Transport aircraft news.

The 1991 Gulf War and subsequent large-scale operations in Afghanistan and Iraq have underlined the vital role played by both strategic and intra-theatre transports. Across the logistics spectrum, existing aircraft are being upgraded and new designs are being developed. The following review outlines progress with some of the principal transports in roughly ascending order of size.

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The lightweight end of the current range is represented by the 8.1-tonne Eads-Casa C-212-400 with two Honeywell TPE331 turboprops. More than 460 military and civil C-212s have been sold to 42 countries. However, within a few years Eads may find that its monopoly of this market sector is challenged by the 12.5-tonne Sukhoi Su-80, with two General Electric CT7 turboprops providing almost twice as much power. The Su-80 is unusual in having the tail surfaces supported by two booms extending aft from the engine nacelles, a configuration that facilitates loading the aircraft directly from ground vehicles. The first prototype had its maiden flight on September 4, 2001 with less powerful Rybinsk TVD-1500S engines. The second and third prototypes will have a 1.4-metre fuselage stretch. In October 2003, Indian representatives approached Sukhoi with a proposal to make Su-80 production a joint effort, with the final assembly line in India.

Sukhoi may well accede to the Indian proposal, since in May 2003 the Russian Air Force selected the 20-tonne Ilyushin Il-112V with two Klimov TV3-117S turboprops as its new light transport, to replace the Antonov An-24 and An-26. The Il-112V is a conventional tactical transport configuration, but is designed to operate from airstrips of only 1200 metres. It is hoped to have 100 to 120 aircraft in service by 2010. In winning the domestic contest, the Il-112V defeated both the lightweight Su-80 and the projected 18-tonne MiG-110. The latter is designed for the same Klimov engines as the Il-112V, but (like the Su-80) has a twin-boom configuration. Reports indicate that RSK-MiG is being discouraged by the Russian authorities from proceeding with the MiG-110, which is seen as unwelcome competition for the Il-112V.

The Ilyushin design is significantly heavier than the very successful 16.5-tonne CN-235, which was developed by Eads-Casa and Indonesian Aerospace (IAe). The CN-235 is powered by General Electric CT7 turboprops, and around 250 are in service in 20 countries. Recent CN-235 orders have been restricted to aircraft from Spain, since in mid-2003 IAe temporarily ceased production due to a shortage of funds. However, last October the company announced a restructuring plan, basically to concentrate on the CN-235, for which it has orders for nine (for Indonesia, Malaysia and Pakistan). Egypt is seen as one marketing prospect.

From the CN-235 Eads-Casa developed the 23.2-tonne C-295, a stretched derivative with Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127 turboprops and the Thales Topdeck avionics system with liquid crystal displays. The C-295 has been adopted as a tactical transport by Spain, Jordan and Poland (and by Switzerland, although this decision is currently being reviewed), and as a maritime patrol aircraft by the UAE, Brazil and the US Coast Guard.

The 28.5-tonne Antonov An-32 was originally designed to meet an Indian Air Force requirement for an aircraft that could use unpaved runways as high as 15,000 ft and as hot as 50 deg C. It first flew in 1976. The current An-32-100 is equipped with two high-set Ivchenko Progress AI-20D turboprops, and is relatively overpowered (in order to achieve the required airfield performance), with consequently penalised range. Approximately 350 An-32s are in military and civil service, including around 110 with the Indian Air Force. Proposed developments are represented by an An-32-300 (as was offered to Greece) with Rolls-Royce AE2100 engines, and the An-32M with PW150As. The An-32M was reportedly offered to Poland at a flyaway price of $ 15 million, but lost to the C-295.

The 31.8-tonne C-27J Spartan, developed by Alenia Aerospazio and Lockheed Martin, represents the upper end of the twin-turboprop range. Powered by two Rolls-Royce AE2100 engines, as used in the four-engined Lockheed Martin C-130J, it has the largest cabin cross-section in its class, a feature inherited from the Alenia G.222. Its freight capacity and commonality with the C-130J (in engines, propellers and Honeywell avionics) are both attractive features, but it also has a relatively high unit price, which is making it difficult to sell in competition with the smaller and cheaper C-295. Efforts are reportedly being made to reduce flyaway price from $ 25 to 22 million.

The three production-standard development C-27Js began flight trials in 2000, but the only orders to date are from Italy (twelve) and Greece (twelve plus three on option). Some of the Greek aircraft will have flight refuelling probes and strengthened floors. The main hope for the C-27J relates to an order for up to 40 aircraft to replace US Army National Guard Shorts C-23s. Funds for a replacement have been identified in the Pentagon's 2008 and 2009 budget plans, and a C-27J has recently been demonstrated in the US.

Twin Jets

All the aircraft so far discussed have grossed below 35 tonnes, and have been true intra-theatre transports. All have had some degree of design emphasis on short field performance, hence turboprops were the clear choice. However, progressing to aircraft weighing more than 40 tonnes offers the prospect of much longer ranges; cruise speed, therefore, becomes more important. Turbofans may then be the better powerplant choice, depending on the individual service requirements.

In 1999 Ilyushin reached an agreement with Hindustan Aeronautics on making the twin-jet Il-214 a joint project under the designation Multi-role Transport Aircraft (MTA). Assuming that development (estimated to cost $ 300 million) goes ahead, Irkut, Beriev and Yakovlev will also be involved. Full-scale development has not yet begun, but Ilyushin is carrying out preliminary design work. The military Il-214V would carry 82 paratroops. The potential market is estimated as 125 aircraft for Russia and 45 for India, which sees it as a replacement for the much smaller An-32. Reports of maximum gross weight vary from 43 to 60 tonnes. The engines short-listed are reportedly the Aviadvigatel PS-12 (derived from the PS-90A) and the Rolls-Royce Deutschland BR715.

A much larger project of similar configuration is the 103.5-tonne Tupolev Tu-330, equipped with a more powerful variant of the Perm PS-90A. Models of the Tu-330 have appeared at airshows for many years, and Tupolev representatives insist that it is a serious project, but the green light appears to be waiting for Russian support for the Ukraine's An-70 to be formally terminated. Development of the Tu-330 would benefit from cockpit, wing, powerplant and systems commonality with the Tu-214 airliner.

A third twin-turbofan project is the Kawasaki C-X, which is presumably in the 150-tonne class. In 2003, a variant of the General Electric CF6-80C2L1F that is being developed for the C-5M (discussed later) was selected to power the C-X. The first engine is to be delivered in 2006, leading to first flight of the C-X in July 2007 and entry into service in December 2011. The JASDF will operate a fleet of at least 44 C-Xs.

Quad-Props

The Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules has been one of the most successful military transports of all time, with over 2700 delivered and more than 1600 still in service. The 70.3-tonne C-130J represents a new generation, with Rolls-Royce AE2100 turboprops and a modern flight deck. The principal variants are the stretched C-130J-30 (CC-130J in US Air Force-speak), and the KC-130J tanker with two wing-mounted Flight Refuelling hose-and-drogue units. The recent six-year $ four billion Pentagon contract for 40 CC-130Js for the US Air Force and 20 KC-130Js for the US Marine Corps has assured the future of the programme, and brought the order total to 179 units. The Pentagon's FY2004 budget request referred to twelve aircraft planned for FY2005 at a unit price of $ 78.8 million. The US services are now working with three foreign operators to define a 'Block 6.0' upgrade, covering such features as Global Air Traffic Management (Gatm), infrared countermeasures, fuel tank inert gas generation and Link 16 datalink.

The 130-tonne Airbus Military A400M was formally launched in May 2003 on the basis of orders for 180 aircraft for seven European nations, with deliveries scheduled to take place between 2009 and 2021. It is to be powered by four 10,600 shp Europrop International (EPI) TP400-D6 turboprops, jointly developed and produced by Rolls-Royce (a 28 per cent share), Snecma (28 per cent), MTU Aero Engines (also 28) and ITP (16). The eight-blade, 5.3-metre diameter propellers will be the responsibility of Ratier-Figeac, a subsidiary of Hamilton Sundstrand. The TP400 is to begin ground runs in August 2005, leading to first flight in a testbed aircraft in December 2006. The A400M is due to fly at Seville in the first half of 2008, with deliveries to follow in the fourth quarter of 2009.

The 132-tonne Antonov An-70 is very close in size to the A400M, but uses more powerful engines (Progress D-27s turning contra-rotating propellers with a total of 14 blades) for shorter airfield performance, and is thus somewhat penalised in range. Flight trials with the second An-70 protoype (which first flew in April 1997) are claimed to have covered half the development programme, but Russia wants to see its technical problems solved before funding (dating from a 1993 agreement) continues. In September 2003, Antonov signed an agreement with the China Aviation Industry Corporation II (AVIC-II) regarding collaboration on transport aircraft, including the An-70. Other possible lines of development include the An-70T-400 with four CFM56-5C4 turbofans.

Quad-Jets

The better military transports remain viable for several decades, especially if upgraded with later engines, avionics and flight decks. A good example is Russia's Ilyushin Il-76M, which entered service in 1974, to be followed by the longer range Il-76MD with strengthened wings. A total of around 850 Il-76s have been built for military and civil users. A unique development is represented by an Il-76TD of the Zhukovsky-based Emercom, which has an inflatable 150-patient field hospital that can be air-dropped on four pallets, the medical team then following by parachute. A major advance is now available in the form of the 210-tonne Il-76MF, which flew in 1995, with a 6.6-metre fuselage stretch and Perm PS-90A76 engines.

The lead in Il-76 engine upgrading has been taken by Russian commercial operators, driven by West European noise requirements. Ilyushin is upgrading an initial batch of eight Il-76TDs to Il-76TD-90VD standard with PS-90A engines and a modernised cockpit that will reduce the flight crew from three to two. Operators such as Volga-Dnepr, Aeroflot and AirTran are expected to take the programme total to around 80 aircraft. This may have encouraged the Russian Air Force, which is understood to have funds allocated in its 2004 budget for the production launch of Il-76MFs at Voronezh JSC. It is understood that around 40 uncompleted Il-76 airframes are in stock.

It may be noteworthy that in 2000 the Uzbekistan government ordered five Il-76MF-100s with CFM International CFM56-5C4 turbofans, which would increase range with a 40-tonne payload from 5000 to 7000 km.

The most outstanding of new-generation transports is undoubtedly the 265-tonne Boeing C-17, which is powered by four Pratt & Whitney F117 turbofans. The C-17 first flew in 1991, entered US Air Force service in 1995 and made its combat debut in Afghanistan in late 2001. A supplementary four-year 60-aircraft $ 9.7 billion order approved in 2002 has taken the firm US Air Force total to 180 aircraft. Boeing has proposed a further four-year 42-aircraft programme that would run from FY2007 to FY2010, and requires a decision before the end of 2005. The FY2004 budget request was for eleven aircraft at a unit cost of $ 318.4 million, which presumably includes spares, as the US Air Force fact sheet refers to a unit price of $ 236.7 million in FY1998 dollars. At the end of 2003 a total of 116 C-17s had been delivered, including 16 in that year.

Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF) has four C-17s, and is likely to buy them at the end of the lease in 2008. These aircraft were each expected to fly 750 hr/yr, but are in practice flying 1250 hr/yr. The RAF C-17s correspond to US Air Force Block 13s, with 27 tonnes of additional fuel in centre section tanks. This allows them to fly (for example) from Germany to Iraq and return without refuelling. Potential C-17 operators include Australia, Canada, France, Germany and Norway.

Despite the success of the C-17, the older 380-tonne Lockheed Martin C-5 Galaxy remains an essential element of US Air Force equipment, due to its unrivalled payload and range. Most of the current fleet of 50 C-5B/Cs and 76 even older C-5As will be given the Avionics Modernisation Program (AMP), introducing digital displays and equipment and providing the necessary communications and navigation avionics to comply with Gatm requirements. Fleet-wide AMP installation is scheduled to begin (with the eight C-5Bs of Lot 1) in mid-2004 and be completed by 2007. It is widely anticipated that only the C-5B/Cs will receive the Reliability Enhancement and Re-engining Program (Rerp), which includes introduction of General Electric CF6-80C2L1F turbofans, but Lockheed Martin argues that all C-5s could be made viable until 2040. On present plans, the C-5B/Cs will be re-engined between 2007 and 2011. Aircraft with both AMP and Rerp (at a combined unit cost of $ 55 to 60 million) are to be redesignated C-5M Super Galaxies. In November 2003, the first of an initial batch of 14 US Air Force C-5As was retired from service, to be replaced by C-17s.

At 392 tonnes, the Antonov An-124 is marginally heavier than the C-5B, but is likely to remain in service just as long. It is estimated that around 50 military and civil (An-124-100) aircraft have so far been built, and new-build examples occasionally still appear. Around 28 remain with the Russian Air Force, although some of these are being sold or leased to commercial operators. Four military aircraft are being modified to An-124-AL standard for Polyot to place 3500 kg satellites into Earth orbit, using converted ballistic missiles as launch vehicles that are withdrawn from the hold by parachutes. The lead in engine upgrades is once again being taken by a civilian operator; Volga-Dnepr in 2002 having launched a programme to convert nine of its aircraft to Au-124-100M standard, with uprated Progress D-18T engines, a 150-tonne maximum payload, modern avionics, a crew of four (down from seven) and an airframe life of 24,000 hours. The first upgraded aircraft was due to be rolled out by the end of 2003. Beyond this, Antonov is planning a stretched An-124-300 with a 5.9-metre increase in length and 6.6 metres more wingspan, more powerful engines and a two-man 'glass' cockpit. Compared to the An-124-100M, this would increase range with 150-tonne payload from 2820 to 8100 km. Antonov foresees a military requirement for up to 50 An-124-300s.

Twin-Turboprop Transports

Aircraft         Eads-Casa      Sukhoi     Eads-Casa      Ilyushin
                 C-212-400      Su-80     CN-235-3011      II-112V

Engines          Honeywell        GE          GE            Klimov
                 TPE331-12JR    CT7-9B       CT7-9C        TV7-1175
Power [kW]         2 x 690     2 x 1300     2 x 1300       2 x 2090
Wingspan [ml         20.27      23.16        25.81           25.80
Length [m]           16.15      16.86        21.40           21.40
Height [m]            6.60       5.58         8.17            8.50
Wing area [m]        41.00      44.00        59.10             N/A
Floor L [m]           6.55       7.70         9.65             N/A
Cabin H [m]           1.80       1.83         1.90            2.40
Floor W [m]           1.87       2.15          237            2.45
Troop capacity          25         20           48             N/A
Empty Wt [kg]         3780       8200         8600             N/A
Payload [kg]l         2950       3500         6000            6000
Fuel [kg]             1600       2355         4125             N/A
MTOW [kg]             8100     12,500       16,500          20,000
V-ec [km/hr]           N/A        400          N/A             N/A
V-max [km/hr]          360        535          454             650
R-Pld [km]             430        700          728            1000
R-max [km]            2400       2890         5000             N/A

Aircraft         Eads-Casa    Antonov     LMATTS
                   C-295     An-32V-200    C-27J

Engines            P&WC      Ivchenko     Rolls-Royce
                  PW127G     AI-20D/5      AE2100-D2
Power [kW]       2 x 1975    2 x 3810      2 x 3460
Wingspan [ml      25.81         29.20        28.70
Length [m]        24.40         23.78        22.70
Height [m]         8.66          8.75         9.60
Wing area [m]     59.10         74.98           82
Floor L [m]       12.69         15.68         8.58
Cabin H [m]        1.90          1.84         2.60
Floor W [m]        2.37           N/A         2.45
Troop capacity       69           N/A           53
Empty Wt [kg]       N/A        17,500       17,000
Payload [kg]l      9700          7500       10,000
Fuel [kg]          6045          5455         9400
MTOW [kg]        23,200             2       31,800
V-ec [km/hr]        N/A           500          500
V-max [km/hr]       482           530          600
R-Pld [km]         1455           860         2150
R-max [km]         4970          3200         5930

Notes: Floor L: length of fixed floor. Cabin H: height of cabin. Floor
W: width of floor. Payload: maximum payload. Fuel: maximum internal
fuel. MTOW: maximum take-off weight. V-ec: economical cause speed.
V-max: maximum cruise speed R-Pld: range with maximum payload. R-max:
ferry range. N/A: not available.

Four-Turboprop Transports

Aircraft         Lock.Martin   Lock. Martin   Airbus Mil.    Antonov
                   C-130J        C-130J-30      A400M         An-70

Engines          Rolls-Royce    Rolls-Royce      EPI         Progress
                   AE2100         AE2100       TP400-D6        D-27
Thrust [kN]       4 x 3425       4 x 3425      4 x 7900     4 x 10,300
Wingspan [m]        40.41          40.41         42.40         44.06
Length [m]          29.74          34.37         42.20         40.73
Height [m]          11.54          11.84         14.70         16.38
Wing Area [m]      152.10         162.10        221.50           204
Floor L [m]         12.19          16.74         17.71         18.60
Cabin H [m]          2.74           2.74          3.85          4.10
Floor W [m]          3.03           3.03             4             4
Troop capacity         92            128           120           300
Empty Wt [kg]      34,274         35,965        66,500           N/A
Payload [kg]       18,956         17,831        37,000        47,000
Fuel [kg]          20,820         20,820        50,600           N/A
MTOW [kg]          79,379         79,379       130,000       132,000
V-ec [km/hr]          627            627           N/A           750
V-max [km/hr]         645            645           780            80
R-Pld [km]           5250           5250          3100          1300
R-max [km]            N/A            N/A          9080          8800

Turbofan-Powered Transports

Aircraft         Ilyushin     Tupolev    Ilyushin    Boeing
                  IL-214V      Tu-330     IL-76MF     C-17

Engines            Perm        Perm        Perm     Progress
                   PS-9       PS-90AT    PS-90A76     D-27
Thrust [kN]       2 x 100   2 x 158.30    4 x 157   4 x 185
Wingspan [m]       30.10       43.50       50.50       51.80
Length [m]         33.20          42       53.19       53.04
Height [m]            10          14       14.42       16.79
Wing Area [m]        N/A      195.50         300      353.20
Floor L [m]        13.50       19.50       26.60       20.80
Cabin H [m]            3        3.55        3.45        3.75
Floor W [m]          N/A           4        3.40        5.49
Troop capacity        82         N/A         140         102
Empty Wt [kg]        N/A         N/A     101,000     125,645
Payload [kg]      18,500      30,000      52,000        78.1
Fuel [kg]            N/A         N/A      84,840      82,125
MTOW [kg]         55,000     103,000     210,000     265,350
V-ec [km/hr]         810         800         750         815
V-coax [km/hr]       870         850         780         848
R-Pld [km]          2000        3000        4500        5000
R-max [km]          6000        8600         N/A        8700

Aircraft         Lock. Martin
                     C-5B

Engines               GE
                  TF39-GE-IC
Thrust [kN]       4 x 191.30
Wingspan [m]         67.89
Length [m]           75.30
Height [m]           19.84
Wing Area [m]          576
Floor L [m]          43.80
Cabin H [m]           4.11
Floor W [m]           5.79
Troop capacity         363
Empty Wt [kg]      169,643
Payload [kg]       122,472
Fuel [kg]          150,820
MTOW [kg]          381,000
V-ec [km/hr]           817
V-coax [km/hr]         908
R-Pld [km]            3985
R-max [km]          11,700