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The Antonov An-24 series was a true workhorse in the Soviet age, especially for operations on short regional routes and unpaved airfields. The first flight of the max. 50-seating airplane was at the end of 1959. Aeroflot received its first aircraft in 1962. The An-24 is a high wing airplane and is driven by two Iwtschenko props. Its huge success is also a result of its rugged construction. The universality of the aircraft resulted in some further developments e.g. for operations in high altitude, with a cargo ramp in the back or equipped with an APU.
Parallel to the civil An-24, the military versions An-26 and An-32 as well as the An-30 as a measurement aircraft were also built.
An-24 production ended in 1972, yet licensed aircraft are still built as Y-7 in the Chinese city of Xian. © LK www.antonov.com |
