An-158 makes its MAKS debut with orders on board

Antonov is showing its new An-158 regional jet at MAKS for the first time this year. Developed as a ‘stretched’ version of the An-148, the An-158 already attended June’s Paris Air Show where Russian lessor Ilyushin Finance (IFC) placed a firm order for 10 aircraft. IFC Director General Alexander Rubtsov says this deal is an extension of IFC’s order for 10 An-148s signed at last year’s Farnborough International Airshow. Rubtsov says the An-158s will be fitted with an English-language cockpit for operations in Latin America. The new aircraft will be built in Kiev from 2012 to 2014.

The Antonov An-158 was originally designated as the An-148-200. Outwardly it is similar to the basic An-148 but seating capacity has increased to a maximum of 99 passengers. The An-158’s fuselage is 1.7 m longer through the addition of two fuselage ‘plugs’ (a 1.15 m section in the nose and a 0.55 m section at the centre wing).

Antonov’s designers did not have to strengthen An-158’s landing gear because its maximum takeoff weight is the same as that previously certified for the higher-weight, extended-range An-148-100E (43.7 tonnes). However, the increase in fuselage size and passenger capacity was achieved by sacrificing some practical flight range. In a two-class layout the An-158 can cover 3,100 km – some 400 km less than the basic An-148-100B (75 passengers, single-class layout).