Antonov An-32
Encyclopedia
The Antonov
An-32 (NATO reporting name
: Cline) is a twin-engined turboprop military transport aircraft
.
. 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.
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.
Equatorial Guinea
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.
Antonov
Antonov, or Antonov Aeronautical Scientist/Technical Complex , formerly the Antonov Design Bureau, is a Ukrainian aircraft manufacturing and services company with particular expertise in the field of very large aircraft construction. Antonov ASTC is a state-owned commercial company...
An-32 (NATO reporting name
NATO reporting name
NATO reporting names are classified code names for military equipment of the Eastern Bloc...
: Cline) is a twin-engined turboprop military transport aircraft
Military transport aircraft
Military transport aircraft are typically fixed and rotary wing cargo aircraft which are used to deliver troops, weapons and other military equipment by a variety of methods to any area of military operations around the surface of the planet, usually outside of the commercial flight routes in...
.
Design and development
The An-32 is basically a re-engined An-26Antonov An-26
The Antonov An-26 is a twin-engined turboprop military transport aircraft, designed and produced in the USSR from 12 March 1968.-Development:...
. The launch customer was the Indian Air Force
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
, which ordered this aircraft partly due to good relations between then USSR leader Leonid Brezhnev
Leonid Brezhnev
Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev – 10 November 1982) was the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union , presiding over the country from 1964 until his death in 1982. His eighteen-year term as General Secretary was second only to that of Joseph Stalin in...
and then India leader Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
. 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.
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.
- An-32B-110 : New avionics allowing aircraft to be operated by two crew members. Metric (Russian) avionics variant.
- An-32B-120 : Imperial (Non-Russian) avionics variant of An32B-110.
- An-32B-300 : Version fitted with Allison AE2100D turboprop engines, providing 4,600 hp each.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.. New avionics.
Operators
Military operators
At present more than 240 An-32 aircraft are being operated in the countries around the world.- At least six were delivered to the Afghan Air ForceAfghan Air ForceThe Afghan Air Force , formerly the Afghan National Army Air Corps and Afghan National Army Air Force , is one of seven "corps" of the military of Afghanistan, responsible for air defense and air warfare. It was officially established in 1924 and for most of its history has functioned as a small...
from 1987. All remaining aircraft were retired in June 2011.
- People's Air and Air Defence Force of AngolaPeople's Air and Air Defence Force of AngolaThe National Air Force of Angola is the air branch of the Armed Forces of Angola.FAN was established, after the independence of Angola from Portugal, on January 21, 1976 as the People's Air and Air Defence Force of Angola and initially made use of the...
- Armenian Air ForceArmenian Air ForceThe Armenian Air Force is a small air arm formed by independent Armenia in 1992 in the wake of the dissolution of the Soviet Union. It is organized and equipped principally to provide Armenian ground forces with tactical air support in the form of ground attack and airlift in mountainous terrain...
- Bangladesh Air ForceBangladesh Air ForceThe Bangladesh Air Force , is the air arm of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. Bangladesh Air Force currently employs more than 22,000 personnel including 600+ Pilots.-History:...
- Colombian ArmyColombian ArmyThe National Army of Colombia is the land military force of the government of Colombia and the largest service of the Colombian Armed Forces...
- two aircraft
- Croatian Air Force - two units operational, modernized in 2004.
Equatorial Guinea- Ethiopian Air ForceEthiopian Air ForceThe Ethiopian Air Force is the air arm of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces and is tasked with protecting the air space, providing support to the ground forces as well as assisting during national emergencies.- Early years :...
- Indian Air ForceIndian Air ForceThe Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
- 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 UkrspetsexportUkrspetsexportUkrspetsexport a Ukrainian state-owned arms trading company, formed in November 1996 by merging Ukroboronservice and Ukrinmash.Ukrspetsexport not only sells the products of the Ukrainian arms industry, but also the excess weapons of the Armed Forces of Ukraine inherited from the Soviet Army...
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.
- Iraqi Air ForceIraqi Air ForceThe Iraqi Air Force or IQAF is the military branch in Iraq responsible for the policing of international borders, surveillance of national assets and aerial operations...
- One delivered November 18, 2011. Five others on order.
- Jordanian Air Force - finished.
- Libyan Air ForceLibyan Air ForceThe Libyan Air Force is the branch of the Libyan Armed Forces responsible for aerial warfare. In 2010, before the 2011 Libyan civil war, the Libyan Air Force personnel strength was estimated at 18,000, with an inventory of 374 combat capable aircraft operating from 13 military airbases in...
- Mexican Air ForceMexican Air ForceThe Mexican Air Force is the aviation branch of the Mexican Army and depends on the National Defense Secretariat . Since 2008, its commander is Gen...
- Mexican NavyMexican NavyThe Mexican Navy is the naval branch of the Mexican military responsible for conducting naval operations. Its stated mission is "to use the naval force of the federation for the exterior defense, and to help with internal order". The Navy consists of about 56,000 men and women plus reserves, over...
- Peruvian Air ForcePeruvian Air ForceThe Peruvian Air Force is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with defending the nation and its interests through the use of air power...
- Peruvian ArmyPeruvian ArmyThe Peruvian Army is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with safeguarding the independence, sovereignty and integrity of national territory on land through military force. Additional missions include assistance in safeguarding internal security, conducting disaster relief operations...
- Peruvian NavyPeruvian NavyThe Peruvian Navy is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with surveillance, patrol and defense on lakes, rivers and the Pacific Ocean up to 200 nautical miles from the Peruvian littoral...
- Peruvian National Police
- Military of Rwanda
- Sri Lanka Air Force
- Ministry of Emergencies (Ukraine)Ministry of Emergencies (Ukraine)The Ministry of Emergencies of Ukraine is the main body in the system of central bodies of the executive power that provides realization of a state policy in a sphere of a civil defense, rescue, creation and functioning of the system of insurance fund documentation, utilization of radioactive...
- four An-32P
Civil operators
In August 2006 a total of 56 Antonov An-32 aircraft remain in airlineAirline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
service. Major operators include: Air Pass (four), Alada
Alada
Alada Empresa de Transportes Aéreos is an airline based in Luanda, Angola. Established in 1995, it operates chartered passenger and cargo flights out of Quatro de Fevereiro Airport, Luanda.- Fleet :...
(three), Libyan Arab Air Cargo
Libyan Arab Air Cargo
Libyan Arab Air Cargo is a cargo airline based in Tripoli, Libya. It is the cargo division of Libyan Airways operating all-cargo services. Its main base is Tripoli International Airport...
(four), Million Air Charter (three), AERCARIBE LTDA (two), Trans-Charter (three) and Selva (four). Some 29 other airlines operate smaller numbers of the type.
Accidents and Incidents
- On 25 March 1986, an Indian Air ForceIndian Air ForceThe Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
An-32 disappeared over the Indian OceanIndian OceanThe Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
on a delivery flight from the Soviet UnionSoviet UnionThe Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
(via Muscat, OmanOmanOman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
.) No trace was ever found of the aircraft or its three crew and four passengers. - On 8 January 1996, an An-32 freighter crashed into a crowded marketplace in KinshasaKinshasaKinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River....
, ZaireZaireThe Republic of Zaire was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971 and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the , itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers".-Self-proclaimed Father of the Nation:In...
, 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. - On 10 June 2009, an Indian Air ForceIndian Air ForceThe Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
, An-32 transport plane carrying 13 people crashed shortly after it took off from Mechukha in Arunachal PradeshArunachal PradeshArunachal Pradesh is a state of India, located in the far northeast. It borders the states of Assam and Nagaland to the south, and shares international borders with Burma in the east, Bhutan in the west, and the People's Republic of China in the north. The majority of the territory is claimed by...
, a state bordering China. 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.
Specifications (An-32)