Antonov An-180
| Company type | Conceptual design |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Founded | 1990 |
| Founder | Antonov Design Bureau |
| Headquarters | Kyiv , Ukraine |
| Products | Aircraft design (An-180) |
The Antonov An-180 represented a Ukrainian conceptual design for a twin-aisle, medium-range propfan airliner. Although the Antonov Design Bureau finalized the design in 1994, this aircraft never progressed to production.
Development
Conceived as a successor to the aging Tupolev Tu-134 and Yakovlev Yak-42 models, the An-180 was first mentioned in Soviet aviation literature as early as October 1990. The aircraft was envisioned to accommodate between 164 and 180 passengers, offering a range of approximately 2,500 to 3,000 kilometres (1,600 to 1,900 mi) and achieving fuel efficiency estimated at 14 to 15 grams per kilometre (0.79 to 0.85 oz/mi) per passenger. The project was publicly unveiled at the 1991 Paris Air Show.
Initially, by September 1991, the An-180 featured a T-tail configuration with propfan engines mounted on the rear fuselage. However, Antonov later revised this layout, relocating the engines to the tips of the horizontal stabilizer, adopting a more traditional tail design. In 1992, there were joint exploratory discussions between Ukraine and China regarding potential collaborative development of the aircraft.
In April 1994, prototype testing took place within the transonic wind tunnel facilities at the Russian Central Aviation Institute, with additional assessments conducted in July to refine the design. Despite these efforts, financial difficulties delayed progress as of November that year. By February 1995, plans were underway for joint production at facilities located in Kharkiv, Ukraine and at the Production Corporation Polyot plant in Omsk, Russia. Nevertheless, severe budget constraints from Ukrainian authorities led to a complete halt in development by August 1995.
Even as late as 1999, there remained expectations that the An-180 would be powered by Progress D-27 engines produced by the Ivchenko Progress Design Bureau, according to statements from the CEO of Motor Sich, which manufactures these engines. Despite this, efforts to secure commercial funding were unsuccessful, and by 2004, Antonov had officially ceased work on the project.
As of 2003, an incomplete fuselage of an An-180 was still stored within one of Antonov’s facilities dedicated to experimental aircraft assembly.
Design
The An-180 featured a traditional low-wing cantilever monoplane layout paired with a standard tail assembly. A distinctive aspect of its design was the placement of an Ivchenko Progress D-27 propfan at the tip of each horizontal stabilizer. Each propfan incorporated a coaxial contra-rotating tractor propeller system. Additionally, the aircraft was engineered with retractable landing gear, including dual nosewheels and tandem pairs of main wheels.
Multiple variants were envisioned, beginning with configurations accommodating 150 to 156 passengers, extending to a larger model capable of seating 200 individuals. Plans also included versions for mixed passenger and cargo transport as well as an exclusive freight model. The cabin was arranged with two aisles: seating rows consisted of two seats positioned between each aisle and the adjacent windows or cabin walls, along with two seats situated between the aisles. The landing gear was designed to accommodate seven LD3-46 unit load device containers.
Specifications
See also
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Notes
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- Легенда Боинга. Фильм II. Уроки Боинга. (1991) – Телевизионная передача продолжительностью 39:42 и 40:51, доступная на sibnet.ru. Режиссёр: Юрий Петрович Сальников. Включает интервью с генеральным конструктором Яковлева А. Дондуковым и генеральным конструктором Антонова П. В. Балабуевым. Перевод названия: The Legend of Boeing. Part II: The Lessons of Boeing.
- Проект Ан-180 от АНТК О.К. Антонова – подробности доступны по ссылке http://ram-home.com/ram-old/an-180.html (дата обращения: 22 октября 2019). Архивная версия страницы сохранена с 19 октября 2007 года.