This book charts the development and service history of the Antonov design bureau's heavy transport aircraft. In the late 1950s, the Antonov design bureau began developing the An-22 heavy military transport, intended to carry 50 tons. Powered by four 15,000 hp turboprops, it was the world's heaviest transport when it first flew in February 1965. The four-turbofan An-124 was again the world's most capable airlifter when it emerged in 1982, with a payload of 120 tons. It proved its worth in military and humanitarian operations and earned acclaim as a commercial freighter after 1991 for carrying heavy and outsized items. The unique six-engined An-225 "Mriya" was created for carrying the Buran space shuttle. Despite the demise of the Buran program, the aircraft found use on the heavy/outsized cargo transportation market. It is illustrated by a wealth of new photos and color artwork, as well as line drawings.â
- The An-22 is of interest because of the veritable sensation it created, making its mark in several major airlift operations. - Includes coverage of the An-124, which overshadowed everything that had existed before. - This book's photographic coverage will provide a valuable resource for scale model builders.
In both Soviet and modern Russia a multitude of assorted aircraft have been used for test and research purposes - primarily for verifying new avionics, systems, and weaponry. The use of systems being tested was not limited to aviation as aircraft were also utilized for other purposes including testing components of ballistic missile systems. Soviet and Russian Testbed Aircraft investigates all categories of test and research aircraft: engine testbeds including the Il-76LL and Tu-16LL, radar testbeds such as the SL-18P based on the well-known Il-18 airliner; electronic warfare system testbeds such as the Il-76-11, and those for weapons, aerodynamics, and control configured vehicles like the LMK-2405. In addition testbeds for landing gear, ejection seats such as the An-12M LL and Su-29KS, refueling systems, and helicopters modified as rotor system were created. Civil research aircraft, such as the An-12BPTs 'Tsiklon' weather research aircraft and IMARK geophysical survey aircraft are also given due attention. The MiG-27LL and MiG-29KVP aircraft used for testing conventional take-off and landing technologies during the Soviet CTOL aircraft carrier development program are also examined. Comprehensive details of each aircraft are coupled with information on the test centers from which these testbeds operate including the M. M. Gromov Flight Research Institute in Zhukovskiy, and the Air Force's 929th State Flight Test Centre in Akhtoobinsk. More than 500 photographs, line drawings, close-up views of tell-tale 'bumps and bulges' and color profiles illustrate the aircraft providing a wealth of information for the historian and modeler alike.
First published in 1985, this is a book written at the height of the war in Afghanistan in the 1980s by one of the world's leading authorities, Ed Girardet.
It hauls heavy cargo. It travels long distances. This big rig is on the move! What kind of cargo do big rigs carry? And how do big rig drivers talk to one another? Read this book to find out! Learn all about mighty machines in the Vroom-Vroom series—part of the Lightning Bolt BooksTM collection. With high-energy designs, exciting photos, and fun text, Lightning Bolt BooksTM bring nonfiction topics to life!
In the history of aviation there have been many attempts to produce aircraft of extraordinary proportions to expand the limits of technology and create new performance standards. With few exceptions, the early attempts did not become the successes envisaged until post-World War II when such aircraft as the Boeing B-52 long-range heavy bomber and the Boeing 747 'Jumbo Jet' airliner changed the face of aviation in both the military and civil roles. Big Wings is a well-researched, highly informative and sometimes nostalgic look at the sixteen most significant giants of the air. Each chosen aircraft is introduced and its raison d'?tre explained, then follows an in-depth review of the successful and failed technical aspects of the design, its operational history, first-hand accounts from those that had flown the aircraft and finally some startling facts and statistics. The aircraft selected are as follows: Military - Douglas B-19, Boeing B-29, Consolidated B-36, Northrop B-49 and Boeing B-52, Airliners - Bristol Brabazon, Boeing 747 and Airbus A380, Heavy Lifters - Messerschmitt Me323, Consolidated XC-99, Lockheed C5 and Antonov AN-225, Flying Boats - Dornier Do-X, Martin JRM Mars, Hughes HK-1 and Saunders Roe Princess.
Heavy-duty wheeled vehicles (HDWVs) are all-wheel-drive vehicles that carry 25 tons or more and have three or more axles. They transport heavy, bulky cargo such as raw minerals, timber, construction materials, pre-fabricated modules, weapons, combat vehicles, and more. HDWVs are used in a variety of industries (mining, logging, construction, energy) and are critical to a country’s economy and defense. These vehicles have unique development requirements due to their high loads, huge dimensions, and specific operating conditions. Hauling efficiencies can be improved by increasing vehicle load capacity; however capacities are influenced by legislation, road limits, and design. Designing HDWVs differs from other multi-purpose all-wheel-drive vehicles. The chassis must be custom-designed to suit the customer’s particular purpose. The number of axles is another variable, as well as which ones are driving and which are driven. Tires are also customizable. Translated by SAE from Russian, this book narrates the history of HDWVs and presents the theory and calculations required to design them. It summarizes results of the authors’ academic research and experience and presents innovative technical solutions used for electric and hydrostatic transmissions, steering systems, and active safety of these vehicles. The book consists of three parts. Part one covers HDWV design history and general design methods, including basic vehicle design, and evaluating HDWV use conditions. Part one also covers general operation requirements and consumer needs, and a brief analysis of structural components of existing HDWVs and prototypes. Part two outlines information needs for designing HDWVs. Part three reviews basic theory and calculation of innovative technical solutions, as well as special requirements for component parts. This comprehensive title provides the following information about HDWVs: • History of design and manufacture. • Manufacturers’ summary design data. • Background data on sample vehicles. • Component calculation examples. • Overview of motion theory, which is useful in design and placement of bulky cargo.
Marine Force One. A special detachment of the Marine Corps whose prowess in combat and specialized training sets them apart from the average grunt. They charge where others retreat, and succeed where others fail. They are the best America’s got. In the deserts of Iraq, there’s trouble under the blistering sun. Using an overland black-market route that stretches from Germany to Iraq, extremist forces have gathered materials to create a new weapon of devastation. It’s a hybrid nuclear warhead that needs no missile—it can be fired from artillery. And it could cast a radioactive cloud over the entire Middle East. Now, Major David Saxon and the warriors of Marine Force One must plunge into the heart of enemy territory, and cut the terrorist supply line down to size.
The need to provide a state-of-the-art jet successor to the ubiquitous An-26 led Antonov to develop a twin-turbo-fan tactical airlifter, the An-72, which made use of the Coanda effect, improving wing lift and field performance dramatically. The prototype flew in 1977, but it was not until the mid-1980s that production began in Khar'kov. The baseline military airlifter soon spawned a wide selection of derivatives. First was the An-74; originally conceived as a specialized version for Arctic and Antarctic support, it entered production as an ordinary civil transport. Concerted efforts by the Antonov OKB to enhance the capabilities of the An-72/An-74 family led to the development of the An-72P armed border patrol version, the convertible cargo/passenger An-747T and An-74TK, the An-74S flying hospital and the radically redesigned An-74TK-300 with engines on underwing pylons - an arrangement which improved the all-important economic efficiency. The most intriguing An-72 derivative was the unorthodox An-71 AEW aircraft; originally meant for shipboard operations, it was prevented from entering production by the political and economic situation.
