Antonov An-148

The Antonov An-148 of Ukraine is a relatively new addition to the world of regional jet airliners - though its market start has been a bumpy one to say the least.

Detailing the development and operational history of the Antonov An-148 Regional Passenger Airliner.  Entry last updated on 2/12/2018. Authored by Staff Writer. Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com

The Antonov concern of Ukraine holds a long-running, storied existence, particularly in the large aircraft domain where it has manufactured some of the largest cargo haulers in aviation history. The An-148 is a smaller addition to the company product line and serves primarily as a regional jet-powered passenger airliner (though several variants expand on the type's usefulness). The An-148 has seen manufacture in both Ukraine and Russia under the Antonov and Voronezh Aircraft brand labels with some 32 having been completed to date (2014) - some 56 having been ordered. Operators currently include Rossiya Airlines and Ukraine International Airlines among a growing pool of others worldwide. First flight of a prototype occurred on December 17th, 2004 and the product was officially introduced on June 2nd, 2009. Comparable aircraft to the An-148 include the market mainstay Canadian Bombardier CRJ700, the in-development Chinese COMAC ARJ21 and the emerging Russian Sukhoi Superjet 100.

The An-148 takes on something of a unique appearance as jet airliners go, particularly in the selection of a high-mounted, swept-back wing assembly. This allows for the considerably large turbofan engines - one to a wing - to be underslung beneath each wing and held ahead of the leading edge while using a low-profile undercarriage. The cockpit sits aft of a pointed, short nose cone which provides good visibility from the cockpit of the surrounding airspace. The fuselage is expectedly tubular on the whole while being tapered at the rear to which a T-style tail assembly is featured. Rectangular doors along the fuselage sides allow for passenger entry/exit and the fuselage sides (complete with integrated staircases) are also dotted with vision ports. The undercarriage is wholly-retractable and consists of two double-tired main landing gear legs and a double-tired nose leg, the latter under the cockpit floor. The An-148 promotes a low ground clearance when at rest to which the engine nacelles are served well by the high-mounted wings. The cockpit takes a largely digital approach featuring five color displays and dual controls. Power is served through 2 x Progress D-436 turbofan engines developing 15,060lbs of thrust. Based on published numbers, cruising speeds reach approximately 500 miles per hour depending on variant. A typical operating crew is two and a single- or dual-class passenger arrangement allows for between 68 and 99 persons to be carried (or cargo in their place).

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