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Antonov An-22 Antei

Antonov An-22 Shared History

As one of the largest militaries in the world during the Cold War (1947-1991), the Soviet military required many large transport aircraft to airlift personnel, machinery and supplies. Eventually, his fleet of such aircraft included Antonov An-22 "Antei" for heavy strategic airlift. The product became the largest turboprop aircraft in the world, with 68 built from 1966 to 1976.

An-22 is still in service today (2017).

Its name comes from the Greek mythological figure "Antheus", the son of Poseidon.

The An-22 first flew as a prototype on 27 February 1965, and after the required testing procedures and certification, the product was introduced later in 1967. The Soviet Air Force relied on the An-8 and An-12 models with medium buoyancy and greater transport capacity.

The Antonov Design Bureau was tasked with the design and development of a shoulder-wing multi-engine aircraft, which led to the designation "An-20". The product eventually developed under the familiar name An-22 on its first flight.

The An-22 made its public debut during the 1965 Paris Air Show, giving Western observers a first-hand look at the large aircraft.

Antonov engineers created a unique looking aircraft, although in many respects it was clearly Antonov designed. The fuselage is tubular but squatted, creating a generous interior volume required for transport missions.

The bulge on the underside of the fuselage houses a set of landing gear that coincides with the nose gear (also designed for rough terrain). The plane was deliberately low to the ground when it landed, which facilitated loading and unloading of cargo. The high-wing nature of the aircraft also allows for a strong lift principle and the ground crew to release the spinning propeller blades. Each wing manages a pair of turboprops on its leading edge. The cockpit is designed very forward and offers impressive visibility over the short nose assembly.

The tail was raised and covered by a separate rudder arrangement. Operations team number. Dimensions include a length of 190 feet, a wingspan of 211 feet, and a height of 41 feet. A rear cargo door allows access to the deeper cargo area inside.

The front of the fuselage - including the cockpit - is pressurized and contains seating for 29 people.

Power is provided by 4 Kuznetsov NK-12MA turboprop engines driving counter-rotating propellers, each delivering up to 15,000 shaft horsepower. Performance includes a top speed of 460 mph and a range of up to 6,800 miles under load.

When empty, the aircraft weighs 250,000 pounds - for maximum take-off weight (MTOW), this figure is as high as 550,000 pounds.

Variations of the An-22 are limited, starting with three prototypes (notable for their heavy glass noses). After that, the 22 production form of the base An-37 followed. The An-22A designation refers to a new aircraft with improved electrical and communications systems and "air start" capability. Completed about twenty-eight for this brand. The An-22PZ was a short-lived successor design known for its three-blade tail, capable of utilizing the wing sections of the An-124 and An-225 aircraft.

For this purpose, only two are converted. Antonov even developed a civilian aircraft with a capacity of more than 700 passengers, but the move failed.

In practice, the Antonov An-22 has demonstrated its airlift capabilities, starting with a range of humanitarian missions to disaster-stricken areas of the world. When the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979, the military quickly benefited.

During the 1984 fighting, at least one went to the enemy near Kabul. In addition, the An-22 has served its purpose of supplying large numbers of people, vehicles (including medium helicopters) and delivering cargo around the world.

Despite such qualities, operators of the An-22 have proved themselves relatively small over the years - the Soviet Air Force's An-22 inventory is down to the present - the Russian Air Force and limited examples are in service with Ukraine and Bulgaria (lease only ) The number of An-22s decreased over time as the Russian Air Force transitioned to the An-124 line.