Antonov An-12 (Cub)
Soviet Union (1959)
Detailing the development and operational history of the Antonov An-12 (Cub) Military Transport Aircraft.
Entry last updated on 8/7/2017; Authored by Staff Writer; Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com Antonov An-12 (Cub)
Despite its troubled service life, the Antonov An-12 Cub has found many global customers since its inception during the late-1950s.
The Antonov An-12 (NATO codename of "Cub") was the primary medium-lift military transport of the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies during the Cold War decades. It operated in similar form and function to the American Lockheed C-130 Hercules which proved exceedingly popular in the West. The An-12 held a direct origin to the An-8, a twin-engine, high-winged light military transport adopted by the Soviet Air Force as well as the civilian passenger airliner concern of Aeroflot. The An-10 was then born of the An-8 to become a four-engined passenger hauler with lengthened fuselage for Aeroflot and, from this, was delivered the military-minded An-12 - retaining the former's four-engine design and high-mounted wings while introducing a rear cargo access ramp akin to the preceding An-8 design.
With more land area to defend than any other superpower of the time, the Soviet military was faced with the daunting prospect of finding ways to mobilize and transport large amounts of men, equipment and weapons to hotspots wherever they may arise. As such, the nation went through an extended period of developing medium and heavy freighters (which continued to this day) to help fill this important logistical role.
The An-12 was designed by Russian Oleg Antonov whose bureau shares his name. First flight of an An-12 prototype was on December 16th, 1957 and powered through 4 x Kuznetsov NK-4 turboprop engines. This same prototype was then severely damaged on a landing approach in 1958, perhaps serving as a symbol of the aircraft's troubled existence still to be realized. Further testing finally cleared the type for military service as the An-12BP and these were outfitted with 4 x Ivchenko AI-20 series turboprop engines. Production of the type spanned from 1957 into 1973 to which 1,248 were produced under various configurations and designations.
With more land area to defend than any other superpower of the time, the Soviet military was faced with the daunting prospect of finding ways to mobilize and transport large amounts of men, equipment and weapons to hotspots wherever they may arise. As such, the nation went through an extended period of developing medium and heavy freighters (which continued to this day) to help fill this important logistical role.
The An-12 was designed by Russian Oleg Antonov whose bureau shares his name. First flight of an An-12 prototype was on December 16th, 1957 and powered through 4 x Kuznetsov NK-4 turboprop engines. This same prototype was then severely damaged on a landing approach in 1958, perhaps serving as a symbol of the aircraft's troubled existence still to be realized. Further testing finally cleared the type for military service as the An-12BP and these were outfitted with 4 x Ivchenko AI-20 series turboprop engines. Production of the type spanned from 1957 into 1973 to which 1,248 were produced under various configurations and designations.
Picture of the Antonov An-12 (Cub) Military Transport Aircraft
The value of such platforms as the An-12 lay in their short runway capabilities and hauling qualities. This was aided, in part, by the high-mounted wings and four engine installations. The high-mounted wing allowed for strong lifting qualities while also clearing the spinning propeller blades from ground personnel moving around the outside of the aircraft. The raised tail unit also allowed unrestricted access to the cargo hold by way of a powered door and loading ramp. With the cockpit set well-forward in the design, the fuselage could largely serve to manage cargo as well as fuel stores and other mission-pertinent components. While traditionally unarmed, some Zn-12 variants featured a 2 x 23mm NR-23 cannon installation at the tail to counter perusing aircraft - a common practice seen in many large aircraft of the Cold War period. A typical crew numbered five personnel to include a pair of pilots, a flight engineer, a navigator and a radioman.
The aircraft was powered by 4 x Ivchenko (now Progress) AI-20L turboprop engines of 4,000 horsepower output each. This allowed the airframe a maximum speed of 480 miles per hour with a cruising speed of 415 miles per hour. Range with a complete fuel load was 3,540 miles. Service ceiling was listed at 33,500 feet with a rate-of-climb (depending on load) of 1,960 feet per minute.
The "Cub" would go on to fill a myriad of other roles in both wartime and peacetime, chief among these becoming an Airborne Early Warning (AEW) station, an aerial refueling tanker and primary crew trainer. India received some forty units and converted some as bombers during the Indo-Pak War. Similarly, Sri Lanka modified a pair of transports as ad hoc bombers in ongoing battles with Tamil Tiger rebels. After the Soviet-Chinese split of the 1960s and having acquired kits for license production of the An-12, China built the aircraft locally before reverse-engineering the line and reintroducing it as the Shannxi Y-8. The Y-8 line was equally broadened into a myriad of available variants including a dedicated maritime reconnaissance variant. Soviet examples of the Cold War were exported solely to allied nations.
The An-12 is still in active use today (2013) but it's terrible accident record had precluded its use across some airspaces of the world. The series has seen nearly 200 recorded accidents during its service lifetime. In fact, an An-12 has recently been linked to a December 2013 crash in Russia, killing five of its crew memebers.
The Antonov An-12 "Cub" series was eventually formally replaced in Soviet/Russian service (among others) by the larger, jet-powered Ilyushin IL-76 "Candid" line which, itself, continues in service today (2013).
The aircraft was powered by 4 x Ivchenko (now Progress) AI-20L turboprop engines of 4,000 horsepower output each. This allowed the airframe a maximum speed of 480 miles per hour with a cruising speed of 415 miles per hour. Range with a complete fuel load was 3,540 miles. Service ceiling was listed at 33,500 feet with a rate-of-climb (depending on load) of 1,960 feet per minute.
The "Cub" would go on to fill a myriad of other roles in both wartime and peacetime, chief among these becoming an Airborne Early Warning (AEW) station, an aerial refueling tanker and primary crew trainer. India received some forty units and converted some as bombers during the Indo-Pak War. Similarly, Sri Lanka modified a pair of transports as ad hoc bombers in ongoing battles with Tamil Tiger rebels. After the Soviet-Chinese split of the 1960s and having acquired kits for license production of the An-12, China built the aircraft locally before reverse-engineering the line and reintroducing it as the Shannxi Y-8. The Y-8 line was equally broadened into a myriad of available variants including a dedicated maritime reconnaissance variant. Soviet examples of the Cold War were exported solely to allied nations.
The An-12 is still in active use today (2013) but it's terrible accident record had precluded its use across some airspaces of the world. The series has seen nearly 200 recorded accidents during its service lifetime. In fact, an An-12 has recently been linked to a December 2013 crash in Russia, killing five of its crew memebers.
The Antonov An-12 "Cub" series was eventually formally replaced in Soviet/Russian service (among others) by the larger, jet-powered Ilyushin IL-76 "Candid" line which, itself, continues in service today (2013).
Antonov An-12BK (Cub) Specifications
Soviet Union
Year: 1959
Type: Military Transport Aircraft
Manufacturer(s): Antonov - Soviet Union
Production: 1,248
Supported Mission Types
Air-to-Air
Interception
Unmanned
Ground Attack
Close-Air Support
Training
Anti-Submarine
Anti-Ship
Airborne Early Warning
MEDEVAC
Electronic Warfare
Maritime/Navy
Aerial Tanker
Utility/Transport
Passenger Industry
VIP Travel
Business Travel
Search/Rescue
Recon/Scouting
Special Forces
X-Plane/Development
Crew: 5
Length: 108.60 ft (33.1 m)
Width: 124.67 ft (38.00 m)
Height: 34.55 ft (10.53 m)
Empty Weight: 6,173 lb (2,800 kg)
MTOW: 134,482 lb (61,000 kg)
Installed Power
4 x ZMDB Progress (Ivchenko) AI-20M turboprop engines generating 4,252 shaft horsepower each.
Standard Day Performance
Maximum Speed: 300 mph (482 kph; 260 kts)
Maximum Range: 2,237 mi (3,600 km; 1,944 nm)
Service Ceiling: 34,449 ft (10,500 m; 6.52 mi)
Rate-of-Climb: 1,960 ft/min (597 m/min)
Armament
Usually none though some variants may be armed with tail-mounted 2 x 23mm Nudelman-Rikhter NR-23 series cannons.
Operators List
Afganistan; Algeria; Angola; Armenia; Azerbaijan; Bangladesh; Belarus; Bulgaria; Burma; Canada; China; Czechoslovakia; Czech Republic; Egypt; Ethiopia; France; Georgia; Guinea; Ghana; India; Indonesia; Iraq; Iran; Ivory Coast; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kyrgstan; Mongolia; Mozambique; Mexico; Nigeria; Philippines; Poland; Russia; Slovakia; South Yemen; Soviet Union; Sudan; Sri Lanka; Syria; Tanzania; Turkmenistan; United Arab Emirates; Ukraine; United States; Uzbekistan; Yemen; Yugoslavia; Zimbabwe
Series Model Variants
• An-12 - Base initial production model; fitted with Ivchenko AI-20A engines of 4,000 horsepower
• An-12A - Improved An-12; additional fuel cells; fitted with Ivchenko AI-20K engines of 4,250 horsepower.
• An-12AD - Single example An-12 from Tashkent
• An-12AP - An-12A with additional two fuel tanks
• An-12B - Improved An-12; additional fuel stores; strengthened wing center; detachable wing elements; improved cargo handling; outfitted with improved Ivchenko AI-20M engines of 4,250 horsepower.
• An-12B (LIAT) - Crash investigation platform modified from An-12B; single example
• An-12B-30 - Proposed An-12 with AI-20K engines of 5,180 horsepower; increased cargo load capability.
• An-12B-I - Electronic CounterMeasures (ECM) platform; seven examples
• An-12BK - Improved avionics suite; increased cargo capacity; enlarged cargo door
• An-12BK-IS - An-12BK models modified for ECM duty; 40 examples
• An-12BK-PPS - An-12PP serving as ECM aircraft
• An-12BKK - One-off VIP conversion with pressurized passenger cabin
• An-12BKSh - Navigation Trainer based on An-12BK
• An-12BKT - Aerial tanker version
• An-12BKV - Proposed bomber/naval mine dispenser platform
• An-12BL - Kh-28 aerial missile testbed
• An-12BM - An-12B modified to serve in SATCOM role; single example
• An-12BP - Additional fuel stores
• An-12BPTs - An-12BP airframes modified for atmospheric research role; two examples
• An-12BSh - Navigational trainer platform
• An-12BSM - Improved commercial cargo hauler
• An-12BZ-1 - Proposed aerial tanker
• An-12BZ-2 - Proposed aerial tanker
• An-12D - Proposed improved An-12; revised undercarriage; increased cargo hauling capabilities; new empennage.
• An-12DK - Proposed variant outfitted with Ivchenko AI-30 engines of 5,500 horsepower
• As-12D-UPS - Aerodynamic testbed laboratory
• An-12M - Proposed modified An-12 with AI-20DM engines of 5,180 horsepower
• An-12P - Additional two fuel tanks added
• An-12PL -Arctic/cold weather environment conversion model; ski-type undercarriage arrangement
• An-12PP - ECM variant
• An-12PS - An-12B with Search and Rescue functionality
• An-12R - Dedicated reconnaissance platform
• An-12RR - Radiation reconnaissance platform
• An-12RU - Proposed JATO (Jet-Assisted Take-Off) variant
• An-12SN - Special mission airframe; improved cargo hauling capabilities for the transport of main battle tanks and similar; 1 x Mikulin RD-9 turbojet for added lift.
• An-12T - Aerial tanker variant
• An-12TP-2 - Long-range geographical survey platform; single example from An-12B line
• An-12TA
• An-12TB
• An-12TBP
• An-12TBK
• An-12U - Aerodynamic airborne testbed
• An-12UD - Extended range form
• An-12UD-3 - Increased range variant
• An-12VKP - Airborne Command Post; single example from An-12A line
• An-40 - Based on An-12D model; outfitted with AI-30 engines of 5,500 horsepower; never adopted.
• An-40PLO - Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) variant
• An-42 - An-40 for aerodynamic airborne testing
• Shaanxi Y-8 - Chinese local copy of the An-12BP model; various other variants developed since.
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