An-74 aircraft: specifications, photos

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Domestic aircraft construction has always been at a very high technical level. Soviet engineers at one time created many interesting developments for both military and civilian needs. One of the most famous aircraft of our time, which, however, was first released back in the era of the USSR, is the An-74, we will consider the characteristics, features and main milestones of its creation in the article.

General information

This aircraft is a light, multi-purpose aircraft based on the An-72 military transport modification.

The An-74 aircraft was designed and produced within the walls of the Antonov Aviation Scientific and Technical Complex. The machine can be used in a variety of climatic zones, and the temperature range in which the aircraft can perform its functions without problems ranges from +45 to -60 degrees Celsius. It is worth noting that the aircraft was originally designed to fly in the Far North.

Scope of application

The An-74 aircraft, the description of which is given below, was produced as a multi-purpose unit and therefore it can be operated almost everywhere,wherever required. Thus, the ship is used to serve polar explorers in the Arctic, carry out passenger flights, transport the wounded as a result of hostilities and emergencies, conduct ice reconnaissance in order to explore the shelf, as well as to transport various cargoes.

In practice, the An-74 was able to demonstrate (and continues to do so today) excellent flight characteristics, thanks to which it is operated even in very snowy areas and on unprepared airfield sites, in high altitude conditions, to make forced flights in any weather conditions without regard to the time of day.

In addition, the aircraft can carry out reconnaissance of moving schools of fish, escort sea vessels, help create and maintain the life of drifting research stations in permafrost regions.

Historical background

In early 1982, the Ministry of Aviation Industry of the Soviet Union made a balanced and thoughtful decision - to start production of the An-74. As a basis, officials and engineers took a modified version of the An-72, which at that time was already in mass production. A year later, the Council of Ministers of the USSR issued a decree on the start of the creation of the first prototype of the An-74 on the basis of the Kyiv Mechanical Plant.

This aircraft first flew on September 29, 1983. Commander V. A. Shlyakhov and his assistant S. A. Gorbik were then in the cockpit of the aircraft.

In the summer of 1986, the aircraft was firstpresented to the public and society as part of the aviation show, which was held in Vancouver, Canada.

In the fall of 1990, the flight machine, which has not yet passed full state tests, is subjected to operational tests on the territory of the Yakutavia airport. And a few months later, the aircraft completed state-scale tests on the runways of Boryspil, Sochi, Ashgabat, Sheremetyevo, etc.

Getting Started

April 1991 was marked by a serious step on the part of the Ministry of Aviation: An-74 received an official permit to work in civil aviation conditions.

The cargo version of the vessel makes it possible to carry cargo weighing up to 7.5 tons, including ten passengers. The cruising speed of the aircraft in this case can be 560-700 km / h at an altitude within 10,100 meters.

An-74, if necessary, may well be re-equipped as soon as possible into a fire landing, ambulance or other aircraft. At the same time, the brainchild of Soviet engineers is very easy to operate and can be mastered by the engineering staff quite quickly without any serious problems.

Parameters

An-74 (its technical characteristics are still relevant today) has the following indicators:

• The wingspan is 31.89 meters.
• The aircraft is 28.07 meters long.
• The height of the machine is 8.65 meters.
• The area of each of the wings is 98.62 square meters.
• The vessel's empty weight is 18,900 kilograms.
• The maximum allowable takeoff weight is 36,500 kilograms.
• Engine type - 2 turbojet engines Progress D-36 series 2A.
• Thrust rating - 2x6500 kgf.
• The maximum possible travel speed is 750 km/h.
• Cruising speed - 580-700 km/h.
• Distillation distance - 4400 km.
• The actual flight range with a load of 10 tons is 1650 kilometers.
• Flying range with a load of 4400 kg - 4150 kilometers.
• Max flight altitude is 10,100 meters.

Design features

The cockpit configuration allows pilots to see perfectly everything that happens around the vessel, as well as to easily control the machine at air terminals with rather limited linear dimensions. Also in the cockpit, the controls and instruments are very thoughtfully and ergonomically located, which have been repeatedly tested on stands with imitation of absolutely all flight situations.

The crew consists of four people, including: navigator, flight engineer, co-pilot and commander. If necessary, an onboard operator of transport equipment can also be added.

An-74 (a photo of the aircraft is available in the article) was created according to the high-wing scheme. The machine has two powerful engines that are installed above the wing. The tail plumage is T-shaped. The design of the vessel uses new technologies and modern materials. All of this to guarantee excellent weight return.

What else can not be left out is the subtlety of the installation of engines. They settled down with an impressivetakeaway above the upper plane of the wing and shifted forward, and this reduces to almost zero the likelihood of various foreign objects entering the power plants during takeoff or landing. In addition, this engineering solution allows you to increase the wing lift.

With the help of a special onboard loading unit on board the aircraft, you can load / unload pallets, containers and other types of containers. The load capacity of the device reaches 2500 kgf. Self-propelled vehicles drive in and out of the aircraft on their own. If the machine is not self-propelled, then a cable loading device is used for its maintenance.

Options

The An-74 aircraft, the description, the photo of which is of interest to many, has the following modifications of its own:

• An-74-200. A distinctive feature of this machine is an increased takeoff weight of 1.7 tons.
• An-74D. Business version of the aircraft with a passenger compartment designed for 19 people. In practice, only one such instance was made, and three were converted based on previously created ones.
• An-74D-200. The vessel has a cabin with a high level of comfort, and the number of passengers can reach 16. There are auxiliary communication facilities, a video system, a refrigerator-bar, a kitchen, and a recreation area. If necessary, it is quite possible to transform the recreation area into a compartment for transporting one passenger car.
• An-74T. A version of the aircraft adapted for international flights.
• An-74T-200. The machine is designed formilitary needs, and the crew is two people.
• An-74TK-100. It is intended for performance of flights with the increased degree of complexity. The cabin is designed for 52 passengers. Four cars were produced, and the same number were converted from older models.
• An-74TK-100S. An air ambulance equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment.

Conclusion

The geography of An-74 operation is very extensive. These planes, in addition to Russia and Ukraine, fly in Egypt, Iran, Kazakhstan, Laos, Sudan, and Turkmenistan. According to 2006 data, the cost of one such machine was in the range of 17-20 million dollars. In total, 81 units were produced for all the time. The aircraft has proven itself so well in practice that it has not yet been taken out of production.

For its unique appearance, the An-74 was popularly called "Cheburashka", which is associated with the engines located above the wings. Among the shortcomings of the car, passengers and crew note a rather significant noise during the flight, however, given the high degree of safety, this negative factor does not play a decisive role.