Antonov An-70

Apophenia

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A few recent photos of An-70 production have appeared (photographer is "tov_alex").

http://spotters.net.ua/file/?id=24296
Shows An-70 cn 01-04 at Kiev Aviation Plant AVIANT on 22 Dec 2009

http://spotters.net.ua/file/?id=24301
Shows the cockpit section of An-70 cn 01-05 (same location, no date). If I understand correctly, no work has been done on this section for one and a half years.

Presumably the Ukraine is proceeding with its plan to buy five An-70s. Does anyone have any details?
 
Thanks for posting ... that last info I have is:

Russia revives An-70 project, as commercial users step forward

Russia has moved to revive Antonov's dormant An-70 tactical transport project, with a new accord having been agreed at the MAKS Moscow air show in mid-August.

Signed by Russian defence minister Anatoly Serdykov and Ukrainian deputy defence minister Valery Ivashchenko, the protocol to an interstate agreement of 1993 is expected to lead to Moscow restoring funds. The move would support continued development and flight testing using Antonov's only surviving prototype of the An-70, which was on static display at the show.

Ukraine's Kiev-based KiGAZ Aviant is already working to complete a further two airframes (edit: these seems to be 01-04 + 01-05), the roll-out dates for which have been repeatedly postponed. The Ukrainian government earlier this year placed the previously independent plant under Antonov control.

The An-70 programme has also received a further boost, with Volga-Dnepr having signed a letter of intent with Antonov in which it declares its intent to become the launch customer for a civilian version of the aircraft. The An-70T will initially retain the military design's four Progress/Motor-Sich D-27 prop-fan engines and 110t maximum take-off weight, but have different avionics. Antonov says first deliveries of the derivative could take place in 2013.

Russia's Polet airline also says it is considering placing an order for the An-70T. Its possible commitment, combined with interest from Volga-Dnepr and the Russian and Ukrainian air forces, could help Antonov achieve "a critical mass of orders sufficient to turn the long-going project into a commercially viable one", Polet says.

Separately, Russia's VASO plant has cut metal on the first prototype of the Ilyushin Il-112VT tactical transport. The aircraft is expected to be rolled out by the end of next year and to fly in early 2011, with Russia to acquire an initial 34 examples for its air force. Ilyushin and Tranzas displayed a cockpit simulator for the new type during the MAKS show.


http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/08/27/331547/russia-revives-an-70-project-as-commercial-users-step.html
Click to expand...


Deino
 
Thanks Deino. No relation then to the cryptic comments about Chinese turbofan An-7X derivatives.
 
01-04 !!!!!

Deino
 

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Not to derail the Y-20 thread, I thought I'd move this here:
[quote author=Matej]
In the mid 2010 An-70 was modernized according to the Russian requests
and first flight in this new configuration occurred during 27. September 2012
(so we can add another member to the Il-476 and Y-20 trio). Now two flying and
one static vehicles are being manufactured for the Ukrainian air force that can
help with certification. Also KAPO in Kazaň is building a new production hall
and An-70 documentation is being digitalised - all this is the preparation for
serial production.

It means, that An-70 will meet Il-476 and Y-20 on the
international market.
[/quote]

So the current flying airframe is modernized?
In what way? Avionics?
When are the 2 additional flight airframes likely to fly?

Has the Russian airforce then committed to the An-70?
If so, when is Russian production mooted to begin?

I've always thought the An-70 had a bright future, and it is disappointing that circumstances, such as politics and the break-up of the USSR has hamstrung it to the point where the A-400M has caught up...
 
Distance between props has been increased to 900 mm if my memory isn't failing me, that is to lower noise.

Avionics is also heavily updated, in fact they managed to shred off 500 kg due to that. Our mythytical polish friend (Piotr Butowski) had good article a while back about the update.
 
kaiserbill said:
Has the Russian airforce then committed to the An-70?
If so, when is Russian production mooted to begin?
Click to expand...

14:18 31/05/2012
MOSCOW, May 31 (RIA Novosti)

"Russia's Military Transport Aviation (VTA) is to receive 60 Antonov An-70 propfan tactical transport aircraft by 2020 ... The VTA will also take delivery of 25 Antonov An-124 super-heavy transport aircraft of various modifications by 2020 ..."

Ukrainian souces say 80 built between 2014 and 2020 (with fuselages built and assembled at JSC GorbunovKazan Aviation Production Association in Kazan, wings & empennage at Antonov Kyiv).
 
That is very good news then.

Any date on when the 2 airframes being assembled will fly?
 
kaiserbill said:
So the current flying airframe is modernized?
In what way? Avionics?
Click to expand...

- new engine setup and fairings
- updated SV-27 propellers with greater distance between them. This is not only due to the noise background (as is usually written), but this solution also significantly lowers the interacting forces between forward and aft propeller group, prolonging their life cycle.
- new auxiliary power unit TA18-200 instead of original TA12 (significantly more powerfull with almost the same weight)
- new electronics (MFDs, cables, electronic life support system, new flight and navigation equipment, radar, electronic flight control equipment...). Note - optoelectronic turret under the nose is so far only a mockup.

kaiserbill said:
When are the 2 additional flight airframes likely to fly?
Click to expand...

Only God and Chuck Norris knows. Now Russia and Ukraine are once again arguing about petroleum deliveries so guess what... But at least plan calls for 23 initial test flights (three already done) and after that joined state tests with 75 flights. It is hardly done with just one modified airframe.

kaiserbill said:
Has the Russian airforce then committed to the An-70?
Click to expand...

Yes. For the tenth time? Is it the last, final time?

kaiserbill said:
If so, when is Russian production mooted to begin?
Click to expand...

As far as I know, it is still about the agreements, agreements of agreements and agreements of agreements of agreements. No direct production contract (except Ukrainian order). At least things that are happening now are the indications of preparation of real serial production in both countries more than anytime before.
 
Russian air force goes cold on An-70 project

The Russian air force command has composed a letter outlining its complaints about the progress of the Antonov An-70 transport, and has also prepared a step-by-step contingency plan for its withdrawal from the joint programme with Ukraine, Russia's Izvestia newspaper says.

Quoting unnamed sources in the command, it says the air force is concerned about the slow pace of development following test flights in September 2012. One source says a decision to quit the programme "could be made by the end of 2013", with support for the withdrawal primarily coming "from above", referring to the Russian government...
Click to expand...
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/russian-air-force-goes-cold-on-an-70-project-382122/
 
What a beauty !!!! ::)
 

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Thanks Deino.

When was this flight? (Can't see a serial number)

Interesting to see the 2 flags behind the cockpit.

EDIT: I see UR-NTK is 01-02 and has been testing quite a bit this year.
 
It is the only frame flying, so yes, it has been testing. ;)

Pictures were taken yesterday: http://russianplanes.net/st/Antonov/An-70
 
Thanks ! ... to admit I like this bird very much and I'm 'a bit' sad that it was/is always part of politics ... :-[

Do You have any recent news about the two new airframes currently under construction ? ... when they are finished !

Deino
 
Have they looked at air to air refuelling for the An-70, both as a tanker, and fitting it with a refuelling probe for itself?
 
They could ask US Aerospace for the details of their An-70 derived turbo-fan tanker from the KC-X proposal. ;D
 
I suppose I'm really asking whether they've looked at putting an air refuelling probe onto the An-70, like the A-400M has.
 
Can we try and get some clarity on the following issues?

1. What is the accurate definite order book, if any, of the An-70?
2. When is serial production planned to start?
3. When is its entry into service mooted to be?
4. Is it being funded mostly by Russia?
5. I've seen it said that 80-90% of components are from Russia. Is this accurate or not?
6. Is it confirmed that production will be shared with Russia via UAC?

Sorry for the questions. I don't speak Russian/Ukranian, and over the last few years, there has been such conflicting information that has been written.

I'm trying to figure out what is solid or definite.
Everything I've seen or read demonstrates that there is a market for this bird, and that the product deserves to succeed.
 
For photographs of An-70 1-04 under construction.......

http://www.demotix.com/news/1689319/ukraine-completes-fuselage-jig-assembly-aircraft-70#media-1689300

Looks like the An-70 production program is starting to speed up a bit after nearly 20 years.
 
1-04 and 1-05
 

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Isn she a beauty !!??? :-*

at full size here:
http://www.dsjunshi.com/top81bbs/thread.php?cid=1&rootid=5183614&id=5183614

Deino
 

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Apparently the latest Air Forces Monthly is reporting that Russia is going ahead with the purchase of 60 An-70s.

Is this a rehash of news, or has something new happened?
I don't have the latest issue, so I can't comment apart from what I've written above.
Is there a timeline issued with regard to the proposed purchase?
 
I have always admired the robust look of the Eastern designed airlifters. All those big fans will take some getting used to though. ;D
 
In photos taken at the Paris Air Show, the second prototype An-70 has the civil registration UR-NTK, but another An-70 has the registration UR-EXA. Could it be that UR-EXA might actually be the first An-70 production unit to fly?
 
Photos taken today at Le Bourget:

Dsc_0123.jpg


Dsc_0124.jpg
 
Some photos are heavily retouched, because they were taken during a strong rain.

One should never judge the aircraft based on its performance on the airshow but for once I will make an exception. If I am potential customer, based on the experience from Le Bourget I would definitely opt for A400M instead of An-70. Ukrainian aircraft showed effectively nothing, very vague take-off with one flypass, a lot of equipment and vehicles around it just to take it from the ground, the same noisy engines with propellers as they used to be... A few years ago I got almost killed by their noise and I really cant see (hear) much change now. In the meantime when An-70 rolled on the runway, there was kind of "by the way" display of A400M which was nothing less than amazing for transport aircraft. It has beaten An-70 all the way.
 

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Stunning pictures as usual.

I bow before you, Master Matej... ;D
 
So, with recent developments, I expect that is basically the end of the An-70?
 
Unless Eastern Ukraine splits and basically joins the Russian Federation (a drastic and highly improbable turn of events, it goes without saying), I expect so, yes.
Very unfortunate.
 
Or Russia could always annex it, or indeed the entire country.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ZUthbNCA1nc
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10666893/Ukraine-accuses-Russia-of-armed-invasion-live.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10668357/Russia-admits-that-it-has-moved-troops-in-Ukraine.html
 
Antonov have always been the core provider of large transport aircraft for the Soviet Union. No Russian company is capable of accomplishing that (mainly a consequence of the Soviet Union's asking companies to specialize — MiG and Sukhoi for combat planes, Tupolev for passenger transports and bombers, Antonov for large transports, etc.). I can't see Russians going without Antonov's capability, and if they can no longer strike a deal to obtain Antonov to work for them on a fair basis, I have no doubt they will find less civilized means of obtaining what they want.
 
PlanesPictures said:
And Iljushin?
Click to expand...


True, although I think they narrowed down their production to civilian transports over the past two decades, didn't they? I believe the Il-76 is no longer produced and the few specialized variants are undertaken by Beriev and others. There may be military variants of the Il-86/-96 still in production but I must admit I'm not that familiar with that company (which I have always considered pretty boring!).
 
Stargazer, did you forget Iljuschin?
If the An-70 for the RuAF is cancelled, Iljuschin could purpose a large version of the UAC/HAL Il-214.
 
Grey Havoc I see what you did there. PLEASE can we keep that in The Bar.
 
Ukraine has approved Anotnov’s An-70 into serial production and will induct it into service with its armed forces. IMHO low rate serial production due to the crises in Eastern Ukraine and its economy.


Source:
http://www.antonov.com/news/359
 

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