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Antonov An-178

2023 MODERN AIRCRAFT FUTURE FLIGHT

History of Antonov An-178

The Antonov An-178 is a 99-seat cargo variant of the An-158, itself a lengthened fuselage version of the original An-148 introduced in 2009 (described elsewhere on this page). The An-178 represents a medium-duty military/civilian tactical transport alternative to competing designs such as the emerging Embraer KC-390 and the Russian-Indian UAC Il-214 MTA. It was designed to replace the aging line of Antonov An-12, An-26 and An-32 models still in service around the world - but they were past their prime (all Cold War era products). The An-178 was planned for early 2010 and the aircraft was officially launched in April 2015 (Paris Air Show 2015).

On May 7, 2015, the first flight was carried out as a prototype.

The An-178 borrowed many of the proven qualities of the An-148/An-158 family, especially their high-lift aircraft with high-set wings. The engine nacelles are attached to the undersides of the wings, one for each wing. The flight deck provides excellent visibility on the nose, and the aft configuration is a traditional "T" arrangement.

The empennage was raised to provide the necessary access to the cargo compartment under the tail, allowing proper access to the cargo compartment in the belly of the aircraft. Most of the wings and forward fuselage were taken directly from the An-158 without major modifications. No. 4 main landing gear outriggers are single-wheeled to handle the weight involved in transporting military supplies back and forth. The nasal bone has a standard two-wheel attachment.

The structure used throughout the aircraft is primarily composite and lightweight aluminum.

Propulsion is provided by 2 Progress D-436-148FM turbofan engines, each producing approximately 15,000 pounds of thrust. This puts the aircraft at cruising speed in the 500 mph range with an upper operating limit of 42,650 feet. It has a cargo capacity of 22,045 pounds and a range of 2,500 miles.

40,000 pounds can be transported 620 miles.

Operators in Azerbaijan, Iraq and Saudi Arabia have contracted at least 35 aircraft. Azerbaijan's Sil Way Airlines was the first customer with an order of 10 aircraft. The Royal Saudi Air Force expects to have at least 30 An-178s in its fleet. The Iraqi Army ordered two aircraft (2018).