Ukraine, Russia To Jointly Manufacture An-70 Aircraft In $4 Billion Project

Ukrainian aircraft maker Antonov and Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation will join together to manufacture the Antonov An-70 transport airplanes. The joint venture will have both companies producing 80 aircraft by 2020. Specifically for the purposes of An-70 production, Russia will build a separate plant at JSC Gorbunov Kazan Aviation Production Association, according to the Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. Russia has placed an order for 60 machines with a cost of $67 million per aircraft. The An-70 can carry 300 troopers or 47 tons of freight and fly at a speed of 780 kilometers per hour at distances of up to 7,800 kilometers and the four engines Progress D-27 is capable of landing on 600-800 meter runways with earth surfaces. Onboard navigation equipment allows the plane to land and takeoff at airports lacking special earth-based equipment. Testing of the three-shaft propfan engine will be done by end of August 2012.