An-178 military-transport aircraft successfully performed its maiden flight. The latest product developed by Antonov design bureau (Ukraine) took off from an airfield located near Kiev on May 7th 2015, Podrobnosti.ua reports.
After spending two hours in the air the jet successfully landed at Gostomel airfield. The flight was performed despite rain and dense clouds. During the test flight visitors gathered at the airfield and watched the new jet.
An-178 was derived from An-158 passenger aircraft. Designers had to redesign the fuselage and reinforce all of its components.
The aircraft is powered by two turbofan engines developed by Progress (Zaporozhye, Ukraine). It is able to carry a payload of 18 tons inside the pressurized 16 meters long cargo compartment. The jet is also able to carry up to 70 troopers. An-178 jets should replace the outdated An-12 aircraft.
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