In modern wars, the mobility of units, that is, their ability to relocate, is crucial. The solution to this problem as a whole rests with military transport aviation as the most mobile mode of transport. The latest developments of this type of aircraft in the world are Airbus A400 and An-70 Antonov Design Bureau.
History of creation
These two very similar machines Airbus A400 and An-70, created by interstate agreements, have a very different fate. Work on the Antonov plane began much earlier, back in 1976, when it became clear that the current trend towards an increase in the size of transported equipment could become a serious problem in the future. An additional requirement was the provision of shortened take-off and landing on unequipped airfields. It took a lot of time to formulate these requirements, which were finally approved only after 10 years. The plane made its first flight in 1994 in Kiev. As for the Airbus A400, the decision to create it was first made in 1982, but then was canceled. The agreement between the participating countries was again concluded only in 2003, and this "truck" made its first flight at the end of 2009. That is, 8 years have passed from the real start of work to take-off in Ukraine, 6 years in Europe. Further the paths and destinies of the planes diverged greatly. The Airbus A400 has passed the full range of tests, received a certificate and since 2013 began to enter the army of NATO countries, by mid-2018, 66 aircraft had already been delivered and more than 170 more were ordered.
An-70 aircraft became one of the victims of interstate relations. Several times, Russia and Ukraine decided to continue its development, then the agreements either simply were not implemented, or there was not enough funding, or other factors came into play. After 2014, the topic was virtually closed. As a result, there is one single copy of the An-70 aircraft, which entered the balance of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, without having passed the test cycle until the end, and several gliders in a disassembled state at the Aviant plant in Kiev. The fate of the Airbus A400 and An-70 is really radically different.
Comparison
The main characteristics of the Airbus A400 and An-70 aircraft are summarized in the table.
| Metric and Unit | An-70 | Airbus A400 |
| Max. take-off weight, tons | 135 | 141 |
| Flight range from 20 t, km | 6600 | 6400 |
| Max. carrying capacity, tons | 47 | 37 |
| Aircraft length, meters | 40.73 | 45.1 |
| Wingspan, meters | 44.06 | 42,4 |
| Engine power, l with. | 4 x 13880 | 4 x 11000 |
| Takeoff run, meters | 600 | 1100 |
Even outwardly, these two planes are similar, like twin brothers. But unlike the Airbus A400, the An-70 is equipped with a propeller-driven propulsion system with coaxial screws. The principle of obtaining additional lifting force by blowing the wing with a stream from the engine screws has been implemented, due to which excellent takeoff and landing characteristics have been achieved. Both the Airbus A400 and the An-70 have a “glass cockpit”, the concept of digital data transmission is fully implemented, and all systems are installed that allow you to fly on international airlines. In general, Ukrainian designers still have serious suspicions that the creation of the Airbus A400 could not do without industrial espionage from European partners. It is unfortunate that the aircraft with excellent potential, over which many factories and design bureaus of the former USSR worked, could not take its rightful place in the sky.