Country of origin |
Ukraine / Russia |
Entered service |
2015 |
Crew |
3 - 5 men |
Dimensions and weight |
Length |
40.07 m |
Wing span |
44.06
m |
Height |
16.38
m |
Weight (empty) |
73 t |
Weight (maximum take off) |
130 t |
Engines and performance |
Engines |
4 x Progress D-27 propfans |
Engine power |
4 x 14 000 shp |
Maximum speed |
890 km/h |
Cruising speed |
700 - 750 km/h |
Service ceiling |
12 km |
Range (with 20 t payload) |
6 600 km |
Range (with maximum payload) |
3 000 km |
Ferry range |
8 000 km |
Payload |
Maximum payload |
47 t |
Standard payload |
30 t |
Troops |
300 troops, 206 litters, or 110 paratroopers |
Vehicles |
? |
Cargo compartment dimensions |
? |
|
The Antonov
An-70 is a Ukrainian new generation medium-range transport aircraft.
Development of this heavy load and short take-off and landing
aircraft began in the early 90s. The An-70 was jointly developed by
Ukrainian and Russian companies. After the collapse of the Soviet
Union the Antonov Design Bureau suffered from funding problems, as
well as many other military factories, and the An-70 project was
close to a failure. Despite various difficulties two prototypes were
created and the An-70 made its first flight in 1994. This cargo
aircraft was designed to replace the ageing
An-12. It is broadly similar in
terms of performance and capabilities to the
Airbus A400M. At one time the An-70 was even proposed to
replace the then-troubled A400M. It is also believed to be a main
competitor to the upgraded Russian Il-76MF.
In 1999
during one of the test flights, An-70 came into collision with the
An-72, which accompanied it. The An-72 managed to make an emergency
landing, but the An-70 crashed and was completely destroyed. All
crew members died. Investigation has found out, that the crash was
due to mistake of the pilots, so this fact did not affected the
project as badly as the second one. In 2001, 20-30 seconds after
the take-off pilots had to make an emergency landing outside the
airfield. As a result the airplane was badly damaged.
In 2002
Russia and Ukraine agreed on a joint production of these military
cargo aircraft. The Russian government showed interest in obtaining
160 of these airplanes for its military. However in 2006 because of
economic problems and tough political relationship between Russia
and Ukraine, Russia has left the project in favor to indigenous Il-76MF and
Il-476 transports.
For a number
of years the future of this project was uncertain due to a lack of
funding and orders.
In
2008 a larger and turbofan-powered version, the An-70-600, was
co-developed with China. The end result was a
Y-20
military transport, that was adopted by China's air force in 2016.
In 2009
Russia signed a deal with Ukraine to renew development of the An-70.
Russia reportedly resumed funding. It was planned that production
will be carried out at Kazan aviation plant. During the same year it was
announced, that 2 aircraft will be completed in Ukraine for the
Ukrainian Air Force. First delivery was expected in 2011. The second aircraft was scheduled to be delivered in
2012. In 2015 the An-70 was officially adopted by the
Ukrainian air force. The An-70 was also proposed for NATO and
European markets, as well as civilian operators, however with no
success. This military transport aircraft failed to gain any orders. It
was clear from the start that this
aircraft is unlikely to
achieve the success that it deserves.
The An-70
has typical airlifter layout with four propfan engines. It is the
first time, when a large cargo aircraft is powered by such kind of
propulsion. Each Progress D-27 engine has a dual contra-rotating
propellers (as on famous
Tu-95 strategic
bomber and the
An-22
Antei heavy transport aircraft) and generates 14 000 hp. The An-70 has 20-30% better fuel
economy, comparing with modern turbojet aircraft. In 2003 during the MAKS air show this plane attracted attention of visitors with a very
unusual sound. Developers explained this as a result of
non-traditional shape of propellers. However during test flights the
engines were not noted for reliability. Until 2002 each of the four
engines failed 22 times.
The An-70
has a fly-by-wire system and features a glass cockpit with all
electronic instruments.
This
aircraft can be operated on various types of airfields. It is
capable of landing on soft ground and even snow. The An-70 can
operate from poorly equipped airfields without any special ground
facilities. It has confirmed its ability to use 600 m long unpaved
runways at reduced cargo weight.
This
military cargo aircraft is slightly larger, than the Airbus A400M,
but considerably smaller than the
Boeing C-17
Globemaster III. The An-70's pressurized hold has an inbuilt cargo-handling
system. It can be outfitted with seats for 300 troops or racks for
206 litters as alternatives to cargo, vehicles and even helicopters. The An-70 can airdrop individual items up to a limit of 20 000 kg.
This transport plane can carry 20 t of cargo over a distance of 3
000 km. Maximum service range is 8 000 km.
Due to
Russian military actions in Ukraine and annexation of Crimea, the
joint project with Russia was finally stopped and the An-70 never
reached mass production. In 2018 prototype of a new
An-77
was revealed. It is a Ukrainian proposed version of the An-70, which
is planned to uses
Western components instead of Russian. It is planned to be fitted
with Western turbojet engines+.
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Article by ZAAL TCHKUASELI
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