The Antonov An-30 (NATO reporting name: Clank), is a development of the An-24 designed for aerial cartography. It features a distinctive glazed nose and raised cockpit. Limited numbers have been converted into a VIP passenger aircraft.

Development

The first aerial survey version of the Antonov An-24 was designed by the Beriev OKB and designated An-24FK. The FK stood for fotokartograficheskiy (photo mapping). The prototype was converted from a production An-24A at Beriev's No. 49 construction shop during 1966. The An-24FK made its first flight on 21 August 1967. Subsequent acceptance trials were completed in 1970. Redesignated An-30, production began in 1971 at the Kiev machinery plant. Civil certification tests were completed in 1974. 123 production An-30s were manufactured between 1971 and 1980 in Kiev in 2 main versions.

Design

The Antonov An-30 is a derivative of the An-24 fitted with an entirely new fuselage forward of frame 11. The fuselage nose is extensively glazed, reminiscent of the Boeing B-29. Housed within the new nose section is the navigator and precise navigational equipment, including an optical sight for ensuring accuracy of aerial photography. To enable accurate and repeatable survey flights, standard equipment for the An-30 included computer flight path control technology. This additional equipment replaced the radar. The positioning of the new navigational equipment required the flightdeck to be raised by 41cm in comparison to the An-24, giving the aircraft its other main feature, a hump containing the cockpit, similar to the Boeing 747.

The radio operator and flight engineer sat in the first cabin aft of and below the flightdeck. The mission equipment was located further aft, in a cabin featuring five camera windows in the floor. Each camera window could be closed with covers to protect the glass panels. The covers were located in special fairings protruding from the fuselage underside. In the normal aerial photography role, four or five cameras were carried aboard. Three cameras were mounted vertically, intended for mapping purposes. The remaining two cameras were pointed at an angle of 28° on each side of the aircraft, for oblique photography. The same fuselage compartment contained workstations for two camera operators and a crew rest area.

The aircraft's cameras could be used between 2,000 and 7,000 m (6,500 and 23,000 ft) and the scale of the resultant photographs was between 1:200,000 and 1:15,000,000. The aircraft was supplied with four or five cameras.

The An-30 was powered by two Ivchenko AI-24VT turboprops with a take-off rating of 2,820 ehp.

Operational history

As well as its principal use as a survey aircraft, it has also been used by Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Romania, Russia and Ukraine to carry out surveillance under the Open Skies Treaty.

The An-30 has also been used as a weather control aircraft as the An-30M. Some have been fitted with frozen tanks of carbon dioxide to be ejected into the sky to form artificial rain clouds. These An-30s have also been put to use to avoid crop-damaging hailstorms and also to maintain good weather for as example new airplane maiden flights , important parades like 1st of may and 850th anniversary of Moscow in September 1997.

Between 1971 and 1980 total 115 aircraft were built and 23 were sold abroad to Afghanistan, Bulgaria, China, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Mongolia and Vietnam.

Machines of this type completely mapped Afghanistan in 1982, one machine was shot down during use. Cuban machines were operated in Angola in 1987.

Variants

Version designed for civilian aviation. 65 were delivered to the Soviet Ministry of Civil Aviation, 6 to other Soviet civil organisations. 18 An-30As were built for export, 7 of which were delivered to China.An-30B

Version designed for the Soviet Air Force. 26 built. Main diferences from An-30A was the avionics fit. Most An-30Bs were retro-fitted with chaff/flare dispensers.An-30D Sibiryak

Long range version of the An-30A with increased fuel capacity, developed in 1990. 5 aircraft were converted to An-30Ds. All were based at Myachkovo airfield near Moscow. This variant was used for ice monitoring, fisheries monitoring and as a transport aircraft. It had improved communication equipment, including a data-link system. Rescue equipment was also carried on board.An-30FG

Czech designation for the single Czech Air Force An-30, after being retro-fitted with a western weather radar.An-30M Meteozashchita

Version equipped for weather research. It can spray dry ice into the atmosphere for weather control duties. The dry ice was stored in 8 containers per 130 kg instead of the photographic equipment.

Operators

Military operators

• Afghan Air Force received an An-30 in 1985.
• Czech Air Force retired their An-30 in 2003.
• Romanian Air Force operates two An-30s and has one in stand-by.
• Soviet Air Force

Civil operators

• Civil Aviation Administration of China operates 1 aircraft.
• MIAT Mongolian Airlines operates 1 aircraft.
• Moskovia Airlines operates 1 aircraft.
• Lukiaviatrans operates 5 aircraft.
• Myachkovo Air Services operates 4 aircraft.
• Novosibirsk Air operates 3 aircraft.
• Polet Airlines operates 3 aircraft.
• Practical Geodinamics Center operates 3 aircraft.
• ARP 410 Airlines operates 2 aircraft.
• Ukraine National Airlines operates 6 aircraft.
• Vietnam Air Service operates 1 aircraft.

Specifications (An-30)

|plane or copter?=plane |jet or prop?=prop

|ref={Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1988-89}

|crew=7 |capacity= |length main= 24.26 m |length alt= 79 ft 7 in |span main= 29.20 m |span alt= 95 ft 9½ in |height main= 8.32 m |height alt= 27 ft 3½ in |area main= 75 m² |area alt= 807 ft² |airfoil= |empty weight main= 15,590 kg |empty weight alt= 34,370 lb |loaded weight main= kg |loaded weight alt= lb |useful load main= kg |useful load alt= kg |max takeoff weight main= 23,000kg |max takeoff weight alt= 50,706lb |more general=

|engine (jet)= |type of jet= |number of jets= |thrust main= kN |thrust alt= lbf |thrust original= |afterburning thrust main= kN |afterburning thrust alt= lbf |engine (prop)= ZMKB Progress AI-24T |type of prop= turboprops |number of props=2 |power main= 2,103 kW |power alt= 2,803 ehp |power original=

|max speed main= 540 km/h |max speed alt= 291 knots, 335 mph |cruise speed main= 430 km/h |cruise speed alt= 232 knots, 267 mph |stall speed main= km/h |stall speed alt= knots, mph |never exceed speed main= km/h |never exceed speed alt= knots, mph |range main= 2,630 km |range alt= 1,420 nm, 1,634 mi |more range= (with no reserves) |ceiling main= 8,300m |ceiling alt= 27,230 ft |climb rate main= m/s |climb rate alt= ft/min |loading main= kg/m² |loading alt= lb/ft² |thrust/weight= |power/mass main= W/kg |power/mass alt= hp/lb |more performance=

|armament=

|avionics= 5 positions for large cameras. Other survey equipment can be fitted. }}

See also

References

Notes

Bibliography

• Yefim Gordon, Dmitriy Komissarov and Sergey Komissarov (2003) Antonov's Turboprop Twins. Hinckley, UK: Midland Publishing. ISBN 1-85780-153-9

External links

• Pictures of An-30