The largest aircraft in the world. Big Ten: the largest military aircraft in the world

In Russia, work continues on the creation of a new heavy military transport aircraft, which should replace the proven, but already rather outdated Il-76, An-22 and An-124 Ruslan aircraft. The project received the code name PAK TA, which stands for "Promising Aviation Complex of Transport Aviation". He is currently on initial stage, designers and the military determine appearance and the characteristics of future aircraft, so there is little information about the new car (or family of cars) and it is rather contradictory.

The new transport aircraft would come in very handy not only for the military. One of the largest Russian transport companies Volga-Dnepr in 2018 announced plans to purchase 20 American cargo aircraft Boeing 747-8F. The deal is worth billions of dollars. It is likely that Russian carriers would prefer a domestic transport aircraft, if it existed in nature.

Military transport aviation: current state

Currently, the transport aviation of the armed forces of the Russian Federation has four types of aircraft, the main difference of which is their carrying capacity. These are the lungs transport aircraft(An-26) with a payload of 6 tons, medium (An-12, payload 20 tons), heavy (IL-76, load up to 60 tons) and super-heavy aircraft, which include the An-124 Ruslan, capable of taking on board load of 120 tons. The total number of transport vehicles in service with the Russian army is about 250 units.

In addition to the armed forces, the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia also has its own transport aviation. It includes Il-76 and An-74.

The most massive military transport aircraft of the Russian army (about 100 units) is the Il-76 of various modifications. In 2012, a modification of the Il-76MD-90A aircraft appeared, with more economical engines and modern on-board equipment.

In the Soviet Union the main design bureau, which was engaged in the development of transport vehicles, was the Antonov Design Bureau in Kiev. Lion's share transport aircraft, which are used today both in the army and in civilian life, was developed by the designers of this bureau. After the collapse of the USSR, difficult hours began for this aircraft manufacturing enterprise. "Antonov" and today is engaged in the development and construction aviation technology, however, the number of aircraft produced has decreased significantly.

The serial production of the pride of the Soviet aviation industry - the super-heavy An-124 Ruslan aircraft - has long been discontinued, and the resource of the machines that are used today is gradually being exhausted. In August 2018, Antonov State Enterprise prohibited Russian enterprises from carrying out Maintenance An-124. This may lead to Russian aircraft They just won't let them out of the country.

Over the years that have passed since the collapse of the USSR, the Russian and Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly tried to revive the former cooperation in the aircraft industry, but most of these attempts have remained unfulfilled. The current situation in relations between the two countries is likely to put an end to cooperation in this area.

And what about the transport aviation of potential adversaries?

The United States has the world's largest fleet of transport aircraft, with more than 400 aircraft of several types. In many ways, this allows the American army to conduct large-scale operations many thousands of kilometers from its borders. The main transport aircraft of the US Air Force (and the entire NATO bloc) are the C-130 Hercules (capacity 19 tons) and C-17 Globemaster III (can lift up to 80 tons of cargo) and C-5 Galaxy (up to 120 tons of cargo).

At present, Europeans and Americans consider the development and mass production of transport vehicles with a carrying capacity of more than one hundred tons to be expensive and unnecessary exotic, although they do not hesitate to hire Ruslans to transport military and civilian goods.

Russian promising projects

In 2014, the plans of the Military-Industrial Commission under the Government of the Russian Federation regarding the implementation of the PAK TA program were announced. The characteristics of the new transport aircraft for the Russian army, to put it mildly, surprised.

According to the announced information, PAK TA will have supersonic speed(about 2000 km / h), a flight range of at least 7 thousand kilometers and a carrying capacity of up to 200 tons. Until 2024, the Russian armed forces should receive at least 80 such monsters. According to the developers, this air fleet will be able to deliver to any point in the shortest possible time the globe an armored fist of 400 (!!!) ultra-modern Armata tanks and other armored vehicles created on its basis.

PAK TA will have a deck with several levels, as well as the ability to parachute any equipment.

Such characteristics do not look too realistic: a supersonic aircraft of this capacity (and size) must consume a huge amount of fuel, only special runways are suitable for it. In addition, the technical difficulties that will certainly arise before the creators similar aircraft, is hardly on the shoulder of the modern Russian aircraft industry, and the cost of production and maintenance of such machines will be prohibitive.

In addition to the aforementioned project, materials about other promising transport aircraft, also called PAK TA, appear with enviable regularity in the domestic media.

First of all, we are talking about the Ilyushin machines Il-106 and PTS "Ermak".

Il-106 is a rather old Ilyushin project, the development of which began back in the mid-80s. Then a competition was announced for the creation of a new transport aircraft that would replace the Il-76. Design Bureaus of Tupolev, Ilyushin and Antonov presented their proposals, the Ilyushin project was declared the winner. The new aircraft received the designation Il-106, it was planned to finish it before 1995, and in 1997 to launch it into a series. For obvious reasons, this never happened.

According to the project, the IL-106 had a carrying capacity of up to 100 tons, was made according to the classical aerodynamic scheme and could transport goods over a distance of 5 thousand km. The new aircraft was planned to be equipped with front and rear cargo ramps.

That new PAK TA is nothing more than a modified Il-106, Nikolay Talikov, general designer of Ilyushin, told the TASS agency in 2018. It is likely that the old Soviet design will serve as the basis for a new transport aircraft. There was information that the new machine will be equipped with the most powerful Russian civil aircraft engine NK-93. There is information that the preliminary design of the PAK TA began in 2018.

Another machine that is often talked about when PAK TA is mentioned is the Yermak PTS. This is also a project of the Ilyushin Design Bureau, the first mention of which appeared in 2013. New car will have characteristics similar to the IL-106: a carrying capacity of up to 100 tons, a normal aerodynamic configuration. Work on the creation of "Ermak" is planned to begin in 2018. Serial production of the machine is expected by 2024.

It is likely that the developments on the Il-106 aircraft will become the basis for the creation of the Yermak.

For successful implementation complex project to create a modern super-heavy transport aircraft, a new corporation will be created: in addition to OAO Il, it will include EMZ im. V.M. Myasishchev and UAC - Transport Aircraft, as well as the two largest Russian aircraft factories - Ulyanovsk and Voronezh (VASO).

The military-technical cooperation has a number of design differences from other types of military aircraft: the cargo compartment (cabins) of the fuselage with a solid floor, designed to carry heavy loads; large cargo hatches for loading and unloading; handling, landing, mooring and sanitary equipment. VTS are subdivided according to their carrying capacity and purpose.

According to the carrying capacity, heavy, medium, light military-technical cooperation are distinguished. Heavy military-technical cooperation (carrying capacity of more than 60 tons) is capable of transporting all the main types of weapons and military equipment of the Armed Forces and military branches. They are operated from concrete runways of the 1st and 2nd classes, they can land on specially equipped unpaved runways. Military-technical cooperation of this type includes An-124, An-22 (RF), S-5A, -5V, -141A.V, -17 (USA). Of these, for example, the S-5V Galaxy has the maximum takeoff weight is 380 tons, maximum speed is 875 km / h, service ceiling is 11,000 m, flight range with a load of 100 tons is up to 6,000 km, payload is 120 tons or 345 people. Medium military-technical cooperation (carrying capacity 10–40 tons) transports all military equipment of the ground forces, with the exception of some heavy and large-sized samples. They can be operated from field airfields or from specially prepared unpaved areas. This type of military-technical cooperation includes the Il-76, An-12 (Russian Federation), S-130 (USA), S-160 (France and Germany). Of these, for example, the Il-76T aircraft has a maximum takeoff weight of 170 tons, top speed 850 km/h, flight range 6700 km, maximum payload 40 tons. They are capable of landing on field sites of limited size, directly in the combat area. Military-technical cooperation of this type includes An-24, -26, -72 (RF) and S-123, -140 (USA).

Military-technical cooperation is subdivided into strategic, operational-strategic, operational-tactical, and tactical military-technical cooperation. Strategic military-technical cooperation is designed to transport troops and heavy military equipment, including tanks, large-caliber artillery systems, missile launchers, between theaters, as well as for intercontinental transportation of national economic cargo. These include the heavy military-technical cooperation An-124 (RF), S-5A, S-5B (USA). Operational-strategic military-technical cooperation is used for landing military equipment and personnel operational, operational-strategic airborne assaults by parachute at a depth of 150-250 km and transportation of troops, military equipment and cargo between theaters to a distance of St. 4000–5000 km. These include the heavy military-technical cooperation An-22 (RF) and the medium military-technical cooperation Il-76 (RF), S-17, S-141V (USA). up to 100 km, transportation of troops, military equipment and cargo, ensuring aviation maneuver within one theater of operations at a distance of up to 2000 km. These include medium aircraft An-12 (RF), S-130 (USA). Tactical transport aircraft mainly carry out air transportation, provide relocation of front-line aviation units during combat operations, and perform other special tasks in the interests of formations and formations of the front (VA). These include all the light military-technical cooperation named above.

Ever since people learned how to design flying machines, they have been used to transport heavy and oversized cargo. In the history of aeronautics, many transport aircraft have been created, which impress with their huge size. In today's selection, we present to your attention the 11 largest cargo aircraft in the world.

11 PHOTOS

An-225 on this moment is the largest aircraft in the world, it has an extra large payload and can lift about 250 tons into the air. Initially, the An-225 was designed and built to carry components of the Energia launch vehicle and the Buran reusable spacecraft.

This transport aircraft is a modified version of the Boeing 747, it was built and is used exclusively for the transport of parts Boeing aircraft 787. A feature of the Dreamlifter is its unusual appearance.

The Super Guppy cargo plane was produced in five copies and today only one of them is used. It is owned by NASA and is operated to deliver bulky cargo and parts of spacecraft.

An-124 is a military heavy transport aircraft for long haul, the world's largest of all serial commercial cargo aircraft. It was designed primarily for air transportation launchers of intercontinental ballistic missiles, as well as for the transportation of heavy military equipment. The carrying capacity of the An-124 is 120 tons. Aircraft maintenance can only be carried out in a special hangar built for the An-124 owner company from metal structures (similar principle http://ctcholding.kz/uslugi/bystrovozvodimye-zdaniya/iz-metallokonstruktsij/promyshlenennye-zdaniya).

American military transport aircraft, the second in terms of carrying capacity after the An-124. The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is capable of carrying six helicopters or two large tanks in its cargo hold. The total weight that the aircraft can carry is over 118 tons.

A jet cargo aircraft for the transport of bulky cargo, which was developed on the basis of the Airbus A300 series. The main purpose of creating the A300-600ST is to replace the Super Guppy transport aircraft. The name Beluga is due to the shape of the body, which resembles a beluga whale. The carrying capacity of the Beluga is 47 tons.

Soviet-made heavy transport aircraft, the largest turboprop aircraft in the world. Currently, the aircraft is used by the Russian Air Force and the Ukrainian cargo airline Antonov Airlines. The carrying capacity of the An-22 is 60 tons.

The C-17 Globemaster III is one of the US Air Force's most widely used military transport aircraft and is still in use today. The aircraft is designed to transport military equipment and troops, as well as to carry out tactical missions. The carrying capacity of the C-17 is more than 76 tons.

The A400M Atlas was designed and built as an international project for the air forces of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and several other countries. It is a four-engine turboprop aircraft with a carrying capacity of up to 37 tons.

Twin-engine military transport aircraft Air Force self-defense of Japan, created as a replacement for the Kawasaki C-1 and Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft. The carrying capacity of the C-1 is 37 and a half tons.

June 1, 2015 in Russia celebrated the next Day of military transport aviation (VTA). This year, transport aviation, which makes a huge contribution to the country's defense capability, is 84 years old. For its long existence military transport aircraft overcame a long path of development, having done along the way a huge amount of work on the transfer of troops and cargo. Today, not a single operation, not a single exercise can do without military transport aviation. And now, as part of a sudden check of the troops, which began on September 7, and bringing three formations of the Russian Airborne Forces to combat readiness, BTA aircraft were used. For the air transfer of a group of Ulyanovsk and Ivanovo paratroopers from the airfields "Northern" (Ivanovo) and "Vostochny" (Ulyanovsk) to Astrakhan region Il-76 military transport aircraft made more than 40 sorties.

Today, the long-standing rivalry between the United States and Russia (formerly the USSR) continues to exist in military transport aviation. At the same time, the rivalry is primarily among giant aircraft, which are able to airlift the largest number tons and cubic meters of various cargoes. This rivalry began to unwind after the end of World War II. cold war spurred the arms race, which contributed to the emergence of new unique military transport aircraft, which regularly updated world records for range, payload and flight speed.

"Race of Records"

Since 1963, the palm in the field of military transport aviation has been held by the Americans. The leader was the Lockheed C-141 Starlifter aircraft, which was able to lift up to 29 tons of various cargo into the sky. However, already in 1969, the Soviet Union intercepted the palm. The An-22 Antey transport aircraft (the Russian Air Force continues to use at least 5 aircraft of this type) beat the American not only in terms of carrying capacity - 60 tons, but also in overall dimensions, it was the first wide-body military transport aircraft.

Lockheed C-141 Starlifter

The USSR held the lead until 1971, when a new American transport aircraft created by Lockheed engineers entered the arena. It was a real heavyweight C-5A Galaxy. This aircraft managed to increase the load capacity record by 1.5 times, bringing it to 93 tons. The C-5A Galaxy aircraft was also built according to the wide-body scheme. Its cargo compartment could easily accommodate 6 UH-64A Apache helicopters or 2 M1 Abrams tanks, as well as up to 270 soldiers with weapons. The payload of the transporter in the C-5B version reached 122,470 kg.

For a long 11 years, this aircraft, which still remains in service with the US Air Force, did not let anyone close to it, remaining the largest cargo aircraft in the world. However, in 1982, the Antonov Design Bureau managed to supplant it again, in which the An-124 Ruslan aircraft was created. Until now, it is Ruslan that holds the palm among all military transport aircraft in the world. The car was first demonstrated to the public in May 1985 as part of the XXVI Aerospace Show in Le Bourget. Even then, the Western press dubbed the new transport aircraft a "Russian miracle." But they introduced the American company Lockheed to try to prove to journalists that the characteristics of the An-124 indicated in the brochures may not correspond to reality, since no one saw the Ruslan in the present case.

In order to refute these rumors, in July 1985, the An-124 began to set one world record after another. In just two weeks, 21 records were registered, which were achieved on this unique machine. The most phenomenal of them was the lifting of a load weighing 171.219 tons to a height of 10,750 meters. Prior to this, the world's best military transport aircraft Lockheed C-5 lifted only 111,416 tons to a height of 2000 meters. After a series of these records, the controversy about the capabilities of the new Soviet transporter came to naught. And in 1987, the aircraft managed to break the range record non-stop flight along a closed route, which was previously established by the American B-52 strategic bomber and amounted to 18,245.5 km. An-124 "Ruslan" managed to fly along the borders of the USSR almost 2 thousand kilometers more - 20,151 km. At the same time, the takeoff weight of the aircraft reached a record value - 455 tons.

After the An-124, which has unique characteristics, was mastered in the Air Force units, the records began to be set by the crews of military transport aviation. So, on December 1, 1990, a round-the-world flight of an aircraft from the 235th military transport aviation regiment began, the flight duration was 72 hours 16 minutes of flight time. During this time, the aircraft covered 50,005 kilometers along the following route: Australia (Melbourne) - South Pole- North Pole - Australia with intermediate landings in Brazil (Rio de Janeiro), Morocco (Casablanca) and the USSR (Vozdvizhenka). As part of this one flight, Ruslan, under the control of military pilots, was able to set 7 world flight speed records.

An-124 Ruslan and Il-76

At present, the real workhorses of the military aviation aviation of Russia are the Il-76 and An-124 Ruslan aircraft. The Russian Air Force has 10 An-124 Ruslan aircraft, which from 2010 to 2015 underwent a major overhaul at Aviastar-SP CJSC in Ulyanovsk. At the same time, the country's Air Force has at least 10 more such aircraft, which, if necessary, can be brought into a state of airworthiness. An-124, and in 2015, 33 years after the first flight, remains a real aviation mastodon and a symbol of the greatness of the Russian Air Force.

The An-124 "Ruslan" aircraft was built according to the aerodynamic scheme of a four-engine turbojet high-wing aircraft with a swept wing and a single-keel plumage. The aircraft was equipped with D-18T aircraft engines manufactured by Motor Sich OJSC. It has two decks: the lower deck is a cargo deck, the upper deck is a crew cabin, a shift crew cabin, and a cabin for attendants - up to 21 people. The total volume of the cargo compartment of the giant is almost 1050 cubic meters.

The aircraft received a unique multi-rack landing gear, which is equipped with 24 wheels and allows you to use this heavy machine even from unpaved runways, as well as to change the parking clearance and the angle of inclination of the aircraft fuselage, which is designed to facilitate the process of loading and unloading operations.

An-124 "Ruslan" is equipped with loading and unloading equipment, as well as onboard mobile cranes (BOC) with a total lifting capacity of up to 20 tons and mooring equipment. Without a special permit, it is allowed to transport monocargoes weighing up to 50 tons on an airplane. The transport aircraft has a system of centralized filling under pressure through 4 fillers, which are located in the left and right nacelles of the main landing gear. In addition, gravity refueling is possible using two filler necks, which are located on the upper parts of the right and left wing consoles.

The aircraft has a pressurized cargo compartment and landing-transport equipment (landing is allowed only by landing method). The aircraft is able to carry up to 440 paratroopers or 880 fully equipped soldiers. At the same time, Ruslan is a unique aircraft, but not without flaws. One of them is the impossibility of landing by parachute. Tests carried out back in 1989 with the release of parachutist dummies from an airplane forced us to abandon this idea and introduce a restriction on parachuting people, which is determined by the aerodynamic factors of the model. This is not surprising, because the An-124 Ruslan was originally created for transporting space and strategic missiles, as well as elements of launchers, to the launch site, and not for landing people. Total from 1984 to 2004. 55 An-124 aircraft were produced.

Flight performance An-124-100 "Ruslan":

Overall dimensions: length - 69.1 meters, height - 21.08 m, wingspan - 73.3 m, wing area - 628 m2.
Maximum takeoff weight - 392,000 kg.
Fuel weight in internal fuel tanks(maximum) - 212,350 kg.
Load capacity - 120,000 kg.
Power plant - 4xTRDD D-18T, thrust 4x229.85 kN.
Maximum speed - 865 km / h.
Cruising speed - 800-850 km / h.
The practical flight range is 4800 km.
Practical ceiling - 11,600 m.
Assigned resource - 50,000 flight hours, 45 years.
Crew - 8 people, including two operators of loading and unloading operations.

An-124 "Ruslan" is an outstanding machine, but their total number in the composition of the BTA of Russia is small. The main machine of the domestic military transport aviation is the Il-76 aircraft and its modifications. The Russian Air Force uses about 140 aircraft of this type. In addition, by 2020 the military transport aviation of Russia should receive 39 aircraft of the latest modification Il-76MD-90A (Il-476) in transport option, excluding tanker aircraft and AWACS aircraft. As of June 2015, two serial Il-76MD-90A have been built.

Il-76 is a Soviet and Russian military transport heavy aircraft developed by Ilyushin Design Bureau. The aircraft made its first flight on March 25, 1971. Serially produced in Uzbekistan at the Chkalov Tashkent Aviation Production Association, later production was transferred to Ulyanovsk at the Aviastar-SP enterprise. The aircraft was designed according to the traditional design for heavy transport aircraft of a single-fuselage high-wing aircraft with a swept wing and a T-shaped single-tail plumage.

The Il-76 transport aircraft is designed for landing personnel and transporting cargo and equipment for various purposes. Il-76 became the first military transport aircraft with turbojet engines in the history of the USSR. The transporter is able to transport goods weighing 28-60 tons over a distance of 3600-4200 kilometers from cruising speed 770-800 km/h. The flight range and the maximum weight of the transported cargo depend on the modifications of the aircraft. IL-76 is designed for operation from both concrete and unpaved airfields. The length of the takeoff run of the aircraft during takeoff is 1500-2000 meters, the landing run is 930-1000 meters. For comparison, for the An-124, these figures are 2700 and 1750 meters, respectively.

All cabins of the Il-76 transport aircraft were made airtight, which allows 167 soldiers to be transported by air (245 in a two-deck version) or 126 paratroopers to be airborne. The aircraft is able to transport by air the entire range of military equipment of the Airborne Forces, as well as most equipment of the Russian ground forces. Over the entire period of production, at least 950 aircraft of this type were built.

During the 1979-1989 war in Afghanistan, the Il-76 proved to be the most effective transport aircraft that could operate in the enemy's air defense coverage area. It accounted for 90% of all transportation of manpower and equipment, while only two aircraft were lost. The aircraft had a huge operational reserve, and its real characteristics seriously exceed those declared in the performance characteristics. Back in 1975, the aircraft was ordered not to take on board more than 40 tons of cargo, but he managed to set a series of impressive records by ignoring this requirement. So, in July 1975, the Il-76 serial aircraft was able to reach a height of 11,875 meters with a cargo weighing 70,121 kg on board. Record set on the same day average speed in flights on a closed route - 857.657 km / h with a load of 70 tons on a route of 1000 km. In total, 25 world records were set on the Il-76 aircraft.

Flight performance characteristics of Il-76T:

Overall dimensions: length - 46.59 m, height - 14.76 m, wingspan - 50.5 m, wing area - 300 m2.
Maximum takeoff weight - 170,000 kg.
The weight of the fuel in the internal fuel tanks (maximum) is 109,480 kg.
Load capacity - 43400 - 47000 kg.
Power plant - 4xTRDD D-30KP, thrust 4x12000 kgf.
The maximum speed is 850 km/h.
Cruising speed - 750-800 km / h.
Practical flight range - 3000 km (maximum load).
Practical ceiling - 12,000 m.
Crew - 6/7 people, including two flight operators.

C-5 Galaxy and C-17 Globemaster III

The C-5 Galaxy is a strategic military transport aircraft developed by Lockheed. In many ways, the car was a response to the An-22 aircraft that had appeared earlier in the USSR. The new American transport aircraft made its first flight on June 30, 1968. It was mass-produced from 1968 to 1989, a total of 131 aircraft were produced, several dozen aircraft of this type are still in service with the US Air Force. The aircraft was created in a hurry, at that moment Lockheed specialists could not imagine that the high rate of creation of this aircraft will lead to a limitation of its transport capabilities, and the installation of low-life engines will exclude the possibility of using the aircraft in private airlines. As a result, in 1980, this transporter was thoroughly modified.

The C-5 Galaxy military transport aircraft (Galaktika) is a high-wing classical design with a cantilever caisson-type wing and a T-shaped single-keel plumage. The fuselage of the aircraft is made in the form of a semi-monocoque. The plane has two decks. In the front part of the fuselage above the cargo compartment there is a cockpit, there is also a cabin for 15 seats for the rest of the spare crew members of the aircraft, as well as persons accompanying cargo and equipment. At the rear is a cabin that can accommodate up to 75 people. The cargo part of the aircraft is equipped with two hatches. The front one is the rising nose of the aircraft, and the rear one is represented by two side flaps. In the front part of the side on the left side there are doors for the crew and passengers, and in the rear part - for service passengers.

The typical loading of the first C-5A aircraft was as follows: 2 M60 tanks; M60 tank, 2 UH-1 Iroquois multipurpose helicopters and 5 M-113 armored personnel carriers; 16x0.75-ton vehicles; 10 Pershing surface-to-surface missiles with launchers and tractors. In addition, up to 270 people could be placed in the cargo compartment of the aircraft, but if necessary, the aircraft could take on board up to 345 soldiers and officers. As soon as the US Air Force received the C-5A aircraft, they were used in almost all military operations. In 1990, the C-5 Galaxy took part in the military operation called "Desert Shield". The plane created the largest ever " air bridge”, carrying 513,000 tons of payloads and 482,000 troops by air.

Flight performance C-5B:

Overall dimensions: length -75.54 m, height - 19.85 m, wingspan - 67.88 m, wing area -575.98 m2.
Maximum takeoff weight - 379 657 kg.
Fuel weight in internal fuel tanks (maximum) - 150815 kg.
Load capacity - 122,470 kg.
Power plant - 4xTRDD General Electric TF39-GE-1C, thrust 4x191.27 kN.
The maximum speed is 932 km/h.
Cruising speed - 919 km / h.
Practical flight range - 4400 km (maximum load).
Practical ceiling - 10,600 m.
Crew - 7 people, including two flight operators.

The most modern military transport aircraft in the US Air Force is a Boeing product. We are talking about the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III aircraft. The aircraft made its first flight on September 15, 1991, in 1993 it began to operate in the army. The machine was mass-produced from 1991 to 2015, a total of 256 aircraft were produced, some of them were exported. The aircraft was developed as a replacement for the Lockheed C-141 Starlifter. If the C-5B is close to the An-124 Ruslan, then in comparison with aircraft of the same class and purpose, the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III can be put on the same level with the Russian Il-76.

The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III strategic military transport aircraft is in service with the US Air Force, Australia, Great Britain, Canada, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and India. It is designed to transport personnel, various cargoes and drop cargo from an aircraft. The aircraft was created according to the classical aerodynamic design, high-wing with a T-shaped single-fin plumage.

The fuselage of the aircraft is made according to the type of semi-monocoque, it has a beveled upward tail section with two aerodynamic ridges below. In the cargo compartment there is a rear cargo ramp, which can accommodate cargo weighing up to 18 tons. The ramp is composed of 4 sections and has a hydraulic drive. The ramp installation angle depends on the equipment loaded on board the aircraft. The loading and unloading equipment of the Boeing C-17 aircraft includes rail guides and a roller conveyor.

The cabin volume of this military transport aircraft is designed to carry one M1A1 tank, M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, trucks weighing 45 tons, SUVs (3 vehicles in a row), up to three AN-64 Apache attack helicopters, 155-mm ACS, up to 18 cargo containers 463L. The aircraft has 54 folding non-removable seats, which are designed for personnel. In addition, it is planned to install additional seats (48 pieces), which are stored on board the aircraft. There are fastenings for 12 stretchers in the form of racks located along the sides of the aircraft. The aircraft has an armored lower part of the fuselage, which protects against small arms fire from the ground. The transporter can carry out non-stop landing of cargo using parachute devices from extremely low altitudes, as well as landing up to 102 paratroopers.

Flight performance C-17 Globemaster III:

Overall dimensions: length - 53 m, height - 16.8 m, wingspan - 50.3 m, wing area - 353 m2.
Maximum takeoff weight - 265 350 kg.
Fuel capacity in internal fuel tanks (maximum) - 134,556 liters.
Load capacity - 77500 kg.
Power plant - 4xTRDD R117-PW-100, thrust 4x185.49 kN.
Cruising speed - 830 km / h.
Practical flight range - 4480 km (maximum load).
Practical ceiling - 13,700 m.
Crew - 3 people.

Information sources:
http://www.airwar.ru
http://avia.pro
http://svpressa.ru/war21/article/123752
Materials from free sources

The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is the most popular military transport aircraft on the planet. Since 1954, the American company Lockheed Martin has produced and sold about 2,500 Hercules. Today, 951 representatives of this family plow the sky, occupying 22% of the world military transport market.

Turboprop American aircraft Beechcraft King Air general purpose is in the service in the armies of many countries of the world. It is used for training pilots, patrolling maritime territories, reconnaissance, communications and other purposes. Although most of the 295 currently functioning "kings of the air" are involved in business transportation.

The military "transporter" Boeing C-17 Globemaster III made its first flight in 1991. "Heavyweight" is able to transfer to long distance bulky cargo and military units, as well as to land on small, poorly prepared airfields.

Airbus CN-235 is the main European competitor of the American "non-combat" wings. Aircraft giant Airbus refers to its offspring as "the cheapest tactical military transport aircraft." And this fact attracted a clientele from the armies of two dozen countries, including the United States, to the CN-235.

The military transport AN-26 (according to NATO codification - Curl, "Whirlwind"), developed at the Antonov Design Bureau, was discontinued back in 1986. However, more than 200 AN-26s and its AN-24 predecessors are still in service. What puts the "veterans" on a par with the most popular aircraft of this class.

The heavy military transport aircraft IL-76 (according to NATO codification - Сandid, direct) first took to the air in 1971 and still remains the main "workhorse" of Russia's military transport aviation. True, from the moment of birth, the carrying capacity of the brainchild of the Ilyushin Design Bureau has increased from 30 to 60 tons.

The AN-32 military transport aircraft, created on the basis of the AN-26, is adapted for conditions of elevated temperatures (up to +50 degrees) and take-offs from high-altitude airfields (up to 4500 meters). Now it is successfully operating in the air forces of hot countries - such as India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Mexico, African states.

The light American transport Cessna 208 Caravan was designed as an aircraft for hard-to-reach areas. Its military version of the U-27A guards the peace of Brazil, Colombia, Liberia, Thailand and other countries. In total, 125 "army" Cessnas are in service.

Like the AN-26, the Transall Allianz C-160 medium military transport aircraft has not been produced for 30 years, since the mid-1980s. But the machine, developed by the German-French consortium for the needs of the air forces of their countries, is still in service. 120 winged C-160s are still taking to the skies.

CASA C212 Aviocar -- development Spanish company EADS CASA. This military transport aircraft can take off and land on dirt strips 400 meters long. Various modifications are used for photo reconnaissance, maritime patrols and transportation of military VIPs.

Workhorses remain in the shadow of the "stars" - military transport aircraft and general purpose aircraft. Perhaps, in showiness, they are inferior to high-speed fighters and stuffed with modern technology. But hard workers are reliable and are in stable demand, and not only among the military. Introducing the ten most popular aircraft designed for the daily needs of the Air Force.