“"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.
: How does a cargo plane carry 171 tons and still set altitude records—and what makes its kneeling landing gear revolutionary?