Airports welcome planes of all shapes and sizes. Only one attracts crowds wherever it lands. The Antonov 124 was built to carry tanks and helicopters for the Russian military. Today it carries everything from jet engines to trains. It is the biggest working cargo plane in the world.

The C-124 Globemaster--a U.S. military heavy-lift transport in service 1950 through 1974--barreling down a runway was an awesome sight. The aircraft's four 3800 hp piston engines (the largest ever mass-produced), mounted on its 174-foot wingspan, could carry a 69,000-pound payload of tanks, artillery or other cargo, or 200 fully equipped troops, at more than 300 mph. The flight crew, perched three stories above the landing gears in an unpressurized cockpit, relied, like Magellan, on celestial fixes to navigate over oceans. With a world-wide mission delivering troops and materials to such destinations as the Congo, Vietnam, Thule, Greenland and Antarctica, the Globemaster lived up to its name and was foundational to what Time magazine publisher Henry Luce termed the "American Century." Drawing on archives, Air Force bases, libraries and accident sites, and his own recollections as a navigator, the author details Cold War confrontations and consequent strategies that emerged after Douglas Aircraft Company delivered the first C-124A to the Military Air Transport Service in 1949.

This book charts the development and service history of the Antonov design bureau's heavy transport aircraft. In the late 1950s, the Antonov design bureau began developing the An-22 heavy military transport, intended to carry 50 tons. Powered by four 15,000 hp turboprops, it was the world's heaviest transport when it first flew in February 1965. The four-turbofan An-124 was again the world's most capable airlifter when it emerged in 1982, with a payload of 120 tons. It proved its worth in military and humanitarian operations and earned acclaim as a commercial freighter after 1991 for carrying heavy and outsized items. The unique six-engined An-225 "Mriya" was created for carrying the Buran space shuttle. Despite the demise of the Buran program, the aircraft found use on the heavy/outsized cargo transportation market. It is illustrated by a wealth of new photos and color artwork, as well as line drawings.â

How do planes stay in the air? What is vertical takeoff? How does a pilot control altitude in a hot-air balloon? Join the Stickmen to find out how mechanisms work. Get an insider's view of these airborne wonders!

The 21st Century Junior Library Extraordinary Engineering series explains how important feats of engineering are accomplished. Aircraft Carriers examines the engineering concepts that make these incredible floating cities possible. Sidebars encourage readers to engage in the material by asking deeper questions or conducting individual research. An activity, full color photos, a glossary, and a listing of additional resources all enhance the learning experience.

Each book in 8142--TIME For Kids Nonfiction Readers: Fluent Kit is available in a set of six.For add-on purchases, each 6-pack includes 6 copies of this title and a lesson plan, packaged in a self-sealing vinyl bag.Word Count: 892TCM (Teacher Created Materials) Level: 3.2Guided Reading Level: NEarly Intervention Level: 21DRA (Developmental Reading Assessment) Level: 30

"This book sets forth in detail eighty-nine of the world's most serious (in terms of human lives lost) airplane disasters starting in 1927. The narrative coverage includes those events preceding a particular calamity, often the excruciating search for a missing plane, the sad task of body recovery, and the vital investigative efforts leading to a probable cause, lessons learned, and progressive measures required to prevent or minimize repeat occurrences."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Jets are sleek and powerful. They travel very fast. But how do these heavy planes fly? And how do pilots land them? Read this book to find out!

Since airplanes were first invented, they have often been used for military purposes. Learn about different kinds of fighter planes and find out how they are differen from regular planes.

The Ukraine based Antonov company had its origins in the Soviet era Antonov Design Bureau which latterly had been working on large transport aircraft. Created in the late 1980s in the turbulent post-Soviet era, the new company began to focus on this aspect of the international aviation market. Antonov Airlines was the first to offer the services of the most capable heavy-lift aircraft in serial production, the An-124 Ruslan, laying the foundations for a new sector of that market, the transportation of oversized and super-heavy cargoes. Since its formation, the enormous variety and types of cargoes that have been carried by the airline is extraordinary ranging from live chickens, tanks, railway locomotives, satellites, ostriches, generators, transformers and pressure vessels to boats and other aircraft. The list is almost endless and without the mighty An-124 Ruslan, many of these cargoes could never have travelled by air. This book provides many fascinating insights into a part of the aviation industry which is not often in the spotlight, the world of international heavy lift aviation. It also tells the story of challenging journey the airline company has made from being a subdivision of a secret Soviet enterprise to becoming one of the world leaders in a highly competitive sector of the aviation business. Illustrated throughout, the book contains a wealth of information on the design, production and operation of the An-12, An-74, An-124 and the giant An-225 aircraft.