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An-12
An-12 of Gomelavia in 2009
Role Tactical airlifter
Manufacturer Antonov
First flight 16 December[1] 1957
Introduction 1959
Status Active service with various airlines (especially cargo) and air forces
Primary users Belarus 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 (Russian: Антонов Ан-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 and has many variants.

Design and development[]

Vega Air Antonov An-12 JDK

An An-12A of Vega Air makes a traditional smokey takeoff from Kastrup Airport (2004).

001 An-12, Malmo Airport, Sweden

47-year-old An-12 still operational. Malmö Airport

The first prototype An-12 flew in December 1957. Over 900 had been built (both military and civilian versions) when Soviet 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. Soviet military and former-Soviet An-12s have a defensive tail gun turret.

Chinese production[]

In the 1960s, China purchased several An-12 aircraft from the Soviet Union, along with a license to assemble the aircraft locally. Due to the Sino-Soviet split, the Soviet Union withdrew its technical assistance and the first flight of a Chinese-assembled An-12 was delayed until 1974. The Xi'an Aircraft Company and Xi'an Aircraft Design Institute worked to reverse-engineer the An-12 for local production.[2]

In 1981, the Chinese version of the An-12, designated Y-8, entered 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. A Tu-16/H-6 bomber navigator cockpit design was chosen for the Y-8 instead of the original An-12 shorter navigator cockpit design, as the H-6 bomber had been in serial production for some time.[3] Although the An-12 is no longer in production either in Russia or in Ukraine, the Y-8 is upgraded and produced in China. The latest Y8-F600 is a joint venture between the Shaanxi Aircraft Company, Antonov Aeronautical Scientific Technical Complex (ASTC), and Pratt & Whitney Canada. The Y8-F600 has a redesigned fuselage, western avionics, PW150B turboprop engines with an R-408 propeller system, and a two-crew glass cockpit.[4] It is unknown whether the Shaanxi Y-8 remains in production.

Variants[]

Operators[]

World operators of the An-12

An-12 operators (military operators in red, civil operators in green, and operators for both military and civil purposes in blue)

Currently the An-12 is very popular with cargo operators, especially those in the CIS, Africa and the Indian subcontinent.[5]

Civil operators[]

On 12 January 2009, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) issued a temporary ban of 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.[6][7] The ban was made permanent in Feb 2010.[8]

Current[]

Flag of Armenia Armenia
  • Air Armenia
Flag of Belarus Belarus
  • Ruby Star Airways
Flag of Mexico Mexico
  • Air One (Mexico)
Flag of Russia Russia
  • ATRAN Cargo Airlines
Flag of Thailand Thailand
  • Air People International
Flag of Ukraine Ukraine
  • Aerovis Airlines
  • Antonov Airlines
  • CAVOK Air
  • Motor Sich Airlines
  • Ukraine Air Alliance
United States
  • SRX,[9] (still operated by Avialeasing)

Former[]

Flag of Angola Angola
  • Alada
Flag of Bulgaria Bulgaria
  • Balkan Bulgarian Airlines[10]
Flag of the People's Republic of China People's Republic of China
  • Civil Aviation Administration of China;[11] see also Shaanxi Y8
Flag of Egypt Egypt
  • Egyptair
Flag of France France
  • Darta
Flag of Guinea Guinea
  • Air Guinee
Flag of Ghana Ghana
  • Ghana Airways The sole An-12 was delivered in October 1961. Withdrawn from use in 1962 and returned to the Soviet Union in 1963.[12]

Flag of Iraq Iraq
Flag of the Philippines Philippines
  • Interisland Airlines
Flag of Poland Poland
  • LOT Polish Airlines[14]
Flag of Russia Russia
  • Avial Aviation
  • SAT Airlines
Flag of Serbia Serbia
  • United International Airlines
Flag of Sri Lanka Sri Lanka
  • SriLankan Airlines
Flag of Ukraine Ukraine
  • Volare Airlines

Military operators[]

Current[]

Flag of Angola Angola
Flag of Azerbaijan Azerbaijan
Flag of Belarus Belarus
Flag of the People's Republic of China China
Flag of Eritrea Eritrea
Flag of Ethiopia Ethiopia
Flag of Guinea Guinea
Flag of Kazakhstan Kazakhstan[17]
Flag of Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan[citation needed]
Flag of Moldova Moldova
Flag of Mozambique Mozambique
Flag of Russia Russia
Flag of Sudan Sudan
Flag of Uzbekistan Uzbekistan[20]
Flag of Yemen Yemen
Flag of Zimbabwe Zimbabwe

Former[]

Flag of Afghanistan Afghanistan
  • The Afghan Air Force operated 12 from 1981 through 2001. One of their An-12s which defected to Pakistan is preserved at PAF Museum, Karachi
Flag of Algeria Algeria
Flag of Armenia Armenia
Flag of Bangladesh Bangladesh
Flag of Côte d'Ivoire Ivory Coast
Flag of the Czech Republic Czech Republic
Flag of Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia
  • Czechoslovakian Air Force : Czechoslovakia's fleet numbering two was divided evenly between the Czech Republic and Slovak Republic upon split with Slovakia. All CzAF An-12s were phased-out of active service in the 1990s.
Flag of Egypt Egypt
Flag of Georgia Georgia[21]
Flag of India India
  • 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 to Ladakh during the Sino-Indian War of 1962. The An-12 was subsequently 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 Indian Air Force Museum, Palam, New Delhi.

Flag of Indonesia Indonesia
Flag of Iraq Iraq
Flag of Jordan Jordan
Flag of Mongolia Mongolia
Flag of Myanmar Burma
Flag of Nigeria Nigeria
Flag of Poland Poland
Flag of Slovakia Slovakia
  • Slovak Air Force received one An-12BP registered 2209 in 1993. It was sold to Moldavia in 1999 and now serves with Angolan Air Force.[24]
Flag of South Yemen South Yemen
Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union
Flag of Syria Syria
Flag of Tanzania Tanzania
Flag of Turkmenistan Turkmenistan
Flag of Ukraine Ukraine
Flag of SFR Yugoslavia Yugoslavia

Accidents and incidents[]

Specifications (An-12)[]

Data from Global Aircraft,[25] Airliners.net[26]

General characteristics

  • Crew: five: two pilots, flight engineer, navigator, radio operator
  • 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)
  • Useful load: 60 paratroopers (two BMD-1 armoured vehicles)
  • Max. takeoff weight: 61,000 kg (130,000 lb)
  • Powerplant: 4 × Ivchenko 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 (1960ft/min)

Armament

Notable appearances in media[]

See also[]

References[]

  1. "Antonov official website". http://www.antonov.com/aircraft/antonov-gliders-and-airplanes/an-12?lang=en. Retrieved 15 August 2009. 
  2. "Y8 Turboprop Transport Aircraft". Sino Defence. http://www.sinodefence.com/airforce/airlift/y8.asp. 
  3. "Y8 navigator cockpit modification". AirForceWorld.com. http://airforceworld.com/pla/y8-transporter-china.htm. Retrieved 8 April 2011. 
  4. "Y8F600 aircraft". Shaanxi Aircraft Industry. Archived from the original on 21 May 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20060521122248/http://www.shanfei.com/2005_english/Product/Y8F600.htm. 
  5. Gordon, Yefim & Komissarov, Dmitry. Antonov An-12. Midland. Hinkley. 2007. ISBN 978-1-85780-255-9[page needed]
  6. "GCAA issues temporary ban of Antonov An-12 from UAE airspace". Archived from the original on 1 February 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090201142826/http://www.ameinfo.com/181034.html. Retrieved 13 January 2009. 
  7. "United Arab Emirates bans flights of Soviet-built An-12 aircraft". Archived from the original on 1 February 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090201131544/http://en.rian.ru/world/20090112/119454229.html. Retrieved 13 January 2009. 
  8. "UAE bans ANTONOV An-12 aircraft from its airspace". The Times Of India. 19 February 2010. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/UAE-bans-ANTONOV-An-12-aircraft-from-its-airspace-/articleshow/5590592.cms. Retrieved 19 February 2010. 
  9. "SRX :: Fleet". http://www.srx.aero/services/charters/fleet/an12. Retrieved 26 December 2014. 
  10. Endres 1979, p. 189.
  11. Endres 1979, p. 15.
  12. Vintage Russian. Props and Jets of the Iron Curtain Airlines, Airlife Publishing, Shrewsbury 1998, ISBN 1-85310-971-1.
  13. Endres 1979, p. 401–402.
  14. Endres 1979, p. 351.
  15. Hoyle Flight International 8–14 December 2015, p. 32.
  16. Hoyle Flight International 8–14 December 2015, p. 37.
  17. Hoyle Flight International 8–14 December 2015, p. 41.
  18. 18.0 18.1 Hoyle Flight International 8–14 December 2015, p. 46.
  19. Hoyle Flight International 8–14 December 2015, p. 48.
  20. Hoyle Flight International 8–14 December 2015, p. 53.
  21. "Armament of the Georgian Army". Georgian Army. Archived from the original on 9 March 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120309192408/http://geo-army.ge/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9&Itemid=9&lang=en. Retrieved 25 June 2007. 
  22. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 5 September 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120905025517/http://www.worldairforces.com/Countries/mongolia/mon.html. Retrieved 2013-01-08. 
  23. Gołąbek, Adam: 13. Pułk Lotnictwa Transportowego in: Lotnictwo z szachownicą nr. 9 and nr. 10
  24. Radek Havelka. "An-12BP 2209 :: An-12BP". valka. http://forum.valka.cz/viewtopic.php/title/An-12BP-2209/t/52726. Retrieved 26 December 2014. [verification needed]
  25. "An-12 Cub". Global Aircraft. Archived from the original on 19 February 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20060219100727/http://www.globalaircraft.org/planes/an-12_cub.pl. Retrieved 9 March 2006. 
  26. "The Antonov An-12 & Shaanxi Y8". Airliners.net. Archived from the original on 19 February 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20060219080507/http://www.airliners.net/info/stats.main?id=35. Retrieved 9 March 2006. 
  • Endres, Günter G. (1979). World Airline Fleets 1979. Hounslow, UK: Airline Publications and Sales Ltd.. ISBN 0-905117-53-0. .
  • Hoyle, Craig (8–14 December 2015). "World Air Forces Directory". pp. 26–53. ISSN 0015-3710. 

External links[]

All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
The original article can be found at Antonov An-12 and the edit history here.
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