ABSTRACT
The Antonov AN-124 Ruslan Condor was designed by the Antonov Design Bureau in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, then part of the Soviet Union, as a strategic heavy-lift military aircraft capable of fl ying two fully loaded battle tanks, as well as the infantry and supplies needed to support them in battle, into unprepared airstrips on rough terrain. The aircraft featured a reinforced fl oor to support the weight it was designed to carry and had nose-door and rear ramps to enable drive-on, drive-off wheeled and tracked access to the main cargo deck. Externally similar to the American Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, it has a 25 per cent larger payload and the capability to ‘kneel’ on its retractable front undercarriage, allowing full utilization of its front ramp during cargo loading – or initially to unleash its cargo of battle tanks at full speed.
