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| Antonov An-22 Antei |
Militarymedia.net - The An-22 Antei is a heavy transport aircraft. In the 1960s, the Soviet aircraft industry received orders from the Soviet government to develop a cargo plane, capable of transporting intercontinental ballistic missiles. The development of the new aircraft was handed over to the Ukrainian Antonov design bureau, which specializes in developing cargo aircraft.
Work on the development of a new aircraft, which would become the An-22, began in 1961. The main requirement for the new aircraft was the ability to take off and land on soft ground. As a result, the developers installed 12 wheels (6 on each side) in the center of the fuselage. Such a landing gear has several advantages, but it is difficult to steer the aircraft on the ground, due to the uneven weight. Each chassis wheel can be controlled separately. As a result the An-22 can operate from unprepared airfields.
The first battle of the An-22 prototype took place in 1965. This aircraft was named Antei (antaeus). That same year the plane was presented at the Paris le Bourget air show. At that time the An-22 was the largest aircraft in the world, thus making a big impression on the audience and receiving top marks from appraisers. Even today Antei is the largest turboprop aircraft in the world.
After a year, during a test flight, the An-22 broke 12 world records. her aircraft has earned a total of 41 world records, of which 20 are the achievements of the famous female pilot crew Marina Popovich.
The production of this military cargo plane was launched in 1969. Apart from military cargo it is also used to carry agricultural equipment and humanitarian cargo to Peru and India. The An-22 is actively used in Afghanistan for troop transport, combat vehicles and supplies, as well as during other military conflicts.
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| Antonov An-22 Antei |
A total of 68 aircraft were built during 1965-1975, 2 of which have never flown, 19 have been retained, 33 were dismissed from service due to maintenance problems due to the difficulty of keeping aging aircraft airworthy, 7 aircraft were lost in various accidents. Currently only 7 An-22 aircraft are in service. Six of them are used by the Russian Air Force and one belongs to the Antonov design bureau and is used for civilian purposes. It has been replaced with the An-124 Ruslan strategic airlifter.
Antonov An-22 Antei Variant
The An-22A is an upgraded model with updated radio and navigation equipment, as well as a modified electrical system. A total of 28 were built.
