The wing came from the very top of the fuselage, flush with it. It took off at the same time that a Lufthansa flight landed about 3:30pm. Never seen anything like it.
That is the "little" Russian cargo aircraft that comes in once a month or so. I call it little because that one only has 4 engines....the "big" one has six and looks like the wing is going to drag the ground. I havent seen the big one in a long time.
The Antanov 124-100 is a regular visitor in the US since the fall of the USSR
CLT sees visits from these bohemoths routinely in support of GE products being sold to Russia...and performing warranty work on those oversized items. They usually have extended stays do to frequent engine problems and fuel leaks. A previous visit to CLT lasted for more than a week when over 800 Gallons of fuel leaked within the fuselage and under the cargo floor and onto the CLT cargo ramp. Not a great day for Russian aviation as it were.
The Antanov also comes during the build up to the Xmas season in support of Rev. Franklin Grahams Project Christmas Child , where donated gifts are sent overseas to less fortunate kids.
The primary operators of this type that can be seen in the US are as follows.
(1) Heavy Lift from the UK
(2) The Antanov Design Bureau
(3) Volga Nepar Airlines
The also operate other former Soviet military types like the IL-76 that looks like a scaled down cross between a USAF C-141 Starlifter and the Antanov 124-100
The wing came from the very top of the fuselage, flush with it. It took off at the same time that a Lufthansa flight landed about 3:30pm. Never seen anything like it.
I had the distinct displeasure of taxiing out behind one of those beasts at BDL one evening. Once we got to the runway end, the C-Fiveski pilot tells the tower they will need EIGHT MINUTES in takeoff position on the runway before they can roll!
I couldn't turn around and use another runway, so I bit my tongue and waited it out. After they departed, I asked the tower if they knew what the C-Fiveski had to do for eight minutes in position for takeoff. They weren't sure, but someone on the frequency came up with the likely answer: Prayer!
One of a kind, built to carry the Russian space shuttle (note the odd fairings on top of the fuselage at the wing junction). There is a second one partially complete - it may be worth finishing based on all the charter business this one gets.