“A Cold War giant that learned to kneel.”
When the An-124 Ruslan lifted off from Kyiv on 24 December 1982, it became the heaviest production transport ever to fly. Designed by Oleg Antonov's bureau, the four-engine giant can kneel on its multi-strut landing gear to swallow 120-ton payloads through its nose ramp. It has set thirty world records, including hauling 171.219 tonnes to 10,750 metres. Today, Antonov Airlines and Volga-Dnepr operate the surviving fleet, moving outsized cargo—from transformers to satellites—that no other aircraft can carry.
The Ruslan still moves transformers and satellites because it can kneel and load 120 tons through the nose — outsized cargo is limited by the surviving specialized fleet, not by finding a longer runway.