ANTONOV State Company sincerely welcomes its partners on the program of the AN-178 new transport creation with finalization of an important stage – construction of this aircraft first prototype and its transmission to start the certification tests program.
The AN-178, created on the basis of wide ANTONOV experience in the field of transport aircraft design in combination with the newest aviation technologies in the world, is the further development of the AN-148/AN-158 family of regional jets of different purposes. Until present, there was not ramp transport aircraft in the family, i.e. the class that is core for ANTONOV and where the enterprise’s experience is recognized all over the world. The AN-178 refers to this class. With creating this aircraft, ANTONOV made one more important step toward realization of the enterprise development formula:
- To develop what the market needs;
- To develop with minimum expenses;
- To develop families of aircraft;
- To support and maintain own product within its full lifetime.
Decision as for start of the AN-178 program was taken basing on estimation of the world market demands. While the AN-178 designing, requests of both commercial airlines and military aircraft operators including Ministry of Defence (MoD) of Ukraine were taken in account. As a result, while the aircraft creation a replacement of the AN-12 medium four turboprop-powered transport at higher technical level was defined to be the priority task. Overall more than 1,400 AN-12 were produced. These aircraft are still widespread in CIS countries, Africa and Asia. Besides, the AN-178 is suggested as a replacement for the C-160 European twin turboprop-powered transport for customers focused on the Western aircraft (214 aircraft were assembled).
The AN-178 with km fuel consumption practically equal to the AN-12 will have essentially higher productivity owing to cruising speed increased on 35%. Besides, the new aircraft will be able to be operated at the altitudes of up to 12,200 m/40,026 feet, while the AN-12 cruising speed is limited by 8,500 m/27,887 feet. One of the most important advantages of the AN-178 over AN-12 is its correspondence to modern standards of airworthiness, and to perspective demands taking into account further aircraft development.
The unique feature of the AN-178 is ability to carry all the types of the existing packaged freights (containerized and palletized ones), including high capacity 1C containers (sea container) with lateral sizes of 2.44×2.44 m/8×8 feet. This makes it an indispensable transport to provide logistic support in commercial operation and in armed forces, as well as operations under emergency situations. As all ANTONOV aircraft, the AN-178 inherits such necessary for military transport aircraft qualities as basing on poor equipped, unpaved airfields, autonomy, high reliability and vitality.
Being a representative of the family of regional aircraft, already known worldwide, the AN-178 is also being considered as a basic platform for designing of a number of modifications of civil and military destinations. This development is possible not only in direction of development of functionally different variants and modifications, but also by the way of setting units, systems and equipment of alternative designers on it. This let extend potential aircraft market and maximally adapt it to unique customers’ requirements.
Characteristics
| Crew | 4 |
| Length | 32.95 m/108.1 feet |
| Wingspan | 28.84 m/94.62 feet |
| Height | 10.14 m/33.27 feet |
| Wing area | 87.32 m2/939.9 feet2 |
| Powerplant | 2 × Progress D-436-148FM Turbofan |
| Cruise speed | 432 knots/497 mph/800 km/h |
| Service ceiling | 12,200 m/40,026 feet |
| Range | 2,970 NM/3,417.5 miles/5,500 km |
