The Antonov An-12 is a military transport aircraft, which has been in service with the Soviet and the Russian Air Force since 1959. It was developed from the civil version An-10 in order to meet the need of a standard heavy transport plane, with its first prototype flying in 1957. The Soviet State-run firm Antonov produced more than 1,250 An-12 aircraft, most of which are still being used today. It was employed as a troop transport plane in major armed conflicts of the Cold War, such as in the Soviet-Afghan War.
The main difference between the An-12 and the An-10 is that the former is fitted with a rear loading ramp and doors. They were built into the rear fuselage, which was swept up when it was redesigned, allowing large freight boxes and motor vehicles to be loaded onto the plane. The military variant is also equipped with a 23mm gun set up in the rear portion of the aircraft. It can carry fully loaded trucks as well as small armored vehicles.
Technical Characteristics
The Antonov An-12 is a four-engine aircraft, which is fitted with straight, shoulder wings. The tips of its wings are anhedral, which means they slope downwards. The fuselage is all-metal, with its rear portion swing up. It is powered by four Ivchenko Al-20K turboprop engines, with each one of them driving four-blade propellers. This Russian plane can also be fitted with skis for arctic operations.
Specifications
Weight: 28 tons
Wingspan: 38 m
Wing Area: 121.7 m²
Length: 33.1 m
Payload Capacity: 25,000 kg
Maximum Speed: 660 km/h
Range: 5,800 km
Below, photo of the Antonov An-12 taken in the 1960s.
The profile of the An-12 shown in its blueprint image.
