This fact may seem strange, but military transport aviation in the world to this day uses aircraft that are 40-50 years old. For this reason, it is obvious that the need for new machines is extremely urgent.
The project of the Ukrainian aviation giant "Antonov" - a medium transport aircraft An-178 - which began to be developed in the 2010s, is a rare example. The car has few competitors, there are developments, but most of them have not yet been put into production. Despite the existing disadvantages and shortcomings, the demand for the An-178 is very high around the world.
History of creation
Unfortunately, the entire aviation industry of the former Soviet Union was characterized by long-term downtime in the aircraft industry almost until the onset of the 2010s. But the Antonov ASTC enterprise, even during a period of lack of funding, prepared interesting projects and developments. Perhaps the key secret to the success of the Ukrainians can be considered a commitment to typical Soviet qualities in technology: a focus on ease of assembly, the use of proven circuits and components, as well as the general low cost of production.
In 2010, tests were carried out on the An-158 project, a regional version of a passenger airliner for local airlines. The aircraft was created on the basis of the An-148, a previous passenger transport vehicle. It was then that it became clear to the developers that both projects: the An-148 and the An-158, could be called successful and of high quality.
Based on the An-148, it was decided to build a medium transport aircraft that could be used for both military and civilian purposes. The designers were prompted by the fact that the An-12 aircraft used in many countries had long expired (the newest aircraft appeared back in 1972). And the niche of medium-category transport aviation is extremely poorly occupied today. It was this that was planned to be conquered with the help of the An-178.
The start of work was announced in 2010, and the first fuselage was assembled in 2014.
The first flight took place on May 7, 2015, and in December of the same year they began testing new engines for the aircraft. It took three months to vote on choosing a name for the future An-178 project. The winning options in the competition were: “Amet Khan Sultan”, “Stepan Bandera” and “Cyborg”. But the management did not give preference to any choice, believing that the winning names carried too obvious political overtones.
Initially, there was serious interest in the new aircraft project. The company's managers estimate the entire niche of medium-sized transport workers in the world to be up to 800 units. But to date, deliveries have not yet begun, since due to the difficult political situation, it was necessary to urgently change the parts supplied by Russia. Ukraine itself has had the expected difficulties with deploying its own assembly of important components or reorienting to products from other countries.
An-178 parts are produced in 14 countries at 200 factories. And about a third of the components were assembled in Russia: the landing gear, APU elements, hydraulics, most of the avionics and engine parts. But the Ukrainian side refused to cooperate with the Russian Federation, which caused damage to its own production. However, this is not the only problem with the new An-178 aircraft, which was assembled in a hurry and has a number of significant design flaws, which, we want to believe, will be promptly corrected before the start of serial assembly.
[edit] General ratings of the aircraft
In March 2022, the former acting head of the Antonov State Enterprise, Sergei Merenkov, stated: “The almost three-year participation of the aircraft [An-178] in all the “top” world air shows only confirmed the lack of real interest [in the aircraft] on anyone’s part. <…> The discrepancy between its real characteristics by 20-30% from the declared ones is visible to any professional.”[65]
Assessment by aircraft designer Anatoly Vovnyanko (March 2022): “The An-178 and An-132D aircraft, built in a single copy, are uncompetitive and are not needed by anyone, and therefore they are used exclusively for PR.”[66]
Design
The An-178 became the owner of the classic design for a transport aircraft. It has a high wing arrangement and a T-shaped fin design. The vehicle has a three-wheel chassis, with a traditional arrangement of struts in the rear and one in the nose. The front strut received two wheels, and the rear chassis had two struts on each side and one wheel on each.
The fuselage of the aircraft has undergone quite serious changes.
It acquired some features: for example, it became wider and higher than that of the An-148, it closes completely hermetically and is still made entirely of metal. Composite materials are partially used only in the structure of the wing, wing liners and tail.
But the An-178 was able to transport up to 99 soldiers, 3 pallets (P-7 form with cargo) or 2 standard sea containers (M-2). Antonovtsy was able to take a serious step in computerizing the control system. Now computing power eliminates some piloting errors that previously led to accidents and disasters.
The An-178 cockpit remains the same in size (relative to its prototype), but it reflects modern trends: for example, displays were installed in front of the commander and co-pilot, which replaced the previous analogue sensors.
The changes also affected the engines, of which there are now two, instead of the four installed on the predecessor An-12.
But the choice turned out to be obvious, because with two power plants it was possible to significantly increase the flight efficiency, speed, and maximum altitude. D-436-148FM turbofan engines are installed on pylons under the wing.
But the An-178 suffers from some “childhood” illnesses that relate to poorly adjusted avionics and non-obvious design solutions. If many errors are usually corrected during the operation of airliners (the An-178 is far from a pioneer in this matter), then with regard to the poor alignment of the aircraft, probably nothing can be changed.
And the fuselage is designed in such a way that additional ballast is required when the plane takes off without a load. To achieve this, 15 plates with a total weight of 1.32 tons are placed behind the cockpit.
About the advantages and disadvantages of aircraft construction
As you know, any product, even if it is released for the first time, has its positive and negative sides. The same can be said about airplanes, because they are the final product of the activity of both people and special equipment. Regarding the advantages of this model of airliners, it should be noted:
- The aircraft took pride of place in the category of a new improved model that meets all the requirements;
- In terms of its flight performance characteristics it surpassed its well-known predecessors, for example:
- as a representative of short-haul aircraft (medium size), it has improved carrying capacity parameters ranging from 18 to 20 tons, can easily cover a distance of more than 5 thousand km, and gain altitude up to 10.1 thousand m;
- the turbofan engines used allowed the aircraft to develop high cruising speeds (within 825-870 km/h);
- the presence of an advanced control system during development, which uses the latest computer systems, eliminating the occurrence of even the most minimal errors during the piloting process.
There were also some negative aspects. First of all, a significant drawback was the poor alignment of the entire body (an error made at the development stage). As a result, in order to mechanically eliminate this moment on board before the flight, it is necessary to load ballast, the weight of which should not be less than 1.3–1.4 tons. Moreover, it must be in the form of special plates attached directly to the cockpit in which the pilots are located.
Due to tense relations between Ukraine and Russia, the question arose as to whether the former would continue to purchase certain components.
As statistics showed in 2016, there was no great demand for this aircraft and only 2 aircraft were made. Experts say that using these indicators it is not possible to give a full and objective assessment of what is happening. What can have an impact are minor problems detected in the on-board system and automation. Errors of a serious nature associated with the design have a significant impact, which became the reason for their massive elimination.
Flight characteristics of the An-178 in comparison with competitors
At the start of work, the general tasks for the project looked like this:
- “Antonovtsy” should have left the An-178 with the ability to take off and land on airfields with different surfaces, including dirt (like the An-12, which were planned to be decommissioned);
- the transport aircraft had to take on board more cargo.
As a result, the An-178 surpassed its predecessor in many respects. For example, the new transport aircraft has a greater range (by 1000 km), has become more economical and can fly 225 km/h faster at cruising speed. True, one of the main problems was not solved, and the carrying capacity was reduced from 21 tons on the An-12 to 18 tons on the An-178.
The competitors of the An-178 are the Russian Il-214 (which has also not yet entered the series) and the Brazilian project EmbraerKC-390, in the production of which the American giant Boeing has joined.
| An-178, Ukraine | Il-214, Russia | Embraer KC-390, Brazil (USA) | |
| Length, m | 32,95 | 37,7 | 33,43 |
| Wingspan, m | 28,84 | 32,35 | 33,94 |
| Height, m | 10,14 | 12,51 | 11,43 |
| Engines | 2xTRVD 7010 kgf D-436-148FM | 2xTRVD 14000 kgf PS-90A-76 | 2x turbojet engines 139.5 kHIAEV2500-E5 |
| Speed, km/h | 870 | 870 | 870 |
| Range empty/with maximum load, km | 5500/1000 | 7300/2000 | 6130/1834 |
| Maximum weight at takeoff, t | 68 | 68 | 81 |
| Load capacity, t | 18 | 20 | 23-26 |
| Ceiling, km | 12 | 12 | 10,97 |
A serious “contribution” to two projects (Russian and Ukrainian) was made by the collapse of the Soviet Union, and then further difficulties in relations between the newly formed countries. Perhaps for this reason, neither the An-178 nor the Il-214, which are already ready for mass production, never saw the light of day.
Unfortunately, this, of course, important factor, but secondary from the point of view of designers and assemblers, has contributed to the fact that the project of competitors Embraer KC-390 will probably begin to occupy the niche of medium-sized transport transportation earlier. The Brazilian aircraft is already entering service with its country's air force. A contract has been concluded for the supply of 26 aircraft, the first of which will begin to enter service at the end of 2018. And the An-178 and Il-214 still remain assembled in quantities of several pieces for testing.
Content
- 1 Characteristics
- 2 History
- 3 Price
- 4 Components and materials 4.1 Wing
- 5.1 Internal 5.1.1 Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine
- 5.2.1 Peruvian Ministry of the Interior
- 7.1 Commercial truck
- 9.1 KS-390
- 10.1 LJ
Production and orders of the An-178 aircraft
The An-178 aircraft is planned to be equipped with all components and parts exclusively from Ukrainian enterprises. Today, the reorientation of production within the country's factories is in full swing.
A serious competitive advantage of the An-178 project is its low cost.
It is valued at $40 million per unit. This is comparable to the similar Russian Il-214 project (35-40 million) and much less than the Brazilian competitor EmbraerKC-390 (85 million).
It is known that the Indian side showed great interest in the Ukrainian project, which was initially involved in the joint development of the Russian MTS Il-214 transport aircraft, but then broke the agreement. India's interest is estimated at 60 vehicles, but there are no direct contracts yet.
Antonov has preliminary agreements with the Chinese side (with further reorientation of aircraft assembly to Chinese territory), Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan. Agreements are mentioned on the production of 36 transport aircraft for all countries.
Sales markets and orders[ | ]
According to the director of the Center for Economic and Political Analysis, Alexander Kava, expressed in February 2010, the sales market for the An-178 aircraft could amount to about 800 aircraft within 10-12 years[28].
In May 2015, the then general designer Dmitry Kiva stated that the preliminary package of orders for this aircraft was about 100 units; Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries are interested in purchasing[29].
As of August 2016, the total portfolio of firm orders for the An-178 consisted of 11 aircraft.[30]
In April 2022, the Ukrainian publication “Mirror of the Week” characterized the order portfolio as follows: “Today, with a certain degree of optimism, we can only talk about a contract for the supply of 10 An-178 aircraft to Silk Way Airlines (Azerbaijan). <…> In fairness, it should be noted that there is an agreement on the joint serial production of 12 copies of the An-178 for Beijing A-Star Science & Technology Co., Ltd (China), which has not yet been implemented in the form of a contract. We can put an end to this... That's all. I emphasize that not a single Antonov aircraft has been ordered by Saudi Arabia, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, or anyone else. At least as of April 2022.”[31]
An-178 under construction for the Peruvian Ministry of Interior (2020)
Memorandum with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine[ | ]
In June 2022, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Arsen Avakov announced that the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine will purchase 13 An-178 aircraft[32]; according to Avakov, Ukrainian and European components will be installed on the aircraft, delivery of the aircraft is expected in 3 years [33], and on October 8, Avakov and the President of the Antonov State Enterprise Alexander Donets signed a Memorandum within the framework of the XVI International Specialized Exhibition “Arms and Security - 2019” “—The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine ordered 13 AN-178 aircraft from the Antonov State Enterprise. Nine aircraft will serve the needs of the State Emergency Service (State Emergency Situations Service), another four will be used by the National Guard of Ukraine, said Minister Avakov[34].
Contract with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Peru[ | ]
In August 2022, the Ukroboronprom () concern won a tender for the supply of one An-178 military transport aircraft for the Ministry of Internal Affairs (in particular the police) of Peru[35][36][37], worth about $65 million[38] [39]; The contract includes: aircraft assembly, pilot training, and maintenance personnel training. The contract amount was approximately $65 million. The delivery period under the contract was 24 months from the date of signing the contract (that is, October 23, 2021) and can be changed by agreement of the parties. In mid-2020, a corruption scandal broke out in Peru in connection with a contract for the supply of An-178[40][41][42]; however, representatives of Peru confirmed in an online conference that the contract continues to be valid[43].
At the beginning of 2022, a representative of Antonov stated that the company did not receive funds under the contract for the construction of this An-178; in April it was reported that, despite the announcement of the suspension of work on the construction of the aircraft, the Antonov State Enterprise continues to purchase components for it.
At the indicated time, the contract was not fulfilled (an inspection by a Peruvian aviation representative at the Ukrainian manufacturer’s capacity revealed that the aircraft’s design has an approximate overall progress of 65%, aircraft engines for it are in the process of production); There is also no agreement to change the delivery schedule[44], the Peruvian administration has initiated a procedure for applying penalties[45].
According to the SpetsTechnoExport statement: “As of today, the contract is valid, but due to lack of funding from the customer - the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Peru - it is being implemented with a delay. This problem is related to the non-acceptance of a bank guarantee by public and private banks in Peru, including a guarantee provided by a first-class European bank, which is included in the list of first-class banks approved by the Central Reserve Bank of Peru.” and that as of today they have not received a single payment from the customer and “the Ukrainian side independently produces the aircraft at its own expense.”[46]
Contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine[ | ]
On December 29, 2022, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the ANTONOV State Enterprise for the construction of aircraft for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. At the same time, a contract was signed to order three An-178 military transport aircraft. Delivery of the first of the ordered aircraft is scheduled for 2023[47].
Orders
| Concluded supply agreements | |||||
| Buyer | Type | Ordered | Option | Note | Delivered |
| Beijing A-Star Aerospace Technology Co. | An-178 | 2 | 0 | Memorandum[48]. Provision is made for the purchase of two An-178 from Ukraine and subsequent joint production with China[49]. | 0[50] |
| Airspace Industry Corporation of China | An-178 | 25 | 0 | Memorandum[51] | 0 |
| Taqnia Aeronautics | An-178 | 30 | 0 | Memorandum[52] | 0[53] |
| Iraqi Armed Forces | An-178 | 1 | 0 | 1 aircraft ordered for the Iraqi army[54][55][56] | 0 |
| Peruvian Police | An-178 | 1 | 0 | 1 aircraft ordered for the Peruvian police. The construction of the An-178 is being carried out at the expense of the Ukrainian side; Ukraine has not received a single payment from Peru for the aircraft. According to the contract, delivery of the aircraft to the customer was to take place in the fall of 2022. Due to the failure to deliver on time, Peru initiated the process of imposing fines on the Ukrainian side.[57][58] | 0 |
| State Service for Emergency Situations. National Guard | An-178 | 13 | 0 | Memorandum[34] 13 aircraft ordered | 0 |
| Ukrainian Air Force | An-178 | 3 | 0 | 3 aircraft ordered.[47] | 0 |
| Canceled orders | |||||
| Buyer | Type | Ordered | Option | Note | Delivered |
| Silk Way Airlines | An-178 | 10 | 0 | Firm contract[30]. The contract initially provided for the aircraft to be equipped with Russian components, while the price of the aircraft was to be about $25 million per unit. In 2017, the Azerbaijani side was informed that the aircraft would be equipped with different equipment, and the price of the aircraft would be about $45 million per unit.[59] In November 2022, the chairman of the trade union committee of the Union of Aircraft Manufacturers of Ukraine at the Antonov State Enterprise, Viktor Guska, said that the contract with Azerbaijan for 10 An-178s was “lost.”[60] | 0 |
[edit] Links
[edit] LiveJournal
- Section about An-178 in bmpd LiveJournal
- An-178
- Interview with the first vice-president of the Antonov State Enterprise, Alexander Kotsyuba. May 31, 2016
- Failure of the contract with Peru: certification of the An-178 after replacing 60% of Russian PKI will require 600-700 flights. January 26, 2021
- [71]
- Why did the An-178 not reach Azerbaijan? April 13, 2021
[edit] UA-no
- Medium-sized transport aircraft AN-178
- Section about AN-178 on the RIAN Ukraine website
- Aircraft industry in Ukraine - the imitation continues. November 2, 2015
- An-178: flight into a foggy future. June 25, 2015
- Development of the Antonov State Enterprise and reforms at Ukrzaliznytsia: how they see it in the Ministry of Economic Development. July 3, 2015
[edit] Runet
- An-178
- An-178
- The Ukrainian transport aircraft An-178 made its first flight. May 8, 2015
- An-178 versus Il-214. Is it profitable for Russians to finance competitors? February 27, 2010
[edit] Other
- An-178: The military-industrial complex of Ukraine is making its last efforts. May 10, 2015
- Flying in dreams and in reality. April 28, 2014
- State Enterprise Antonov received orders for 43 aircraft. September 7, 2015
- New wings. Ukraine begins production of the An-178 transport aircraft. December 9, 2015
- "Ukroboronprom" quote "import substitution" An-178-100R with a Russian 28 hp engine. December 24, 2021
