Antonov An-24 (Coke)

History

The Antonov An-24 (NATO codename "Coke") is a Cold War-era twin-turboprop multi-role aircraft used by various air forces around the world, including the Russian Air Force. Its proven capabilities and continuous modernization keep it at the forefront of transportation. Its effects have been felt for decades.

The aircraft first flew as a prototype on October 29, 1959, officially entered service in 1962, and some 1,367 prototypes were produced between 1959 and 1979 (although today-2020 there are only over 100 in active operation). The line is also made of the "Y-7" by ally China, with other models including the An-26, An-30 and An-32.

An-24 was used to replace the aging line Ilyushin IL-14 transporter introduced in 1954 (1,348 produced).

The related An-26 is a tactical transport with a cargo ramp. The An-30 is deployed in photogrammetry roles and carries specialized equipment. The An-32 is the An-26, designed to better handle extreme weather conditions. An-34 was the unused name for the later An-24T brand.

The An-50 was turned into an abandoned jet project with an An-24 design with 4 x Ivchenko AI-25 turbofan engines - it was not propelled further.

The production brand An-24V has a crew of 3 and can carry up to 50 passengers. Overall length reaches 77.1 feet, with a wingspan of 95.9 feet and a height of 27.3 feet. The kerb weight is 30,000 pounds and the MTOW is 46,300 pounds.

Power comes from two 2,550-horsepower Ivchenko AI-24A turboprops, each driving a 4-blade constant-speed 12.9-foot diameter AV-72 series propeller.

The aircraft is expected to reach speeds of 280 mph, with a range of up to 1,500 miles (full load capacity), with a service ceiling of 27,600 feet. Climb speed of 375 feet per minute.

Current (2020) military operators of the An-24 include the North Korean Air Force (an example modified for an Airborne Early Warning (AEW) role), the Russian Air Force and Navy, and the Ukrainian Air Force and Navy. Postal operators include Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Iran, Iraq, Poland, Vietnam, etc.

Private market forms are also in use or have existed in the past.

Specification

Basic

Production

Roles

Dimensions

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Performance

Armor

Antonov An-26 (Curl) History

The Antonov An-26 was developed from the An-24 of 1962 for the airliner passenger / general transport role. First flight of the An-26 product was on May 21st, 1969 and production spanned from then until 1986 to which 1,403 examples were ultimately realized.

A plethora of variants then emerged and operators have ranged the globe with many airframes still in active service today (2014).

The original An-24 proved a design that was robust for the most harshest of conditions available across the vast Soviet empire - particularly in hard to reach areas of the frontier where few services were available. This propelled a new, modified form to gain traction, one in particular that included a powered loading ramp for ease of moving cargo pallets to and from the aircraft to awaiting bays or transport trucks.

With a new ramp design finishing its testing phase, the installation commenced to produce the new working designation of An-26.

As finalized, the An-26 carried over much of the same form and function of the preceding An-24 model including its high-wing design and twin engine layout. The tail unit remained a single vertical fin with low-set horizontal planes.

The flight deck was held at the extreme front end of the fuselage aft of a short nose cone. The cargo hold then made up a bulk of the available internal space remaining. Initial production models were recognized simply as "An-26" and were identified in NATO nomenclature as "Curl-A". A combo passenger/cargo-hauler form then became the An-26-100.

The local Chinese variant became the Xian Y-7H military transport.

Other limited production variants followed including an Arctic reconnaissance platform with special mission equipment, an atmospheric air lab, an assault transport prototype, various testbeds, a fire-fighting platform, and other proposed (some unrealized) designs.

Operators have gone on to range from Angola and Belarus to Yemen and Zambia. Many military operators have since abandoned the type including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Poland, and Somalia. The United States operated An-26s through the 6th Special Operations Squadron of the United States Air Force from the period of 2003 to 2007.

Soviet An-26s were passed on to the emerging states after the fall of the Soviet empire. Most current operators remain civilian in nature including fifteen operating in the Ukraine.

Antonov An-26 (Curl) Specification

BASICS

MANUFACTURING

ROLES

DIMENSIONS

WEIGHTS

POWER

PERFORMANCE

ARMAMENT

VARIANTS