aluminium body) Construction and manufacturing of Kiev-12 trolley buses (a spin-off, using existing technical expertise). Major contractors and partners Contract and licensee manufacturers Tashkent Aviation Production Association (formerly Tashkent State Aviation Plant) – Tashkent, Uzbekistan Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA) – Shahin Shahr, Iran Voronezh Aircraft Production Association (VASO) – Voronezh, Russia Chief designers Oleg Antonov: 1946–1984 Petro Balabuiev: 1984–2005 Dmytro Kiva: since 2005 Aircraft Antonov's primary activity has generally been in developing large military transport aircraft, including the world's largest airplanes, chiefly for the Russian Federation and its predecessor nations. Additionally, Antonov has produced airliners. It has also produced numerous variants of both transports and airliners, for operations ranging from air freight hauling to military reconnaissance, command and control operations. It has also developed various general aviation light aircraft, having originated as a producer of gliders. Transports, airliners and derivatives Antonov's aeroplanes (design office prefix An) range from the rugged An-2 biplane through the An-28 reconnaissance aircraft to the massive An-124 Ruslan and An-225 Mriya strategic airlifters (the latter being the world's heaviest aircraft and was the only one in service). Whilst less famous, the An-24, An-26, An-30 and An-32 family of twin turboprop, high-winged, passenger-cargo-troop transport aircraft are important for domestic/short-haul air services particularly in parts of the world once led by communist governments. The An-72/An-74 series of small jetliners is slowly replacing that fleet, and a larger An-70 freighter is under certification. The Antonov An-148 is a new regional airliner of twin-turbofan configuration. Over 150 aircraft have been ordered since 2007. A stretched version is in development, the An-158 (from 60–70 to 90–100 passengers). Gliders See also List of military aircraft of the Soviet Union and the CIS References Further reading MacFarquhar, Neil. "Aviation Giant Is Nearly Grounded in Ukraine." The New York Times. 12 October 2014. Corrected on 12 October 2014. External links Antonov company site Antonov company history Antonov company site Defence companies of Ukraine Manufacturing companies based in Kyiv Aircraft manufacturers of the Soviet Union Aircraft manufacturers of Ukraine Ukrainian brands 1946 establishments in Ukraine Technology companies established in 1946 Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1946 Ukrainian companies established in 1946 Bus manufacturers of Ukraine Design bureaus