| An-12 | |
|---|---|
 |
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| An-12 of Kosmos PO Aicompany, Russia | |
| Role | Military transport aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Antonov |
| First flight | 16th December[1] 1957 |
| Introduced | 1959 |
| Status | Active service with various airlines and Air Forces |
| Primary users | Soviet Air Force Aeroflot PLA Air Force |
| Produced | 1957-1973 |
| Number built | 1,248 |
| Developed from | Antonov An-10 |
| Variants | Shaanxi Y-8 |
The Antonov An-12 (NATO reporting name: Cub) is a four-engined turboprop transport aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. It is the military version of the Antonov An-10.
Contents |
Design and development
The first prototype flew in December 1957. Over 900 had been built, in both military and civilian versions, before production finally ended in 1973. The An-12BP entered Soviet military service in 1959. In terms of configuration, size and capability, the aircraft is similar to the United States-built Lockheed C-130 Hercules. Military Soviet and former-Soviet planes have a defensive tail gun turret.
Chinese production
In the 1960s, China purchased several An-12 aircraft from the Soviet Union, along with license to assemble the aircraft locally. However, due to the Sino-Soviet split, the Soviet Union withdrew its technical assistance. It wasn't until 1974, when the first Chinese-assembled An-12 had its maiden flight. The Xi'an Aircraft Company and Xi'an Aircraft Design Institute worked to reverse engineer the An-12 for local production. [2]
By 1981, the Chinese copy version of An-12, named Yun-8 (Y-8) entered serial production. Since then, the Y-8 has become one of China's most popular military and civilian transport/cargo aircraft, with many variants produced and exported. Although the An-12 is no longer made in Russia or Ukraine, the Chinese Y-8 continues to be upgraded and produced. The latest Y-8-F600 is a joint venture between Shaanxi Aircraft Company, Antonov Aeronautical Scientific-Technical Complex (ASTC), and Pratt & Whitney Canada. The Y-8-F600 has redesigned fuselage, western avionics, PW150B turboprop engine with an R-408 propeller system, and 2-man glass cockpit.[3]
Variants
- An-12 : Basic civilian model.
- An-12P : As before but with two additional fuel tanks.
- An-12T (toplivovoz) : Tanker variant.
- An-12A : Improved model with bigger wing-tanks.
- An-12AP : As before but with two additional fuel tanks.
- An-12B : Further improved version with even more fuel and a TG-16 APU on the left hand side. (1963)
- An-12BP : As before but with two additional fuel tanks. Most common type.
- An-12B-I (individual'nyj) : Electronic countermeasures version with "Fasol" system. Only 7 build.
- An-12BK : Improved An-12B with TG-16M APU and bigger cargo doors. (1967)
- An-12BKK “Kapsula” : VIP version.
- An-12BK-IS : 45 An-12BK's were modified into ECM platforms with the "Sirena" system and another 105 with the "Bar'yer" system.
- An-12BK-PPS (postanovchik pomekh) : ECM platform equipped with the "Sirena" system of the An-12BK-IS and the four ECM blisters of the An-12PP. ASCC code: CUB D.
- An-12BKSh (shturmanskij) : Trainer version of the An-12B for navigators.
- An-12BKT : (toplivovoz) : Tanker variant.
- An-12BKV : Military variant that can be used to drop bombs or mines.
- An-12BK-VKP "Zebra" (vozdushnij kommandnij punkt): Airborne command post.
- Shaanxi Y-8 : unlicenced Chinese copy of the An-12BK.
- An-12BL (laboratornyj) : test-platform for the Kh-28 anti-radiation missile.
- An-12BM “Molniya” : SatCom test platform to test the "Molniya-1" satellite.
- An-12BSh (shturmanskij) : Trainer version of the An-12B for navigators.
- An-12PS (poiskovo-spasatel’nyi) : SAR version of the An-12B with detection system “Istok-Golub” and rescue boats "Yorsh" or "Gagara". ASCC code: CUB B. (1963)
- An-12PP (postanovchik pomekh) : Electronic countermeasures version with 4 blisters under the fuselage and a dome at the rear fuselage. 27 build. ASCC code: CUB C.
- An-12D : Improved model with wider fuselage and AI-20DK engines. Project only.
Operators
Currently the An-12 is very popular with cargo operators, especially those in the CIS, Africa and the Indian subcontinent.
Civil operators
In August 2006 a total of 179 Antonov An-12 aircraft remain in airline service. Major operators include: Air Guinee (4), Alada (5), British Gulf International Airlines (7), Avial Aviation (4), Heli Air Service (4), Scorpion Air (4), Tiramavia (4), Aerovis Airlines (5), Veteran Airlines (4), KNAAPO (5), Vega Airlines (6) ATRAN Cargo Airlines (4) and Volare Airlines (6). Some 77 other airlines operate smaller numbers of the type.[4]
On January 12, 2009, the United Arab Emirates banned the An-12 from flying over their airspace following runway incursions at Sharjah International Airport and the GCAA has advised operators to stop using the aircraft[5][6]. However this ban was lifted in May 2009 although authorities have said that they will take further action against operators found guilty of unsafe practices in future.[7]
- Ghana Airways The sole An-12 was delivered in October 1961, registered as 9G-AZZ. Withdrawn from use in 1962 and returned to Soviet Union in 1963.[8]
- SriLankan Cargo
Military operators
- The Afghan Air Force operated 12 from 1981 through 2001.
- Bangladesh Air Force operated from 1973 to 1980s, now all retired
- Czechoslovakian Air Force : Czechoslovakia's fleet numbering two was passed to the Czech Republic upon split with Slovakia. All CzAF An-12s were phased-out of active service in the 1990s.
- The Indian Air Force inducted the first of these aircraft in 1961, when it raised No.44 Squadron "The Himalayan Geese". Six of these aircraft soon took part in airlifting army reinforcements during the 62 War to Ladakh. Subsequently the An-12 was used to raise No.25 Squadron. The An-12s were also used as heavy bombers during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. All IAF An-12s were phased-out of active service in the 1990s. One of them is preserved at the IAF museum in Palam, New Delhi.
- Polish Air Force used 2 An-12B from 1966 until 1977 (crashed) and 1995[9]
- The Soviet fleet was dispersed among many of the Soviet Union's successor states.
- Soviet Air Force
- Soviet Naval Aviation
- Air Force of Zimbabwe - The AFZ possess a single Antonov An-12 as of August 2008.
Cargo
Specifications (An-12BP)
Data from Global Aircraft[10], Airliners.net[11]
General characteristics
- Crew: 5: 2 pilots, flight engineer, navigator, radio operator
- Capacity: 90 troops
- Payload: 20,000 kg (44,000 lb)
- Length: 33.10 m (108 ft 7 in)
- Wingspan: 38.00 m (124 ft 8 in)
- Height: 10.53 m (34 ft 7 in)
- Wing area: 121.7 m² (1,310 ft²)
- Empty weight: 28,000 kg (62,000 lb)
- Max takeoff weight: 61,000 kg (130,000 lb)
- Powerplant: 4× Progress AI-20L or AI-20M turboprops, 4,000 ehp (3,000 kW) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 777 km/h (419 knots, 482 mph)
- Cruise speed: 670 km/h (361 knots, 415 mph)
- Range:
- With maximum fuel: 5,700 km (3,075 nm, 3,540 mi)
- With maximum load: 3,600 km (1,945 nm, 2,235 mi)
- Service ceiling: 10,200 m (33,500 ft)
- Rate of climb: 10m/s (ft/min)
Armament
- Guns: 2× 23 mm (0.906 in) Nudelman-Rikhter NR-23 cannons in a tail turret (some aircraft)
Accidents and incidents
- On 4 October 2007, an Antonov An-12 of Malift Air crashed on take-off from N'djili Airport, Kinshasha, Congo with 20 fatalities, and a further 37 on the ground.
- On 20 February 2009, an Antonov An-12 of Aerolift crashed after an engine caught fire on take-off at Luxor International Airport, Egypt. All five crew were killed.[12]
- On 26 August 2009, an Antonov An-12 of Aéro-Frêt (registered TN-AIA) crashed on approach to Maya-Maya Airport, Brazzaville, Congo. The flight had originated from Pointe Noire Airport. The five Ukranian crew and one Congolese passenger were killed.[13]
In popular culture
In the 2005 movie Lord of War, the main character Yuri Orlov, played by Nicolas Cage, commonly uses an Antonov An-12 to transport weapons, and is later said to have "a fleet" of such planes. Andrew Niccol, the director of Lord of War, stated that they actually used one of Viktor Bout's An-12 aircraft in the movie. The plane was used in the 2009 movie Whiteout. [14]
See also
Related development
Comparable aircraft
Related lists
References
- ^ "Antonov official website". http://www.antonov.com/about/history/index.xml. Retrieved 2009-08-15.
- ^ "Y-8 Turboprop Transport Aircraft". Sino Defence. http://www.sinodefence.com/airforce/airlift/y8.asp.
- ^ "Y8F600 aircraft". Shaanxi Aircraft Industry. http://www.shanfei.com/2005_english/Product/Y8F600.htm.
- ^ Flight International, 3-9 October 2006
- ^ "GCAA issues temporary ban of Antonov An-12 from UAE airspace". http://www.ameinfo.com/181034.html. Retrieved 2009-01-13.
- ^ "United Arab Emirates bans flights of Soviet-built An-12 aircraft". http://en.rian.ru/world/20090112/119454229.html. Retrieved 2009-01-13.
- ^ "UAE allows resumption of An-12 flights". http://www.payloadasia.com/article-3683-middleeastuaeallowsresumptionofan12flights-asia.html. Retrieved 2009-06-09.
- ^ Vintage Russian. Props and Jets of the Iron Curtain Airlines, Airlife Publishing, Shrewsbury 1998, ISBN 1-85310-971-1.
- ^ Gołąbek, Adam: 13. Pułk Lotnictwa Transportowego in: Lotnictwo z szachownicą nr. 9 and nr. 10
- ^ "An-12 Cub". Global Aircraft. http://www.globalaircraft.org/planes/an-12_cub.pl. Retrieved 2006-03-09.
- ^ "The Antonov An-12 & Shaanxi Y-8". Airliners.net. http://www.airliners.net/info/stats.main?id=35. Retrieved 2006-03-09.
- ^ "Five dead in Ukrainian plane fire at Luxor airport - Summary". The Earth Times. http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/256672,five-dead-in-ukrainian-plane-fire-at-luxor-airport--summary.html. Retrieved 20 February 2009.
- ^ "Crash: Aero-Fret AN12 at Nganga Lingolo on Aug 26th 2009, impacted ground in a cemetery". Aviation Herald. http://www.avherald.com/h?article=41ecf6fe&opt=0. Retrieved 26 August 2009.
- ^ "Deal With the Devil". Newsweek. 2005-09-23. http://web.archive.org/web/20060529083830/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9442606/site/newsweek/. Retrieved 2007-12-08.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Antonov An-12 |
- List of all An-12 aircrafts used by Polish Air Force
- Pictures of An-12
- An-12 specifications compared next to other air cargo aircraft
- Hundreds of An-12 photos
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