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World Defense & Security Industry News - Antonov
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Antonov rolls out first An-132D tactical airlifter
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The Ukrainian aircraft manufacturer Antonov Company today rolled out the first demonstrator of the An-132D multirole tactical airlifter. The An-132D project was introduced by Antonov at SITDEF 2015 in Peru in May 2015. The next step of the program will be the aircraft's first flight which, according to Antonov, may occur before year-end.
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 Antonov unveils the first An-132D demonstrator aircraft today Dec. 20(Credit: CFTS) |
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The first fight of the AN-132 is now expected by 2016-end. After series of the test flights, Antonov and its partners on the programme, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Taqnia Aeronautics Co. (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), will present the aircraft to the potential customers in Saudi Arabia.
«Our country needs such airplanes, the market has very high potential. Creating the AN-132 we generated a cluster of aerospace industry in one platform. We had a study that forecasting very good number of this aircraft to be utilized in Saudi Arabia», said Dr. Khaled Abdullah Alhussain, Director of National Aerospace Technology Center, KACST in Feb. 2016. The An-132D – intended for short- and medium-haul routes -- will have varied use, from troop transport to cargo and can be outfitted with a variety of cabin configurations. The aircraft is be powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW150 turboprop engines along with Honeywell avionics, Liebherr life support system and Hamilton Sundstrand supplied Auxiliary Power Unit (APU). The aircraft will have a maximum cruising speed of 500 kilometers per hour and a maximum cruising altitude of 9,000 meters with a maximum payload of 9.2 tonnes. Antonov projects a potential market for the aircraft of 200 units between 2018 and 2025. |
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