Antonov An-148

Antonov An-148

The Antonov An-148 and An-158 are twin-engine regional passenger aircraft, seating 68-99 passengers. The An-178 is a cargo aircraft.

Development of the An-148 started in the late 1990s and Antonov intended it as a replacement for the An-24, Tu-134, Yak-40 and Yak-42. The first An-148 performed its maiden flight on 17 November 2004 and Ukrainian certification followed on 26 February 2007. On 2 June 2009 the Ukrainian airline Aerosvit became the first operator.

The An-148 seats 68-85 passengers. They sit five-abreast (2+3) in economy class and four abreast in business class. The An-148 is powered by two high-bypass ratio Motor Sich D-436-148 turbofan engines, which are mounted in pods under the high wing. Western engines are also considered, like the General Electric CF34 and the Rolls-Royce BR700. The aircraft is equipped with a fly-by-wire flight control system.

The An-148 has an high, moderately swept wing, winglets and a T-tail. The airframe is made of a mix of aluminium alloys and composite materials. Thanks to the high wing the engines are far from the ground so that they are less vulnerable for damage by foreign objects. The An-148 can take-off and land on unpaved airstrips and prepared ice- and snow-covered runways. The aircraft has an entrance stairs to enable boarding and deboarding without ground equipment so that it can fly to poorly equipped airfields.

The basic aircraft is the An-148-100. The An-148-100A, -100B and -100C have different service ranges. The An-148-200 has the redesigned rear fuselage of the An-158, resulting in room for 89 instead of 85 passengers. The An-148-300 (previously designated 'An-168'), is a business jet variant.

The An-148 is manufactured by Antonov in Kiev and by VASO (Voronezh Aircraft Production Association) in Russia. However, in spite of the existence of twofinal assembly lines, the production rate is very low. In early 2018 only twelve aircraft were operational. In February 2018 one of five An-148 in the fleet of Saratov Airlines crashed after departing Moscow. Saratov Airlines resumed flying the type a couple of days later, but lost its aircraft operating licence in May 2018.

An-158

The Antonov An-158 is a stretched fuselage version of the An-148 and seats up to 99 passengers. The An-158's fuselage is 1.7 m longer and the aircraft has an improved wing including wingtip fences.

The An-158 successfully completed its first flight on 28 April 2010. It was certified in Ukraine in February 2011 and in Russia in March 2011. On 18 April 2013, the first serial An-158 aircraft was delivered to Cubana de Aviación. Cubana is the only airline operating the aircraft type, with three in service.

Antonov has planned a VIP version and special-purpose aircraft for both civil and military customers.

An-178

The An-178 is a short/medium range cargo aircraft developed from the An-158. It is aimed at both military and civil users. Antonov announced the project in February 2010. The first aircraft rolled out from the factory on 16 April 2015 and it first flew on 7 May 2015. The An-178 is intended to replace the ageing Antonov An-12, Antonov An-26 and Antonov An-32. The cargo hold is slightly enlarged and the aircraft has an extra pair of main-wheels at each side. Silk Way Airlines (Azerbaijan) was the first civil customer to order the aircraft.

Antonov An-148-100B Specifications

Wingspan: 28,91 m (94 ft 10 in). Length: 29.13 m (95 ft 7 in). Height: 8,19 m (26 ft 10 in).
Max. takeoff weight: 41,950 kg (92,480 lb).
Accommodation: 68-85 passengers. Range: 3,500 km (1,890 nm). Cruise speed: 800-870 km/h (432-470 kts).
Engines: two Progress D-436 turbofans (63 kN - 14,080 lb).
(Photo: UAC - United Aircraft Corporation)

Antonov An-158 Specifications

Wingspan: 28.56 m (93 ft 8 in). Length: 30.83 m (101 ft 2 in). Height: 8.20 m (26 ft 10 in).
Max. takeoff weight:
43,700 kg (96,300 lb). Accommodation: 86-99 passengers. Range: 2,500 km (1,350 nm). Cruise speed: 800-870 km/h (432-470 kts).

Engines: two Progress D-436 turbofans (67 kN - 15,026 lb).
(Photo: Antonov)