An-22 Cock

The Antonov An-22 "Antei" (NATO reporting name "Cock") is a heavy military transport aircraft designed by the Antonov Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. Powered by four turboprop engines driving contra-rotating propellers, it was the first wide-body transport aircraft and remains the largest turboprop aircraft built. The type entered Soviet military service in 1969 as a strategic airlifter. It was operated primarily by the Soviet and Russian air forces until the final active aircraft crashed in December 2025.

Development

In the late 1950s, the Soviet Union initiated the design originally designated An-20 to supplement its An-8 and An-12 fleet. Antonov constructed a wooden mockup designated Model 100 in Kyiv before rolling out the An-22 prototype on 18 August 1964. The prototype completed its first flight on 27 February 1965 and was publicly displayed at the 1965 Paris Air Show. Serial production took place at the Tashkent State Aircraft Factory, delivering the first military aircraft to Ivanovo Airbase in 1969. Production comprised 37 standard An-22 aircraft and 28 updated An-22A models.

Design

The An-22 features a high-mounted wing, circular fuselage, and twin tail fin fitted with top-mounted anti-flutter masses. Power is supplied by four Kuznetsov NK-12MA turboprops rated at 11,000 kW each, driving eight-bladed contra-rotating propellers. Engine slipstream directed over double-slotted flaps and ruggedized landing gear allow operations from unpaved airstrips. The pressurized forward fuselage accommodates 5 to 8 crew members and up to 28 passengers, while the cargo hold is 33 meters long with a usable volume of 639 m³. Production aircraft incorporate nose-mounted radar, and the cargo bay is designed to carry up to 80,000 kg, including four BMD-1 armored vehicles.

Operational History

The Soviet Air Force began unit conversions to the An-22 in July 1974, equipping formations such as the 12th Mginsk Division and 566th Solnechnogorsk Regiment. The aircraft flew airlifts to Peru in 1970, Egypt and Syria in 1973, Angola in 1975 and 1987, and Ethiopia in 1977 and 1984. It deployed airborne troops during the 1979 invasion of Afghanistan, where one was shot down near Kabul on 28 October 1984. An-22s were also utilized during relief operations for the 1986 Chernobyl disaster and the 1988 Armenian earthquake, as well as peacekeeping deployments to Bosnia in 1995. Russia ceased operating the aircraft in August 2024, and the last operational An-22 crashed during a test flight in the Ivanovo region on 9 December 2025.

Variants

• An-22 (prototypes): Three initial prototypes built at Kyiv featuring fully glazed noses and radar mounted under the right wheel well fairing.

• An-22: Initial production transport variant built with an external engine start system, totaling 37 units manufactured in Tashkent.

• An-22A: Upgraded production variant featuring air-start capability, a modified electrical system, an augmented flight control system, and updated avionics.

• An-22PZ: Specialized conversion of two aircraft fitted with a third fin to transport An-124 and An-225 wing components externally above the fuselage.

• Amphibious An-22: Projected water-landing variant that did not progress beyond the scale model stage.