The An-72 and An-74 get their nickname, Cheburashka, from the large engine intake ducts,[3] which resemble the oversized ears of the popular Soviet animated character of the same name.
The An-74 was initially an upgrade of the An-72 test aircraft, intended to be used in the Arctic and Antarctica; and had the designation An-72A "Arctic".[4] The aircraft's main purpose is to deliver cargo, equipment and personnel over short- and medium-range routes in any climatic conditions ranging from −60 to 45 °C (−76 to 113 °F) and at any latitude, including the North Pole, and high altitudes. It can operate to and from low grade airstrips such as concrete, pebble, ice and snow aerodromes.
Produced in tandem with the An-72, the An-74 can be fitted with wheel-ski landing gear, de-icing equipment and a number of other upgrades allowing the aircraft to support operations in Arctic or Antarctic environments.
An unusual design feature of the An-74 (as well as An-72) is the use of the Coandă effect to improve STOL performance, utilizing engine exhaust gases blown over the wing's upper surface to boost lift. The powerplant used is the Lotarev D-36turbofan engine. The An-74 bears some resemblance to the unsuccessful Boeing YC-14, a prototype design from the early 1970s which had also used overwing engines and the Coandă effect.
The rear fuselage of the aircraft has a hinged loading ramp with a rear fairing that slides backwards and up to clear the opening. The An-74 has a payload of around 11 tons including up to ten passengers in the cargo version, or up to 52 seats in the passenger version; the operating ceiling is 10,100 metres (33,100 ft) and cruising speed is 550 to 700 kilometres per hour (300 to 380 kn; 340 to 430 mph).[5] The aircraft may also be used for highly specialized operations:
pilotage and vessel escort;
establishing and servicing of drifting stations;
research operations in Arctic or Antarctic regions;
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The first An-74 flight took place on September 29, 1983, four years after the An-72, its parent aircraft. Almost immediately after, cold-weather testing and Arctic operations began taking place, fulfilling the intentions of the aircraft designers. Notably, an An-74 evacuated the crew of Arctic station SP-32 on March 6, 2004.[6]
As of January 1, 2006, twenty-three out of thirty aircraft registered in Russia were in operation.[citation needed]
Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine An-74TK-200VIP Shar Ink An-74D
An-74: Arctic/Antarctic support model with room for five crew, increased fuel capacity, larger radar in bulged nose radome, improved navigation equipment, better de-icing equipment, and can be fitted with wheel-skis landing gear.
An-74-200: Military transport based on the An-74T
An-74-200D: VIP/executive transport version of the An-74TK-200. Also called An-74D.
An-74A: Passenger or freighter model.
An-74MP: Marine Patrol version. Can transport 44 soldiers, 22 paratroops, 16 stretchers with medical staff, or ten tonnes of cargo.
An-74T: Freighter version equipped with an internal winch, roller equipment, and cargo mooring points, can also be fitted with static lines for paratroops or dropping air cargo.
An-74TK-100: Convertible version of the An-74T-100. It could be configured for passengers, cargo or both.
An-74TK-100S: Medevac version of An-74TK-100.
An-74TK-200: Convertible version of the An-74T-200.
An-74TK-200C: Cargo variant of An-74TK-200
An-74TK-200S: Medevac version of An-74T-200.
The An-74TK-300D variant, with underslung enginesAn-148: An-74 model designed primarily for civil customers with more fuel-efficient, conventionally mounted engines that trade the STOL capabilities of earlier models for lower operating costs and higher speed. Additional emphasis is placed on improved avionics and passenger comfort features. It was initially designated An-74TK-300, making its first flight in 2004.[9]
An-158: Modification of the An-148.
An-74-400: Proposed stretch model of the An-148 (An-74TK-300) with a fuselage insert to extend its length by 26 ft (8 m) and uprated engines.
On 16 September 1991, an An-74 carrying a cargo shipment of fish from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy to Kyiv via Lensk and Omsk crashed after takeoff from Lensk Airport, killing all 13 people on board. The cause of the accident was an overloading of the aircraft, combined with the premature retraction of the wing flaps.[11]
On 23 April 2006, a Libyan Air Force An-74TK-200 carrying food aid to Chad crashed near the village of Kousséri in neighbouring Cameroon after abandoning its landing at N'Djamena. All six Ukrainian crew members were confirmed dead.[12]
On 29 July 2017, An-74TK100 UR-CKC of CAVOK Air crashed on take-off from São Tomé International Airport and was damaged beyond repair. A birdstrike was reported and the aircraft overran the end of the runway whilst attempting to abort the take-off.[16][17]
On 24 February 2022, an unknown Antonov An-74 was reported to have been destroyed by Russian artillery along with the Antonov An-225 and other aircraft in the battle in Hostomel, Kyiv.[20]
