Antonov An-32
| An-32 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| An-32 of AirMark at Singapore Changi Airport (2011). | |
| Role | Transport/Bomber |
| Manufacturer | Ukraine |
| Design group | Antonov |
| Built by | Aviant |
| First flight | 9 July 1976[1] |
| Status | Operational |
| Primary users | Indian Air Force National Air Force of Angola Bangladesh Air Force Sri Lanka Air Force Ukrainian Air Force |
| Produced | 1976–present |
| Number built | 361[2] |
| Unit cost |
US$ 15 million [3] |
| Developed from | Antonov An-26 |
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 the 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 propellers, which are driven by 5,100 hp rated AI-20 turboprop engines, providing almost twice the power of the An-26's AI-24 powerplants. Estimated price for a modernised An-32 version is 15 million dollars.[3]
Operational history
The An-32 has excellent takeoff characteristics under tropical and mountainous conditions, including hot climates (up to + 55°C) and from high-elevation airfields (up to 4,500 m height) where hot or thin air reduces a powerplant's performance. With this capability, the aircraft is suited to be a multipurpose aircraft with medium tactical 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 An-32B. MTOW increased to 28.5 tons, payload increased to 7.5 tons.[4]
- An-32B-110 : New avionics allowing aircraft to be operated by two crew members. Metric (Russian) avionics variant.[5]
- An-32B-120 : Imperial (non-Russian) avionics variant of An-32B-110.[5]
- An-32B-300 : Version fitted with Rolls-Royce AE 2100 turboprop engines, providing 4,600 hp each.[6]
- An-32LL (Letyushchaya Laborotoriya flying laboratory): The first prototype 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.[7]
- 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 40–50 m above ground level and 240 to 260 km/h. Can be used as a cargo aircraft when not fighting fires.[7]
- An-32V-200 : A tactical transport/cargo aircraft outgrowth 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 An-32B. MTOW increased to 28.5 tons, payload increased to 7.5 tons.[4] New avionics.
Operators
An-32 operators (countries with only airline operators are in green)
Antonov An-32B of the Indian Air Force at Leh Airbase
SLAF Antonov An-32B
Sun Air Charter An-32 at Lokichogio Airport
Antonov An-32B of the Croatian Air Force
Antonov An-32C of Bangladesh Air Force
Military operators
At present more than 240 An-32 aircraft are being operated in the countries around the world.
- People's Air and Air Defence Force of Angola[8]
- Bangladesh Air Force : three aircraft received.[9]
- Colombian Army: Two aircraft[10]
- Croatian Air Force – two aircraft operational,[10] modernized in 2004.
- Indian Air Force: Bought 125 aircraft, 105 are still in service. Entire fleet is undergoing modernization; 35 upgraded An-32s have been delivered by Ukrspetsexport.[12] The upgrades include modern avionics equipment, new oxygen systems and improved crew seats. The remaining aircraft are being upgraded in India.
- Iraqi Air Force: Six delivered as of October 2012.[13]
- Mexican Air Force: One An-32.[14]
- Mexican Navy: One An-32B.[14]
Former military operators
An Antonov An-32 cargo aircraft of the Afghan Air Force
- At least six were delivered to the Afghan Air Force from 1987. All remaining aircraft were retired in June 2011.[17]
- Jordanian Air Force
- Libyan Air Force
- Military of Rwanda
Civil operators
In August 2006, a total of 56 Antonov An-32 aircraft remain in airline service. Major operators include:
- AERCARIBE LTDA (two),
- Aero Transporte S.A. (four),
- Air Pass (four),
- Alada (three),
- Libyan Arab Air Cargo (four),
- Million Air Charter (three),
- Trans-Charter (three) and
- Selva (four).
- LBC Express (55 order and deliveries from January 2015 to Q1 2016)
Some 29 other airlines operate smaller numbers of the type.[18]
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.[19]
- On 8 January 1996, an An-32 freighter crashed into a crowded marketplace in Kinshasa, Zaire, resulting in the deaths of approximately 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.[20]
- On March 28, 1998, a Peruvian Air Force Antonov 32 carrying the dual civil/military registration OB-1389/FAP-388 and inbound from Tumbes evacuating 50 people stranded by El Niño-driven floods had an engine failure while approaching Piura. As the aircraft was overloaded, the pilot couldn't keep height and the AN-32 struck three houses of a nearby shantytown and crashed into a canal. While the crew of five survived, 21 passengers died plus one person on the ground.[21]
- On 26 August 2007, a Great Lakes Business Company An-32B carrying nine tons of minerals, 12 passengers, and a crew of three experienced engine trouble after takeoff from Kongolo Airport, Kongolo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and crashed short of the runway while attempting to return to the airport, killing 14 of the 15 people on board.[22]
- On 10 June 2009, an Indian Air Force, An-32 transport aircraft carrying 13 people crashed shortly after it took off from Mechukha in Arunachal Pradesh, a state bordering China.[23] 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. This upgrade as reported will extend the life of these transport aircraft by nearly 15 years.[24]
- On 12 December 2014, a Sri Lankan Air Force, An-32 transport aircraft carrying 5 people crashed on approach to land at the Rathmalana Airport after taking off from Katunayaka Bandaranayake International Airport. The pilot, co-pilot and two of the air crew where killed in the crash and the fifth crew member suffered critical injuries.[25]
Specifications (An-32)
Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1988–89[26]
General characteristics
- Crew: 4
- 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
- Maximum speed: 530 km/h (286 knots, 329 mph)
- Cruise speed: 470 km/h (254 knots, 292 mph) (econ cruise)
- Range: 2,500 km (1,350 nmi, 1,553 mi)
- Service ceiling: 9,500 m (31,165 ft)
See also
- Related development
- Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
- EADS CASA C-295
- Alenia C-27J
- Related lists
References
Notes
- ↑ Karnozov, Vovick. "Renewed AN-32 in Flight Tests." AeroWorldNet, 16 October 2000.
- ↑ "Kiev Aviation Plant: 'Aviant', About." aviant.ua. Retrieved: 12 November 2011.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Antonov An-32. "Ан нет, Ан есть. Украина «нашла» потерянные индийские Ан-32." http://warfiles.ru/,'' 20 April 2015.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "An-32." Antonov.com. Retrieved: 12 November 2011.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "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.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "An-32P." Antonov.com. Retrieved: 12 November 2011.
- ↑ Hoyle Flight International 11–17 December 2012, p. 45.
- ↑ Hoyle Flight International 11–17 December 2012, p. 46.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Hoyle Flight International 11–17 December 2012, p. 49.
- ↑ Hoyle Flight International 11–17 December 2012, p. 50.
- ↑ "IAF awaits 'safe' return of last batch of AN-32 fleet". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ↑ Hoyle Flight International 11–17 December 2012, p. 52.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Hoyle Flight International 11–17 December 2012, p. 55.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Hoyle Flight International 11–17 December 2012, p. 57.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Hoyle Flight International 11–17 December 2012, p. 60.
- ↑ "Aerospace Source Book 2007," Aviation Week & Space Technology, 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.
- ↑ Glave, Fernando Braschi. "Photo of Antonov 32 OB-1389." Aviation Safety Network, 2004. Retrieved: 17 November 2012.
- ↑ Accident Report at Aviation Safety Network
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ "Plane crash in Athurugiriya". Daily Mirror. 12 December 2014. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
- ↑ Taylor 1988, pp. 222–225.
Bibliography
- Hoyle, Craig. "World Air Forces Directory". Flight International, Vol. 182 No. 5370. 11–17 December 2012. pp. 40–64. ISSN 0015-3710.
- Hoyle, Craig. "World Air Forces Directory". Flight International, Vol. 184 No. 5419. 10–16 December 2013. pp. 24–51. ISSN 0015-3710.
- Taylor, John, W.R. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1988–89. London: Jane's Information Group, 1988. ISBN 0-7106-0867-5.
External links
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