Country of origin:

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

Description:

Commercial transport

Power Plant:

Four 2,984 kw (4,000 ehp) Ivchenko AI-20K turboprops

Specifications:

History:

In 1955 the famous Soviet Design Bureau, Antonov, based in the Ukraine, commenced design of a four-engine turboprop passenger transport, which became known as the An-10 Ukraina, which flew for the first time in March 1957. Providing accommodation for 84 passengers, it was developed to the An-10A, which had seating for 100, or up to 130 in a high-density layout. At the same time it was developed as the An-12 Cub and became the standard medium-range cargo and paratroop transport of the Soviet Air Force, some 1,243 examples being built. The prototype of the An-12 (c/n 7900101) flew for the first time on 16 December 1957 powered by Kuznetsov NK-4 turboprops.

The type was initially built at the State Aviation Factory 90 (or GAZ 90) at Irkutsk, Russia which produced 155 examples, production being transferred in 1962 to GAZ 34 at Tashkent in Uzbeskistan, where a further 830 examples were built. Further production took place at GAZ 40 at Voronezh in Russia, where 258 were built, and twelve were built at GAZ 22 in Kazan also in Russia.

The An-12 was also licence-built in China, the first An-12BK built in China flying on 25 December 1974. It was then placed in production as the Shaanxi Aircraft Company Y-8, entering production in 1975. When production concluded in 1993 a further 667 examples had been completed, these having the indigenous 3,178 kw (4,260 ehp) Zhuzhou WJ6 turboprop.

The An-12 had a rugged undercarriage with low-pressure tyres to enable it to operate from un-prepared airstrips. It has been regarded over the years as the Soviet equivalent of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules. In the transport role it had two doors at the rear of the fuselage so vehicles could be loaded and unloaded. However, in the carriage of personnel, it was restricted to an operational ceiling of 5,000 m (16,405 ft) by its lack of pressurisation.

Freight was handled internally on a travelling electric crane with a capacity of 2,300 kg (5,071 lb). The cargo-hold was 13.55 m by 3.1 m by 2.6 m (44 ft 3 in by 10 ft 2 in by 8 ft 6 in) with a total usable volume of 97.2 m³ (3,433 cub ft) and could accommodate cargoes of up to 20 tonnes or a 16.1 m (53 ft) container. Due to its military origins it had a strengthened floor. Many are still used in countries of the old Soviet bloc for freight carriage, crews comprising a pilot, co-pilot, navigator, flight engineer and radio operator. In 2006 it still met European Union Stage 3 noise restrictions and could be flown to most countries, but at a reduced weight of 61,000 kg (134,482 lb).

The type was adapted for a variety of specialist tasks, and at least 30 variants were produced. The An-12 served the Soviet Air Force for some 30 years, finally being replaced from 1974 by the Ilyushin Il-76. At least 125 examples were converted for early-warning duties, and others were fitted out as electronic countermeasures aircraft. In 1965 a civil variant of the An-12 was demonstrated at the Paris Air Show. This aircraft had rear under-fuselage doors which folded to allow a ramp for loading and unloading, the forward fuselage behind the cockpit having a pressurised area for up to 14 passengers.

In more recent times the type has been used all around the world for freight duties, and a number have been seen in this region. One (RA-11324) was imported in 1993 following the setting up of a joint venture between Modmark Aviation Services of Brisbane, QLD and NGA, an Australian company representing and partly owned by Russian aviation interests, to market and place Antonov aircraft in service in the South Pacific region for freight work. The first An-12 arrived in Brisbane on 12 June 1993 to commence services bringing seafood from the Solomon Islands to Brisbane but the services only lasted a short time.

In 2006 two An-12s were in Australia, one operating but the other ER-AXA said to be owned by Russian airline, Aermost, being described in newspaper reports as “rotting away at the old Brisbane Airport after being grounded in November 2004 following a dispute over ownership”. It was said there had been a dispute between directors of the airline in The Ukraine. The aircraft had been chartered by Pacific Air Express and used on what was known as “the tuna run” carrying fish from the Pacific Islands through Brisbane to Asian markets. The charter ceased on 28 November 2004 and the aircraft remained parked at Brisbane for some two years pending the arrival of engineers to return the aircraft to airworthiness.

Others visited this region during the Timor crisis. Pacific Air Express, which also operated from Brisbane, operated a series of An-12s, including: An-12B LZ-SFL (c/n 432101) leased from Air Sofia; An-12BP Moldovian registered ER-ADT (c/n 23400605) leased from Aerocom for freight work, mainly from Brisbane to Honiara and Nauru; An-12BP ER-AXA from Aerocom; An-12BK EZ-BFL (c/n 00347201); and UR-LTG (c/n 00347201), a Ukrainian An-12BP leased from Volare Air Co. Another An-12BP visitor has been included a Bulgarian registered aircraft LZ-SFG (c/n 3341605) of Air Sofia.

One Pacific Air Express aircraft was used in Brisbane during the filming of the movie “Scooby Doo” and was painted as “Spooky Air”. Another An-12B LZ-SFL (c/n 432101) was leased by Cargo Air New Zealand and was based at Hamilton for the carriage of horses.

During the Timor crisis examples of the Antonov An-8 and An-12 were regularly seen at Darwin, using it as a staging point for operations in the region. In May 2007 Av-12BP ER-AXA (c/n 01347907), which had been parked at Eagle Farm Airport in  Brisbane since 2004, was sold to Intrec Aviation of Phnom Penh and, as RDPL-34153, was exported to Vietnam via Darwin on 9 June. In mid-2007 the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) banned the An-12 from operations in Australia.

On 9 December 2015 an An-12BP of Ukraine Air Alliance UR-CGW (c/n 402410) arrived in Brisbane and operated a number of charters before leaving Australia and flying to Manilla in the Philippines. A further An-12BP UR-CAK (c/n 6343707) was chartered by Nauru Airlines from Air Alliance in June 2016, arriving in Brisbane on 11 June, operating flights from Brisbane to Nauru and Brisbane to Port Moresby, NG. A further An-12BP UR-CNT (c/n 00347505 – ex RA-11363) of Ukraine Air Alliance arrived on 25 July 2016 and also spent a month carrying out charters on behalf of Nauru Air Corp trading as Nauru Airlines whilst the company’s Boeing 737-3H6F VH-VLI underwent maintenance.