China's transport, tanker & heavy lift aircraft
- Thread starter Totoro
- Start date
English Translation:
Business Soho said:
So they are planning to build a production plant and start producing commercial versions of this aricraft.
What do you want to be that a Military Version ends up in the works?
Built to MIL specs, these would be HUGE military transports.
MwRYum
Major
First I'd wait till the Antonov State Company release a press statement concerning this matter before moving any further. Official website's last entry still of August 28th.
Still I wonder...the An-225 is more or less just a "stretched-limo" version of the An-124, so why don't make the deal over the An-124 instead? Then I came across Antonov's offical press statement concerning An-124...
Still I wonder...the An-225 is more or less just a "stretched-limo" version of the An-124, so why don't make the deal over the An-124 instead? Then I came across Antonov's offical press statement concerning An-124...
Related or not? I wonder. Still, better wait for official Antonov State Company press statement.
MwRYum
Major
Ain't those transports already built to Soviet mil-spec back then? If so, and assuming the deal is genuine, what the Chinese side will have to do first is to bring the design at least up to modern ICAO and FAA standards, otherwise its commercial prospect will be a dim one (notwithstanding the limited airfields that can allow such beast to operate, there's the engine emittion issues and noise restrictions that'd restrict the airspace it can transit through, limiting its flight corridors), probably replace many of the analog systems with modern systems, with more ambitions and money even materials used in construction as well?
But still don't believe the Chinese iteration will be that 6-engine monster, but scale it back to the 4-engined beast.
There was news some weeks or months ago that the Antonov company was being absorbed by its mother company no doubt to save money. The economy of Ukraine is pretty miserable so it would make sense for a Chinese company to buy the Ukrainian owned An-124's and An-225 and all documentation and hire all relevant Ukrainian engineers. But were that to happen I would expect much more publicity for a long time before the documents were signed.
After that has happened it might be time to modernize the design and the production process and to build a plant to build more aircraft.
I would be surprised if that were to happen but it is technically possible.
P.S. And what about the engines for these beasts?
After that has happened it might be time to modernize the design and the production process and to build a plant to build more aircraft.
I would be surprised if that were to happen but it is technically possible.
P.S. And what about the engines for these beasts?
How do you explain this then?
superdog
Junior Member
This company has "fishy" written all over it.
There is a chance that this company is a front for AVIC and AVIC is buying the tech, but somehow doesn't want to make a deal directly. Even if this is the case, I doubt AVIC can (or would want to) build another An-225 domestically by 2019, perhaps they only want the tech for reference. They may give money to the Ukranians and have them assemble one using their existing parts, that's how you can get another An-225 flying ASAP.
There is also a bigger chance that the whole thing is a fraud. Either the entire meeting and the photo were staged, or that Antonov was involved but the contract was nowhere close to what the news claimed (e.g. non-binding agreement). Companies do this to create an excuse to secure lands for development.
There is zero chance that a small private company with no experience in aircraft manufacturing will be able to build an An-225 by 2019. If they really thought they could do that, it'd still be an extremely stupid business decision. The manufacturing investments would be gigantic, yet the An-225 is not something you can sell in numbers.
There is a chance that this company is a front for AVIC and AVIC is buying the tech, but somehow doesn't want to make a deal directly. Even if this is the case, I doubt AVIC can (or would want to) build another An-225 domestically by 2019, perhaps they only want the tech for reference. They may give money to the Ukranians and have them assemble one using their existing parts, that's how you can get another An-225 flying ASAP.
There is also a bigger chance that the whole thing is a fraud. Either the entire meeting and the photo were staged, or that Antonov was involved but the contract was nowhere close to what the news claimed (e.g. non-binding agreement). Companies do this to create an excuse to secure lands for development.
There is zero chance that a small private company with no experience in aircraft manufacturing will be able to build an An-225 by 2019. If they really thought they could do that, it'd still be an extremely stupid business decision. The manufacturing investments would be gigantic, yet the An-225 is not something you can sell in numbers.