 Ruslan (Condor)", and the "An-225 Mriya (Cossack)" cargolifters. This document provides a history and description of these Antonov giants.

[] Comments Sources Revision History

Of the 65 production machines produced to the end of manufacture in 1974, the totals were split evenly between Aeroflot and the VTA, the Soviet military airlift service, although some sources claim that even the Aeroflot machines

were generally used for military duties. Some of the five prototypes were upgraded to production specification and put into formal service. The An-22s were used mostly to carry cargoes to the undeveloped Soviet Far East. The

Antonov bureau considered building a double-decker airliner version of the An-22, with a capacity of 724 passengers, but this machine never got beyond design studies. In April alone, UR-82007 undertook 24 flights covering a distance of more than 39,000 miles.

Based in Ukraine, Antonov Airlines was the first operator to offer the An-124-100 to the commercial market, and remains the world's only operator of the gigantic AN-225 Mriya aircraft. * Much to my surprise, I saw an An-124 in the late 1990s while I was flying

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to Florida, making a Houston stopover. I saw this huge aircraft sitting alongside the runway and thought: "What the HELL is that monster?" As it is turned out, apparently the Russians had a regular arrangement with some Texas

oil companies and used the An-124 to transfer oil drilling gear to the various former-Soviet Central Asian republics. I had to admit the thing was impressive. Yesterday, 11th May 2021, at approximately 5:15am, local time, an Antonov Airlines AN-124-100M overran the runway after landing on runway 09L at São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport (GRU), Brazil.

The nose landing gear rolled out from the paved surface of the runway by approximately six meters. The main landing gear remained on the runway. As a result of this, Volga Dnepr took the decision to ground its entire fleet of AN-124s, 12 aircraft in all, while the airline undertook inspections.

With Christmas fast approaching, Antonov Airlines was pushed to re-activate the AN-225 Mria to fill the void left by the Volga-Dnepr fleet. Just before Christmas 2005, I spotted an An-124 in what amounted to my own

[] Antonov An- Ruslan Condor

backyard, parked on the tarmac at Denver International Airport. Obviously the thing wasn't there to deliver holiday parcels; a search on the Web said that An-124s periodically flew into Denver to transport space-launch boosters to Cape Canaveral from the Lockheed Martin plant south of Denver.

I believe these are Atlas boosters -- using Russian-designed main engines. Times had changed, although since then, they have badly regressed again. To hide all ads and enable 50+ premium features, view our subscription options here.

If you're already a subscriber, log in here. Or to continue using RadarBox with ads, please disable any ad-blocking software on your browser and reload this page. The An-124 had a general configuration similar to that of the C-5A, with a

high-set swept wing mounting four high-bypass turbofans on pylons, the aircraft featuring front and rear loading. The most significant visible difference from the C-5A was that the An-124 had a conventional low-set tailplane, in contrast to the tee tail of the C-5A.

An- Overshoots Runway

Although the dimensions of the two aircraft were similar, the An-124 had a greater empty weight the C-5A and substantially greater cargo capacity. * In 1968, the US flew the first Lockheed "C-5A Galaxy" cargolifter, which

took the title of "world's biggest aircraft" away from the An-22. The USSR was of course inclined to respond -- to the extent that need justified it and the resources were available -- and in the summer of 1977, reports indicated

that the Soviets were in fact working on a mega-sized jet cargolifter. Preliminary findings show the incident was caused by changeable weather conditions, which made it possible to safely carry out the flight, but in the second half of the run along the runway, the plane entered heavy fog, which affected the timely taxiing of the plane from

the runway. Heavylift freighter. In service since 1987. Antonovs heavylift freighter development to replace the An-22. An-124 configuration is similar to the LOCKHEAD C-5 Galaxy. Only a limited number built and remain in service. Range with max payload is 3200nm, with 120t the range is 5200nm and with 40t the range is 11900nm.

[] Antonov An- Antheus Cock

* A total of 54 Condors were built up to 2004, the aircraft being roughly split between civilian and military users. Interestingly, two An-22s were modified to carry the wings on their back for assembly. The Russian

Aerospace Force currently has 26 An-124s in service. Since 2010, 14 of them have been upgraded with features such as a modernized cockpit -- reducing cockpit crew from 6 to 4 -- plus other updated avionics;

much more reliable D-18T turbofans that meet international noise and emissions regulations; and a service-life extension program (SLEP) that provided a number of airframes and system improvements. The initial production version of the An-22 required ground-starting

equipment; 37 were built, followed by 28 "An-22A" machines, with a self-starting capability and improved avionics. It appears an auxiliary power unit (APU) was installed in each of the main landing gear sponsons, at least suggested by an intake hole in the front and two exhaust holes on

A Tricky Few Months

the sides. It is not clear if the APUs were fitted to the early production machines. However, since the An-124 has proven profitable in the commercial heavy-lift market, the An-225 is now being offered for the same work.

The Antonov bureau refurbished the An-225s for commercial operations, including transport of bulky cargoes and possibly air launch of space boosters. The program involved the addition of modern navigation and communication avionics, a collision avoidance system, and modifications to reduce the noise signature

of the aircraft. The first flight of the revitalized An-225 was on May 7, 2001. The An-225 is much more expensive to operate than the An-124, and so it is had a low utilization rate -- being only flown with cargoes that cannot be

hauled any other way. Throughout the pandemic, Antonov Airlines has been busy carrying vital cargo around the world as well as continuing its normal shipments. Today, an AN-124 loaded up with 99 tons of personal protective equipment met an unfortunate end when landing at Sao Paulo Airport in Brazil.

Shsh Antonov An- Mriya Tsossatsk

The transport's nose lifted up to allow a fold-out loading ramp to be deployed, while the tail featured a four-section door-ramp system. The cargo hold was 26 meters (118 feet) long, 6.4 meters (21 feet) wide, and 4.4 meters

(14 feet 5 inches) high. Two traveling gantries were fitted to the roof, with each gantry having a load capacity of 10,000 kilograms (22,050 pounds) and fitted with two hoists, each having a load capacity of 5,000 kilograms

(11,025 pounds). Twin APUs could be used to power the hoist system ground. The aircraft could carry a load of up to 150 tons (165 tons). A few years later I got an email from a US Army sort who told me a story

about how an An-124 flew into Wichita, Kansas, with some heavy industry machinery from Switzerland for the Boeing plant there. All things considered, it was the cheapest way to deliver the machinery. On departure, the An-124 lost an engine, and was grounded for four days while a spare

engine was delivered and installed. My correspondent concluded: "The folks at the modifications hangars were not sure whether to be impressed or horrified at this feat of repair." The An-124's four Lotarev D-18T turbofans provided 230 kN (23,400 kgp /

51,590 lbf) thrust each, and had thrust reversers to reduce landing roll. In conjunction with full-span leading-edge slats and large flaps, the powerful engines allowed the An-124 to operate off of rough airstrips only 1,200 meters (3,800 feet) long.

Unfortunately, the D-18Ts had low reliability early on, and only gradually improved. The An-124 had very heavy-duty landing gear for rough field operation. The nose gear consisted of two twin-wheel units mounted in parallel, with each

unit steered independently. There were five sets of main landing gear units on each side of the aircraft, with dual wheels on each set, for a total of ten sets and twenty wheels. The front two units on each side were steerable.

The landing gear was adjustable to allow the transport to "kneel", to assist cargo loading. There were five or six crew, plus a pressurized compartment behind them cockpit with seating for 28 or 29 passengers. Personnel access was through a

door in each landing gear fairing. The main cargo bay was 33 meters (108 feet) long, and was accessed through a rear loading ramp. The ramp could be opened in flight for cargo airdrop. Cargo capacity was 80 tons (88 tons).

There were four traveling gantries mounted on rails in the roof of the cargo bay, to be used in conjunction with two winches, each with a load capacity of 2,500 kilograms (5,500 pounds). Given that the relationship between Ukraine and Russia is antagonistic, the

Antonov organization is very interested in "Westernizing" the An-124 and anything follow-ons -- using Western avionics and systems at the very least, and possibly re-engineering the aircraft with Western turbofans. Despite its age, the An-124 may have a long future.

Managing Editor - Joanna has worked in publishing for more than a decade and is fast becoming a go-to source for commercial aviation analysis. Providing commentary for outlets including the BBC, CNBC, Reuters Thomson, and others, she works closely with IATA, AviaDev, and various airlines and suppliers to get the inside track on the global marketplace.

Based in the United Kingdom The An-22 was supplemented by the Antonov An-124, discussed below, beginning in 1987. An-22s, being still useful for hauling heavy loads, have been refurbished to be kept in service -- with Antonov converting two of them

to "An-22PZ" configuration to haul large aircraft assemblies for Antonov production. One An-22 crashed during Russian military exercises in 2010, killing all 12 crew. Other An-22s were grounded until the problem was solved tracked down. The Russian government wants to keep six An-22s in service

to the 2030s, through overhauls; one overhauled machine remains in commercial service, with Antonov Airlines. The result, the "An-225 Mriya (Dream)" performed its first flight on 21 December 1988, with Alexander Galunenko at the controls. It appeared at the

Paris Air Show in 1989 with a Buran shuttle on its back. It was assigned the NATO reporting name of "Cossack". The An-225 was clearly a derivative of the An-124, with front and aft fuselage plugs to extend length, and wing inserts

to extend span and allow mounting of two more Lotarev D-18T turbofans, for a total of six engines. The An-124 remains a product with a unique niche, being used to haul heavy equipment all over the world, and it has played a major role in United

Nations operations in countries such as Afghanistan. There is interest in new production -- but attempts to build new machines were derailed by antagonistic relations between Russia and Ukraine. The Antonov organization is currently trying to "westernize" the An-124 to eliminate dependence on

Russia, but there's been little progress so far. The number of main landing gear assemblies was increased from five per side to seven to handle the increased take-off weight. A set of standoffs was fitted to the back for external cargo carriage, with the standoffs covered by

fairings when not in use, and the conventional tail assembly of the An-124 was changed to a twin-fin assembly to ensure controllability when a large cargo was mounted on the back. The rear loading ramp was deleted to reduce

weight. The crew were reported to be unhurt, but the plane sustained some minor damage. Thankfully the ground was fairly firm, which enabled a push-back vehicle to successfully return the Antonov to the runway surface. The aircraft was cleared by 07:00 local time and airport operations were resumed.

An Antonov cargo plane has overshot the end of the runway on landing earlier today. The AN-124, registered UR-82007, rolled out beyond the end of the runway surface while landing in the dark at Sao Paulo-Guarulhos.

The airport was temporarily closed until the aircraft could be removed. The An-225 is the world's largest aircraft by far. Since it is a specialized machine, it is unlikely that there would have been reason to build it in

large numbers in the best of circumstances. Given that the introduction of the big cargolifter coincided with the last days of the Soviet Union, it is not surprising that only was built -- and it was mothballed in 1994, being

used as a spare hulk for An-124s. A second machine was not completed. The Russians have been considering their own alternative to the An-124, the "PAK VTA" or "Ilyushin Il-106", with images of wind-tunnel models released in

2020. The Il-106 is seen as a "blended wing-body" aircraft; it is expected to be able to haul up to 180 tons of cargo, 60 tons more than the An-124, and have a range of 7000 kilometers (4,350 miles), a maximum speed of 850 KPH

(525 MPH), and be powered by four Aviadvigatel PD-35 turbofans -- the PD-35 an improved derivative of the new PD-14 engine, intended to power Russia's Irkut MC-21 airliner. The program is in progress at present, with

serial production to begin in 2027, although that remains to be seen. UR-82007 is one of seven AN-124 aircraft in use by Antonov Airlines. It is 34.9 years old, and has been busy flying cargo throughout the pandemic.

Data from RadarBox.com shows it has spent a lot of time at Almaty, Leipzig Halle, Anchorage and Kuwait in the past few months, although this seems to be its first flight to Sao Paulo this year.

The pressurized cabin accommodated a flight crew of six, along with accommodations for a relief crew. The aircraft featured leading-edge avionics being flown with a quadruplex fly-by-wire flight control system, and featuring a triple-redundant inertial navigation system.

It didn't have a glazed nose. A pressurized passenger section with 88 seats was included behind the wing. Antonov Airlines never grounded its fleet, but continued to press on with fulfilling vital delivery missions. This saw it carrying a huge 54-tonne generator from Ghana to India, and flying mining equipment to Brazil from Australia.

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