Antonov Transport Aircraft Books - History and Models

Antonov's Heavy Transports: From the An-22 to An-225, 1965 to the Present

This book charts the development and service history of the Antonov design bureau's heavy transport aircraft. In the late 1950s, the Antonov design bureau began developing the An-22 heavy military transport, intended to carry 50 tons. Powered by four 15,000 hp turboprops, it was the world's heaviest transport when it first flew in February 1965.

The four-turbofan An-124 was again the world's most capable airlifter when it emerged in 1982, with a payload of 120 tons. It proved its worth in military and humanitarian operations and earned acclaim as a commercial freighter after 1991 for carrying heavy and outsized items.
The unique six-engined An-225 "Mriya" was created for carrying the Buran space shuttle. Despite the demise of the Buran program, the aircraft found use on the heavy/outsized cargo transportation market.

This book is illustrated by a wealth of new photos and color artwork, as well as line drawings.

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Wings Above the Planet: The History of Antonov Airlines

The Ukraine based Antonov company had its origins in the Soviet era Antonov Design Bureau which latterly had been working on large transport aircraft. Created in the late 1980s in the turbulent post-Soviet era, the new company began to focus on this aspect of the international aviation market.
Antonov Airlines was the first to offer the services of the most capable heavy-lift aircraft in serial production, the An-124 Ruslan, laying the foundations for a new sector of that market, the transportation of oversized and super-heavy cargoes.

Since its formation, the enormous variety and types of cargoes that have been carried by the airline is extraordinary ranging from live chickens, tanks, railway locomotives, satellites, ostriches, generators, transformers and pressure vessels to boats and other aircraft.
The list is almost endless and without the mighty An-124 Ruslan, many of these cargoes could never have travelled by air.

This book provides many fascinating insights into a part of the aviation industry which is not often in the spotlight, the world of international heavy lift aviation. It also tells the story of challenging journey the airline company has made from being a subdivision of a secret Soviet enterprise to becoming one of the world leaders in a highly competitive sector of the aviation business.
Illustrated throughout, the book contains a wealth of information on the design, production and operation of the An-12, An-74, An-124 and the giant An-225 aircraft.

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Antonow An-124 - Russlands riesiges Transportflugzeug Ruslan

The An-124 "Ruslan" is the core of the strategic transport aviation of the Russian Federation. It enables the Soviet Union to transport large military loads and personnel to any point on earth.
It is the successor to the An-22, which was first introduced 20 years earlier and whose appearance marked the beginning of a new stage in the Soviet Union's long-running race with the USA to build gigantic aircraft. With its first flight in December 1982, it replaced the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy as the largest aircraft in the world. In May 1985, the USSR presented this heavy-lift aircraft to the world public for the first time at the Paris Le Bourget Air Show.

The An-124 was developed in the Antonov design office under the leadership of chief designer Balabuyev. The design of the new giant was based not only on Antonov's experience with the huge An-22 turboprop transport aircraft, but also on his knowledge of the somewhat smaller Lockheed C-5 Galaxy.
To this day, the Antonov's strengths are demonstrated not only in military use but also in charter cargo flights: tracked tanks and trucks with low-loader trailers can drive directly into the open bow via a flat ramp. The An-124 can even land on poorly developed runways and on frozen snow.

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Antonov 22 - Kurs Kiew-Speyer

No other aircraft has influenced the development and construction of wide-body transport aircraft worldwide as much as the Antonov An-22 "Antaeus". Only two of seven aircraft survived the test series of the 1960s.

This book accompanies the An-22 on its spectacular last flight from Kiev to Speyer, describes the development of the world's largest propeller-driven cargo aircraft, and tells the adventurous life of the "01-03" as a test and transport aircraft in the service of the Antonov design office.
A great chapter of Soviet and international aviation history is brought back to life

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