Encyclopedia - Antonov An-22

The Soviet Union has always had the problem of transporting cargo across its huge territory, mainly due to the great distances involved and the wide variety of terrain types. In 1962 Antonov was given the task of designing an aircraft which could carry heavy loads over long distances and be able to operate from unprepared strips. The prototype of the Antonov An-22 Cock first flew on 27 February 1965, and was first seen by the West at the Paris Air Salon four months later.

The Antonov An-22 Cock is an all-metal, high wing monoplane. The wings have wide-span double-slotted trailing-edge flaps. The fuselage has an upswept rear section with a ramp door to facilitate the direct loading of vehicles. The tail section has two fins extending above and below the tailplane, with the rudders also being in two halves. It has a tricycle type undercarriage designed to permit off-runway operation. The tyre pressures are adjustable on the ground or in flight to provide optimum performance. The four Kuznetsov engines each drive two four-bladed contra-rotating propellers.

The Antonov An-22 has established many records, including payload-to-height and speed-with-payload records. It also was the largest aircraft for several years.

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