Antonov An-124 Ruslan
The Ruslan
“When nothing else can carry it, this is who gets the call.”
Antonov · cargo
The Antonov An-124 is the largest serially produced cargo aircraft ever built. Its nose swings up, its tail opens wide, and its landing gear kneels so locomotives, satellites, and 100-tonne generators can roll straight through. Fifty-seven were built, and the handful still flying are booked months in advance.
In May 1987, an An-124 flew a 20,151 km closed circuit without refueling — a distance record that announced just how far 120 tonnes of lift could go.
High drooped wing, four engines, and 24 wheels under an immense fuselage. NATO calls it Condor. If the nose is tilted open and something huge is rolling out, you found it.
One might be overhead right now.
Bogey turns the The Ruslan from a dot in the sky into a card in your logbook.
