Antonov An-32
The Antonov An-32 (NATO reporting name: Cline) is a twin-engined turboprop military transport aircraft.
Design and development
The An-32 is basically a re-engined An-26. The launch customer was the Indian Air Force, which ordered this aircraft partly due to good relations between then USSR leader Leonid Brezhnev and then India leader Indira Gandhi. The An-32 is designed to withstand adverse weather conditions better than the standard An-26. The high placement of the engine nacelles above the wing allowed for larger diameter propeller, which are driven by 5,100 hp rated AI-20 turboprop engines, almost twice the power of the An-26's AI-24 powerplants. The price for a newly built An-32 was quoted as being 6-9 million dollars in 2000.[1]
Operational history
The AN-32 has excellent takeoff characteristics under tropical and mountainous (high-altitude) conditions, including hot climates (up to + 55°C) and from the mountain airfields (up to 4,500 m height) where hot or thin air hampers the powerplant's capability. With this capability, the aircraft is suited to be a multi-purpose aircraft with light military transport roles as well as being used in civil commercial flying.
Operating as a cargo transport over the short and medium range air routes, the An-32 is able to air-drop cargo platforms on pallets. The aircraft has also been used as a passenger-only aircraft, ambulance variant, firefighter and for sky-diving or paratroop roles.
Variants
- An-32 : Twin-engined transport aircraft
- An-32A : The first Civil variant, the majority of the 36 aircraft built were delivered to various MAP and MOM enterprises, for use in transporting assemblies between plants.
- An-32B : Improved version
- An-32B-100 : Modernised version of the An32B. MTOW increased to 28.5 tons, payload increased to 7.5 tons.[3]
- An-32B-110 : New avionics allowing aircraft to be operated by two crew members. Metric (Russian) avionics variant.[4]
- An-32B-120 : Imperial (Non-Russian) avionics variant of An32B-110.[4]
- An-32B-300 : Version fitted with Allison AE2100D turboprop engines, providing 4,600 hp each.[5]
- An-32LL (Letyushchaya Laborotoriya – flying laboratory): The first prototype, CCCp-46961, converted to a propfan technology testbed with a large eight-bladed propeller in place of the standard AV-68DM on the port engine.
- An-32MP : Marine Patrol version. [6]
- An-32P Firekiller : Aerial firefighting version. Special category type certificate granted on 10 March 1995. A total of eight tons of liquid can be discharged from the two external tanks simultaneously or one after the other. Drops are conducted at 40-50m above ground level and 240 to 260 km/h. Can be used as a cargo aircraft when not fighting fires.[6]
- An-32V-200 : A tactical transport/cargo aircraft out-growth from the An-32B-100, with more modern avionics allowing two crew operation. Intended for export, despite reasonable interest few have been sold.
- An-32 RE :Modernised version of the An32B. MTOW increased to 28.5 tons, payload increased to 7.5 tons.[3]. New avionics.
Operators
Military operators
At present more than 240 An-32 aircraft are being operated in the countries around the world.
- Afghanistan
- At least six were delivered to the Afghan Air Force from 1987. All remaining aircraft were retired in June 2011.[7]
- Angola
- Armenia
- Bangladesh
- Colombia
- Côte d'Ivoire
- Croatia
- Equatorial Guinea
- Ethiopia
- India
- Indian Air Force - Bought 125 aircraft, 105 are still in service, entire fleet undergoing modernization in Ukraine.The first batch of five upgraded An-32s has been delivered by Ukrspetsexport on 1 June 2011. Another 10 upgraded An-32s will be delivered by the end of 2011. The upgrades of these aircraft should have around 25 of different modern equipment that are made in Ukraine and from other countries that will be increasing the flight safety of the aircraft. Its fuel consumption as well as the weight for the empty upgraded vessel will also be lower compared to its basic model.[8]
- Iraq
- Iraqi Air Force - 2 delivered as of December 2011. Remaining 4 to be delivered in 2012.
- Jordan
- Libya
- Mexico
- Mongolia
- Peru
- Rwanda
- Sri Lanka
- Tanzania
- Ukraine
Civil operators
In August 2006 a total of 56 Antonov An-32 aircraft remain in airline service. Major operators include: Air Pass (four), Alada (three), Libyan Arab Air Cargo (four), Million Air Charter (three), AERCARIBE LTDA (two), Trans-Charter (three) and Selva (four). Some 29 other airlines operate smaller numbers of the type.[9]
Accidents and Incidents
- On 25 March 1986, an Indian Air Force An-32 disappeared over the Indian Ocean on a delivery flight from the Soviet Union (via Muscat, Oman.) No trace was ever found of the aircraft or its three crew and four passengers.[10]
- On 8 January 1996, an An-32 freighter crashed into a crowded marketplace in Kinshasa, Zaire, resulting in the death of 237 people on the ground. The crew attempted to abort the takeoff at Kinshasa-N'Dolo Airport after the aircraft failed to gain height. All six crew members survived. Overloading was cited as a possible cause.[11]
- On 10 June 2009, an Indian Air Force, An-32 transport plane carrying 13 people crashed shortly after it took off from Mechukha in Arunachal Pradesh, a state bordering China.[12] All the 13 people on board were reported to have been killed. Soon after the crash, India inked a $400 million deal with Ukraine for an An-32 fleet upgrade.[13] This upgrade as reported will extend the life of these transport aircraft by nearly 15 years.
Specifications (An-32)
Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1988-89[14]
General characteristics
- Crew: 3
- Capacity: 42 paratroopers/50 passengers/24 Casualties on stretcher with three medical personnel
- Length: 23.78 m (78 ft 0¾ in)
- Wingspan: 29.20 m (95 ft 9½ in)
- Height: 8.75m (28 ft 8½ in)
- Wing area: 75 m² (807 ft²)
- Empty weight: 16,800 kg (37,038 lb)
- Max takeoff weight: 27,000 kg (59,400 lb)
- Powerplant: 2 × ZMKB Progress AI-20DM turboprop, 3,812 kW (5,112 ehp) each
Performance
See also
- Related development
- Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
- Related lists
References
- Notes
- ^ a b c Karnozov, Vovick. "Renewed AN-32 in Flight Tests." AeroWorldNet, 16 October 2000.
- ^ "Kiev Aviation Plant: 'Aviant' - About." aviant.ua. Retrieved: 12 November 2011.
- ^ a b "An32." Antonov.com. Retrieved: 12 November 2011.
- ^ a b "Kiev Aviation Plant: 'Aviant' Аn-32B–110/120." aviant.ua. Retrieved: 12 November 2011.
- ^ "Kiev Aviation Plant: 'Aviant' - An-32B-300." aviant.ua. Retrieved: 12 November 2011.
- ^ a b "Antonov.com - An32P." antonov.com. Retrieved: 12 November 2011.
- ^ "Aerospace Source Book 2007," Aviation Week & Space Technology, 15 January 2007.
- ^ "First batch of An-32s upgraded." indiandefence.com, 15 January 2007.
- ^ Flight International, 3–9 October 2006.
- ^ Ranter, Harro and Fabian I. Lujan. "ASN Aircraft accident: Antonov 32 K2729 Jamnagar, India." Aviation Safety Network, 2004. Retrieved: 27 June 2011.
- ^ "ASN Aircraft accident: Antonov 32B." Aviation Safety Network, 2004. Retrieved: 27 June 2011.
- ^ "IAF plane crash over Arunachal Pradesh." telegraphindia.com. Retrieved: 29 June 2011.
- ^ "India inks AN-32 upgrade deal with Ukraine." Times of India. Retrieved: 29 June 2011.
- ^ Taylor 1988, pp. 222–225
- Bibliography
- Taylor, John, W.R. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1988–89. London: Jane's Information Group, 1988. ISBN 0-7106-0867-5.
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