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Ukraine unveils transport plane able to operate on unpaved runways

Xinhua, April 17, 2015 Adjust font size:

Ukrainian state-run aircraft manufacturer Antonov on Thursday unveiled its new medium-sized transport aircraft An-178, which is able to take off and land on unpaved runways.

The aircraft, which has a payload capacity of up to 18 tonnes with a maximum speed of 800 km per hour, was displayed to public during a ceremony in Kiev.

The plane is equipped with two turbofan engines located high on fuselage and protected against dust and soil, which allows the aircraft to operate on unprepared surfaces, the company said in a statement.

The aircraft was designed mainly for transporting cargoes, such as self-propelled machinery and large shipping containers, but it could also be used in commercial and military aviation, according to Dmytro Kiva, the chief designer at Antonov Company.

The An-178 will go through a ground test in the coming days and it will make its first flight in May. The market price of the plane is expected to be around 20 million U.S. dollars to 25 million dollars per unit, according to the statement. Endite