Leggo su ATWOnline di una possibile riconversione degli An-124, nell'ottica di dedicarli al trasporto di grosse componenti di velivoli, come fusoliere, ali etc.
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Heavy decision: Volga-Dnepr considers modifying An-124s into large-aircraft parts transports
July 25, 2008--Heavy lift cargo specialist Volga-Dnepr spent much of this month's Farnborough Airshow bending the ears of aircraft manufacturers on an idea it is weighing: Modifying its An-124 freighters to enable the giant cargo planes to ferry large assembled aircraft parts around the world. V-D executives revealed to ATWOnline at Farnborough that they seriously are considering shifting the focus of their An-124 business primarily to transporting parts for the increasingly globalized aircraft manufacturing industry.
Currently, V-D's 10 An-124s are used to move outsize cargo of all kinds around the world. Via a combination of long-term contracts with manufacturers and governments and ad hoc business, the Russian air transport company uses the 120-tonne-capacity freighters to ferry heavy engines, generators, oil rigs, industrial machinery, reactors, satellite equipment, heavy motor vehicles and some aircraft equipment over long distances in just hours.
But An-124s as currently configured cannot transport large assembled aircraft parts, such as fuselages and wing components. That's one reason Airbus and Boeing both have developed and maintain their own large freighters for moving aircraft parts around the world. The European manufacturer owns and operates five A300-600ST Belugas while its US rival has three 747-400 Large Cargo Freighters, also known as Dreamlifters since their primary purpose is to transport 787 components.
V-D shared with this website detailed diagrams of a proposed An-124 modification that would upgrade the aircraft so it could load and carry even larger cargo than the specialist Airbus and Boeing freighters, potentially supplementing or replacing those airplanes and also providing an attractive means for Bombardier, Embraer and emerging aircraft manufacturers in Russia, China and Japan to move parts globally.
Group Commercial Director Dennis Gliznoutsa explained that V-D would "change the shape of the aircraft to increase cargo cabin [floor space] by two square meters," which he claimed would make it 5 sq. m. larger than the Beluga and nearly 5 sq. m. larger than the 747-400LCF. As importantly, the aircraft would be modified so that cargo would need to be lifted only 1.5 m. off the ground to be loaded. Currently, items must be lifted 10 m. off the ground or moved up an inclined ramp to be loaded on the An-124, which makes loading an intact fuselage logistically prohibitive.
"You will be able to load [the modified] An-124 straight from the ground so you won't need any special lifting equipment," Gliznousta said in an interview at V-D's Farnborough chalet. The modified freighter would be able to load and carry "most current narrowbody fuselages and parts" without disassembly, he said.
While V-D's super-heavy cargo business is doing reasonably well, the company looks at the aircraft manufacturing industry and sees assembly plants spread far and wide as builders rely on increasingly globalized supply chains to fabricate aircraft. Boeing and Airbus have the resources to operate their own extra-large freighters, but there are other "aerospace manufacturers out there that budgetwise [can't afford to] have dedicated aircraft moving parts," Gliznousta said.
V-D is not taking lightly the decision on whether to modify its An-124s and "evolve into a different business model" for operating those aircraft, he explained. "We're talking to aerospace manufacturers about it," he said. "There is interest, actually. Manufacturers are interested in the cost structure [for potentially contracting V-D to carry large aircraft components] and are interested in what specifically we could carry."
Because the concept is still at the theoretical stage, V-D is soliciting input from manufacturers, he said. "We say to them, 'Tell us what you would want carried and we will tell you whether it's possible.' We're still at the early stage of exploring this, so it's still possible to make the modifications to meet the demands of manufacturers."
V-D has determined it would take 18-25 months to alter its An-124s into aircraft parts transports. If it undertook the decision to do so, the freighters would be nearly entirely dedicated to the aircraft manufacturing industry. They would be available for other uses when they are not needed by aerospace companies, but such business is likely to be rare.
"They still could be used for ad hoc [outsize cargo carriage] but they would be so much more expensive to contract," Gliznoutsa explained. "We would be able to move the cargo in terms of lift capacity, but the greater cost [and demand from aircraft manufacturers] would mean the business is mainly dedicated to aerospace manufacturing."
V-D will not move forward unless it knows for sure that aircraft manufacturers will contract it to transport large parts, he added: "The company will not jump on this without having a serious interest from customers. We would need to have firm commitments from customers." --Aaron Karp
Qui sotto l'articolo integrale, tratto da http://www.atwonline.com/channels/indepth/index.html
------------------------------------
Heavy decision: Volga-Dnepr considers modifying An-124s into large-aircraft parts transports
July 25, 2008--Heavy lift cargo specialist Volga-Dnepr spent much of this month's Farnborough Airshow bending the ears of aircraft manufacturers on an idea it is weighing: Modifying its An-124 freighters to enable the giant cargo planes to ferry large assembled aircraft parts around the world. V-D executives revealed to ATWOnline at Farnborough that they seriously are considering shifting the focus of their An-124 business primarily to transporting parts for the increasingly globalized aircraft manufacturing industry.
Currently, V-D's 10 An-124s are used to move outsize cargo of all kinds around the world. Via a combination of long-term contracts with manufacturers and governments and ad hoc business, the Russian air transport company uses the 120-tonne-capacity freighters to ferry heavy engines, generators, oil rigs, industrial machinery, reactors, satellite equipment, heavy motor vehicles and some aircraft equipment over long distances in just hours.
But An-124s as currently configured cannot transport large assembled aircraft parts, such as fuselages and wing components. That's one reason Airbus and Boeing both have developed and maintain their own large freighters for moving aircraft parts around the world. The European manufacturer owns and operates five A300-600ST Belugas while its US rival has three 747-400 Large Cargo Freighters, also known as Dreamlifters since their primary purpose is to transport 787 components.
V-D shared with this website detailed diagrams of a proposed An-124 modification that would upgrade the aircraft so it could load and carry even larger cargo than the specialist Airbus and Boeing freighters, potentially supplementing or replacing those airplanes and also providing an attractive means for Bombardier, Embraer and emerging aircraft manufacturers in Russia, China and Japan to move parts globally.
Group Commercial Director Dennis Gliznoutsa explained that V-D would "change the shape of the aircraft to increase cargo cabin [floor space] by two square meters," which he claimed would make it 5 sq. m. larger than the Beluga and nearly 5 sq. m. larger than the 747-400LCF. As importantly, the aircraft would be modified so that cargo would need to be lifted only 1.5 m. off the ground to be loaded. Currently, items must be lifted 10 m. off the ground or moved up an inclined ramp to be loaded on the An-124, which makes loading an intact fuselage logistically prohibitive.
"You will be able to load [the modified] An-124 straight from the ground so you won't need any special lifting equipment," Gliznousta said in an interview at V-D's Farnborough chalet. The modified freighter would be able to load and carry "most current narrowbody fuselages and parts" without disassembly, he said.
While V-D's super-heavy cargo business is doing reasonably well, the company looks at the aircraft manufacturing industry and sees assembly plants spread far and wide as builders rely on increasingly globalized supply chains to fabricate aircraft. Boeing and Airbus have the resources to operate their own extra-large freighters, but there are other "aerospace manufacturers out there that budgetwise [can't afford to] have dedicated aircraft moving parts," Gliznousta said.
V-D is not taking lightly the decision on whether to modify its An-124s and "evolve into a different business model" for operating those aircraft, he explained. "We're talking to aerospace manufacturers about it," he said. "There is interest, actually. Manufacturers are interested in the cost structure [for potentially contracting V-D to carry large aircraft components] and are interested in what specifically we could carry."
Because the concept is still at the theoretical stage, V-D is soliciting input from manufacturers, he said. "We say to them, 'Tell us what you would want carried and we will tell you whether it's possible.' We're still at the early stage of exploring this, so it's still possible to make the modifications to meet the demands of manufacturers."
V-D has determined it would take 18-25 months to alter its An-124s into aircraft parts transports. If it undertook the decision to do so, the freighters would be nearly entirely dedicated to the aircraft manufacturing industry. They would be available for other uses when they are not needed by aerospace companies, but such business is likely to be rare.
"They still could be used for ad hoc [outsize cargo carriage] but they would be so much more expensive to contract," Gliznoutsa explained. "We would be able to move the cargo in terms of lift capacity, but the greater cost [and demand from aircraft manufacturers] would mean the business is mainly dedicated to aerospace manufacturing."
V-D will not move forward unless it knows for sure that aircraft manufacturers will contract it to transport large parts, he added: "The company will not jump on this without having a serious interest from customers. We would need to have firm commitments from customers." --Aaron Karp
