Reference
Antonov An-124-100 Ruslan
The outsize charter heavyweight. Payload, cargo hold, door size and typical role below.
- Maximum payload
- 120,000 kg
- Cargo volume
- About 1,040 m³
- Cargo hold (L × W × H)
- 36.48 × 6.40 × 4.40 m
- Cargo door
- 6.40 × 4.40 m
About the Antonov An-124-100 Ruslan
A heavy-lift freighter with ramps at both ends and a 36-metre hold, built to carry loads that cannot be broken down into pallets.
Nose and tail access means cargo can be driven straight through, and the on-board cranes let the aircraft load itself where no ground equipment exists. It is the standard answer for generators, turbines, locomotives, satellites and other aircraft.
What it carries
How it is built
- A cargo hold sized around the load rather than around passengers, with a near-constant cross-section along its length.
- Ramp access (a nose door, a tail ramp, or both) so cargo can be driven or winched straight in at floor level.
- A reinforced floor rated for concentrated point loads, with heavy lashing points set into the structure.
- A high-wing layout on the ramp freighters, which puts the floor close to the ground and keeps the hold clear of the wing box.
- On-board cranes and winches on some types, so the aircraft can load itself where no ground equipment exists.
Why it is used
- Carries pieces that cannot be broken down: turbines, generators, locomotives, satellites, other aircraft.
- Ramp loading removes the need for a main-deck loader, opening up airports with almost no cargo infrastructure.
- Self-loading equipment makes the aircraft viable into remote and disaster-relief destinations.
What to check before booking
- Charter rather than scheduled service, so lead times and pricing are negotiated per movement.
- The fleet is small and demand is lumpy; availability is the usual constraint rather than capacity.
- Outsize loads need survey, engineering and often a bespoke cradle before the aircraft is even booked.
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