Antonov


Antonov State Enterprise, formerly the Aeronautical Scientific-Technical Complex named Antonov , and earlier the Antonov Design Bureau, is a Ukrainian aircraft manufacturing and services company. Antonov's particular expertise is in the fields of very large aeroplanes and aeroplanes using unprepared runways. Antonov has built a total of approximately 22,000 aircraft, and thousands of its planes are currently operating in the former Soviet Union and in developing countries.
Antonov StC is a state-owned commercial company. Its headquarters and main industrial grounds were originally located in Novosibirsk, and were later transferred to Kiev. On 12 May 2015 it was transferred from the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade to the Ukroboronprom.
In June 2016, Ukraine's major state-owned arms manufacturer Ukroboronprom announced the creation of the Ukrainian Aircraft Corporation within its structure, to combine all aircraft manufacturing enterprises in Ukraine.

History

Soviet era

Foundation and relocation

The company was established in 1946 at the Novosibirsk Aircraft Production Association as the top-secret Soviet Research and Design Bureau No. 153. It was headed by Oleg Antonov and specialised in turboprop military transport aircraft. The task was to create an agricultural aircraft CX-1, the first flight of which occurred on August 31, 1947. The An-2 biplane was a major achievement of this period, with hundreds of these aircraft still operating as of 2013. In addition to this biplane and its modifications, a small series of gliders A-9 and A-10 were created and built in the pilot production in Novosibirsk. In 1952, the Bureau was relocated to Kiev, a city with a rich aviation history and an aircraft-manufacturing infrastructure restored after the destruction caused by World War II.

First serial aircraft and expansion

The 1957 introduction of the An-10/An-12 family of mid-range turboprop aeroplanes began the successful production of thousands of these aircraft. Their use for both heavy combat and civilian purposes around the globe continues to the present; the An-10/An-12 were used most notably in the Vietnam War, the Soviet–Afghan War and the Chernobyl disaster relief megaoperation.
In 1959, the bureau began construction of the separate Flight Testing and Improvement Base in suburban Hostomel.
In 1965, the Antonov An-22 heavy military transport entered serial production to supplement the An-12 in major military and humanitarian airlifts by the Soviet Union. The model became the first Soviet wide-body aircraft, and it remains the world's largest turboprop-powered aircraft. Antonov designed and presented a nuclear-powered version of the An-22. It was never flight tested.
In 1966, after the major expansion in the Sviatoshyn neighbourhood of the city, the company was renamed to another disguise name: "Kiev Mechanical Plant". Two independent aircraft production and repair facilities, under engineering-supervision of the Antonov Bureau, also appeared in Kiev during this period.

Prominence and Antonov's retirement

In the 1970s and early 1980s, the company established itself as the Soviet Union's main designer of military transport aircraft with dozens of new modifications in development and production. After Oleg Antonov's death in 1984, the company was officially renamed as the Research and Design Bureau named after O.K. Antonov while continuing the use of "Kiev Mechanical Plant" alias for some purposes.

Late Soviet-era: superlarge projects and first commercialisation

In the late 1980s, the Antonov Bureau achieved global prominence after the introduction of its extra large aeroplanes. The An-124 "Ruslan" became the Soviet Union's mass-produced strategic airlifter under the leadership of Chief Designer Viktor Tolmachev. The Bureau enlarged the "Ruslan" design even more for the Soviet space shuttle programme logistics, creating the An-225 "Mriya" in 1989. "Mriya" is still the world's largest and heaviest aeroplane.
The end of the Cold War and perestroika allowed the Antonov company's first step to commercialisation and foreign expansion. In 1989, the Antonov Airlines subsidiary was created for its own aircraft maintenance and cargo projects.

Independent Ukraine

Antonov Design Bureau remained a state-owned company after Ukraine achieved its independence in 1991 and is since regarded as a strategic national asset.

Expansion to free market

Since independence, Antonov has certified and marketed both Soviet-era and newly developed models for sale in new markets outside of the former soviet-sphere of influence. New models introduced to serial production and delivered to customers include the Antonov An-140, Antonov An-148 and Antonov An-158 regional airliners.
Among several modernisation projects, Antonov received orders for upgrading "hundreds" of its legendary An-2 utility planes still in operation in Azerbaijan, Cuba and Russia to the An-2-100 upgrade version.
In 2014, following the annexation of the Crimea by Russia, Ukraine cancelled contracts with Russia, leading to a significant income reduction in Ukraine's defense and aviation industries. However Ukraine has been slowly recovering the deficit from breaking ties with Russia by entering new markets and expanding its presence in old ones such as India.
In July 2018 Antonov was able to secure a deal with Boeing in order to procure airplane parts which were no longer available due to breakdown of relations with Russia.

Production facilities' consolidation

During the Soviet period, not all Antonov-designed aircraft were manufactured by the company itself. This was a result of Soviet industrial strategy that split military production between different regions of the Soviet Union to minimise potential war loss risks. As a result, Antonov aeroplanes were often assembled by the specialist contract manufacturers.
In 2009, the once-independent "Aviant" aeroplane-assembling plant in Kyiv became part of Antonov, facilitating a full serial manufacturing cycle of the company. However, the old tradition of co-manufacturing with contractors is continued, both with Soviet-time partners and with new licensees like Iran's HESA.
In 2014, the Antonov produced and delivered only two An-158 airplanes. This trend continued onto 2015, producing one An-148 and one An-158. In 2016, no aircraft were produced or delivered to clients, though the company has plans to start up production in 2017.
roll out ceremony in Kiev, 20 December 2016
In June 2016, Ukraine's major state-owned arms manufacturer Ukroboronprom announced the creation of the Ukrainian Aircraft Corporation within its structure, thereby combining all aircraft manufacturing enterprises, including the assets of Antonov into a single cluster, according to Ukroboronprom's press service.
On 19 July 2017, the Ukrainian government approved the liquidation of Antonov's assets, starting with closing down three factories in Kyiv and Kharkiv. The State Concern "Antonov" will be liquidated as a residual corporate entity. Antonov State Company, Kharkiv State Aviation Manufacturing Enterprise and Plant No.410 of Civil Aviation were transferred under the management of another state-owned concern Ukroboronprom in 2015. Antonov State Company continues to function as an enterprise.

Composition

Fields of commercial activity of Antonov ASTC include:

Contract and licensee manufacturers

Antonov's aeroplanes range from the rugged An-2 biplane through the An-28 reconnaissance aircraft to the massive An-124 Ruslan and An-225 Mriya strategic airlifters. Whilst less famous, the An-24, An-26, An-30 and An-32 family of twin turboprop, high winged, passenger/cargo/troop transport aircraft are important for domestic/short-haul air services particularly in parts of the world once led by communist governments. The An-72/An-74 series of small jetliners is slowly replacing that fleet, and a larger An-70 freighter is under certification.
The Antonov An-148 is a new regional airliner of twin-turbofan configuration. Over 150 aircraft have been ordered since 2007. A stretched version is in development, the An-158.
The Antonov/Taqnia An-132 is a twin-engined turboprop under development as of 2018.
AircraftNameMaiden flightRemarks
A-40Krylaty Tank2 September 1942Winged tank
An-2Kukuruznik31 August 1947multi-purpose, biplane, single-engine utility transport.
An-2-100Kukuruznik10 July 2013An-2 upgrade version refitted with Motor Sich kerosene-fueled engine.
An-313 May 1980turboprop conversion of An-2
An-431 July 1951float-equipped An-2
An-6Meteo21 March 1948weather reconnaissance aircraft based on An-2
An-811 February 1956medium military transport
An-10Ukraina7 March 1957medium turboprop-powered airliner
An-11Motorised variant of the A-11 glider
An-1216 December 1957military turboprop-powered transport, developed from An-10
An-131962Light aircraft developed from the A-13M motor glider
An-14Pchelka14 March 1958light twin-engine transport
An-20light turbocharged piston engine aircraft, developed from Cessna 210
An-22Antei27 February 1965extremely large turboprop transport
An-2420 October 1959twin-turboprop airliner
An-2621 May 1969twin-turboprop transport, derived from An-24
An-28September 1974twin-turboprop light transport, developed from An-14
An-3021 August 1967An-24 adapted for aerial photography and mapping
An-329 July 1976twin-turboprop hot-and-high transport, up-engined An-26 airframe
An-344 September 1961military transport developed from An-24
An-3823 June 1994twin-turboprop light transport, stretched An-28
An-40cancelledmilitary transport developed from An-12
An-44cargo aircraft project developed from An-24
An-50cancelledairliner project, developed from An-24V
An-51civil piston utility aircraft
An-52light twin-piston aircraft
An-7016 December 1994large military transport, powered by four propfan engines, to replace An-12
An-7112 July 1985naval AWACS development of An-72
An-72Cheburashka31 August 1977STOL transport, utilising the Coandă effect
An-74Cheburashka29 November 1983civil version of An-72; version with engines below wings is called An-74TK-300
An-88AWACS project, not completed
An-91Twin-engined cabin monoplane development of Cessna 310
An-102light agricultural aircraft
An-122further development of An-22
An-124Ruslan26 December 1982strategic airlifter; largest aircraft ever mass-produced
An-126heavy transport aircraft project
An-13231 March 2017transport aircraft based on An-32
An-14017 September 1997short-range turboprop airliner, to replace An-24
An-14817 December 2004regional jet for 68–85 passengers
An-15828 April 2010stretched version of An-148 for 99 passengers
An-168business variant of An-148
An-171stretched An-70
An-174enlarged An-74 with engines below wings
An-1787 May 2015military transport based on the An-158
An-180cancelledmedium propfan airliner, around 175 passengers
An-181Handiworkexperimental aircraft
An-188transport aircraft based on An-70
An-218cancelledpropfan- or turbofan-powered widebody airliner
An-225Mriya21 December 1988An-124 derived strategic airlifter; largest aircraft ever built; only one has been put into service
An-318cancelledA planned trijet to compete with The Dc-10 and L-1011 tristar
An-325cancelledplanned improvement of An-225
An-418cancelledA planned airliner version of the An-124 that could compete with the Airbus A380
An-71420 October 1970modification of An-14 with air cushion landing gear
GPSsmall twin-engined utility transport
OKA-38AistCopy of Fieseler Fi 156
Li-2Vhigh-altitude research aircraft, converted from Lisunov Li-2
SKVPartizanskiiBasis for An-14
T-2MMaverickultralight trike for recreational club use and special forces requirements
VPUtkaexperimental air trailer

Gliders

AircraftNameMaiden flightRemarks
A-11930single-seat training glider
A-21936two-seat training glider derived from the A-1
A-3Molodv
A-6
A-71942military glider
A-91948single-seat sailplane developed from the RF-7
A-101952two-seat sailplane developed from the A-9
A-1112 May 1958
A-131958
A-1526 March 1960
BS-31934training glider
BS-41935training glider
BS-5 1936training glider
DIP Dognat i peregna1932record glider developed from OKA-6
IP
LEM-2 1937motor glider
M-11933
M-2
M-3 1934
M-4
M-5 1936
OKA-1Golub1924
OKA-21925
OKA-31928
OKA-5Standard-21930
OKA-6Gorod Lenina1930
OKA-7Bubik1930
OKA-13Chest Uslovii Stalina1932
OKA-211933training glider based on DIP
PS-1 training glider
PS-2 training glider
RF-1 1933
RF-2 1933
RF-3 1933
RF-4 1933
RF-5 1934
RF-6
RF-71937sports glider
RF-81941troop glider, enlarged RF-7; redesignated A-7
US-11931training glider
US-21931training glider
US-31932training glider, first mass-produced Soviet glider
US-4training glider, redesignated A-1
US-5 1936training glider
US-6training glider, redesignated A-2