Under Construction: Antonov An-22A - Antonov Airlines [UR-09307]

Model: Antonov An-22A

Airline: Antonov Airlines

Scale: 1/144

Kit: Eastern Express [14480]

Decals: Custom

Accessories:
NH Detail Antonov An-22 [A144-017]

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Background:

The Antonov An-22 "Antei" (Ukrainian: Ан-22 Антей; NATO reporting name "Cock") is a heavy military transport aircraft designed by the Antonov Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. Powered by four turboprop engines each driving a pair of contra-rotating propellers, the design was the first Soviet wide-body aircraft and remains the world's largest turboprop-powered aircraft to date. The An-22 first appeared publicly outside the Soviet Union at the 1965 Paris Air Show. Since then, the model has seen extensive use in major military and humanitarian airlifts for the Soviet Union. The An-22 has set a number of payload and payload-to-height world records. The An-22 has the general appearance of an enlarged version of the earlier Antonov An-12 except that it is fitted with a twin tail. This gives the An-22 better engine-out performance, and reduces height restrictions for hangars. Also of note are large anti-flutter masses on the top of each tail.

Only one production variant was built, the standard An-22. Prototypes, such as the one first featured at the 1965 Paris Air Show had fully glazed noses that lacked the nose mounted radar of production models. Those aircraft had the radar mounted below the right wheel well fairing, forward of the wheels. The An-22A is an improved variant with air-start capability, modified electrical system, and updated radio and navigation equipment; 28 were built at Tashkent.

UR-09307 was built in 1974 and delivered to the Soviet Air Force. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, it was transferred to the Antonov Design Bureau in 1992. It is the sole An-22 left at the airline, where it continues to provide airlift charter capabilities to this day.

Construction: