Antonov An-178

Medium-Lift Tactical Military Transport Aircraft

Ukraine | 2023

"The An-178 marks a new medium-class airlifter for Antonov of Ukraine - the sole prototype debuted at Paris Air Show 2015."

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 01/20/2021 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

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Firepower

Performance

Survivability

Versatility

Impact

The Antonov An-178 is a cargo variant of the An-158 99-passenger airliner, itself a stretched fuselage version of the original An-148 (detailed elsewhere on this site) introduced in 2009. The An-178 represents a medium-lift tactical military- / civilian-market transport alternative to competing designs such as the emerging Brazilian Embraer KC-390 and the Russo-Indian UAC Il-214 MTA. It is intended as a successor to the aging line of Antonov An-12, An-26 and An-32 models still in service globally - but which have seen their best operating days (all are Cold War-era products). The An-178 initiative was launched in early 2010 and the aircraft officially rolled out in April of 2015 (Paris Air Show 2015). A first-flight by way of prototype was had on May 7th, 2015.

The An-178 borrows many of the proven qualities of the An-148/An-158 series, particularly its high-lift, high-mounted wing mainplanes. Engine nacelles are fitted - one per wing - to the wing undersides. The flight deck offers excellent vision over-the-nose and the tail configuration is of a traditional "T" arrangement. The empennage is elevated to provide the necessary access to the cargo ramp under the tail, giving proper access to the hold within the belly of the airplane. Much of the wings and forward fuselage are taken directly from the An-158 without much modification. The main landing gear legs number four and are single-wheeled to contend with the weights involved in transporting military goods to and fro. The nose leg features the standard two-wheel fitting. Construction used throughout the aircraft is largely of composites and lightweight aluminum.

Power is served through 2 x Progress D-436-148FM turbofan engines approximately 15,000lb of thrust each. This provides the aircraft with a cruising speed in the 500 mile per hour range with operating ceilings of 42,650 feet. Its cargo-hauling capability is 22,045 lb over a range of 2,500 miles. 40,000 lb can be transported to 620 miles.

At least 35 aircraft have been committed to from operators in Azerbaijan, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Sil Way Airlines of Azerbaijan is the launch customer with ten aircraft ordered. The Royal Saudi Air Force expects a stock of at least thirty An-178s. The Iraqi Army has two of the aircraft on order (2018).

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January 2021 - The Ukrainian military will take on three initial An-178 transports and the project begins to gain some steam.

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Antonov An-178 Medium-Lift Tactical Military Transport Aircraft.

2 x Progress D-436-148FM turbofan engines developing up to 14,000lb to 17,000lb of thrust each.
Propulsion

497 mph
800 kph | 432 kts
Max Speed

42,651 ft
13,000 m | 8 miles
Service Ceiling

2,485 miles
4,000 km | 2,160 nm
Operational Range

City-to-City Ranges
Operational range when compared to distances between major cities (in KM).

NYC

LON

PAR

BER

MOS

TOK

SYD

LAX

NYC

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Antonov An-178 Medium-Lift Tactical Military Transport Aircraft.

4
(MANNED)
Crew

98.4 ft
30.00 m
O/A Length

98.4 ft
(30.00 m)
O/A Width

26.9 ft
(8.20 m)
O/A Height

99,208 lb
(45,000 kg)
MTOW

Design Balance
The three qualities reflected below are altitude, speed, and range. The more full the box, the more balanced the design.

RANGE

ALT

SPEED

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Antonov An-178 Medium-Lift Tactical Military Transport Aircraft .

None. Payload reserved for cargo.

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Antonov An-178 family line.

An-178 - Base Series Designation; based on the stretched-fuselage An-158 model series.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Antonov An-178. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 4 Units
Contractor(s): Antonov - Ukraine

National flag of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

[ Azerbaijan (ordered); Iraq (ordered); Saudi Arabia (ordered) ]

Relative Max Speed

Hi: 500mph

Lo: 250mph

Aircraft Max Listed Speed (497mph).

Graph Average of 375 MPH.

Era Crossover

Showcasing Aircraft Era Crossover (if any)

Max Alt Visualization

Production Comparison

4

36183

44000

Entry compared against Ilyushin IL-2 (military) and Cessna 172 (civilian) total production.

MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

Aviation Timeline

EarlyYrs

WWI

Interwar

WWII

ColdWar

Postwar

Modern

Future

♦

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Mission Roles
Some designs are single-minded in their approach while others offer a more versatile solution to airborne requirements.

TRANSPORT

Recognition
Some designs stand the test of time while others are doomed to never advance beyond the drawing board; let history be their judge.

Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft

Going Further...
The Antonov An-178 Medium-Lift Tactical Military Transport Aircraft appears in the following collections:

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