The Antonov An-72 “Coaler,” though known by crews and engineers as the “Cheburashka,” was designed as a Short Take-Off and Landing aircraft which can operate from unprepared airfields. The An-72 originated as An-32, but was later fitted with jet engines. The first prototype flew on 22 December 1977, and the aircraft entered service in 1979.
The wings are high-mounted with two turbofans located in long pods mounted on top. Round air intakes extend from the front of the wings’ leading edges. The engines were placed on the leading edge of the wings to increase lift for STOL capability, with the jet exhausts blowing over titanium panels on the upper surface. The engine position also gives good Foreign Object Damage protection, which was very common when running aircraft on unprepared runways. The fuselage is circular with round, solid nose, upswept rear section, and a flush cockpit. The rear fuselage has a hinged loading ramp with a rear fairing that slides backwards and up to clear the opening. Up to 7.5 tons can be airdropped, and there are folding side seats for 42 fully-equipped paratroops or 52 passengers.
The An-72P is a maritime patrol variant with bulged observation windows, life-raft provision, cameras as well as offensive armament, including underwing rocket pods, a podded cannon on the undercarriage sponson, and bombs that can be mounted in the aft of the cargo bay; which could be dropped through the open rear ramp.
The An-74, a derivative of the An-72, features improved avionics and radar together with an extended wingspan and increased range. It was designed to operate in the polar regions where it can land on ice floes for resupply or rescue work. The An-71 AEW aircraft also featured the extended wingspan, along with a large radar dish on top of the tail.
The An-72P, with a top speed of 705 km/h (438 mph) and no Air-air weaponry makes it almost exclusively a strike aircraft. However, its allowance of the GSh-23L in a similar setup to the UPK-23 gun pod, allows it to have some Defence against other aircraft. It’s S-5K 57mm rockets, while not being of extreme precision do have decent anti-tank capabilities when used properly, and it’s four FAB-100 bombs are effective against ground targets of most size. It’s STOL capabilities and thrust reversal systems, as well as its rugged landing gear allow it to function effectively at its job and increase turn around time. I believe its mix of lower speeds and mediocre weaponry allow it to have a decent shot at being in the 6.0 to 6.7 range.
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Crew: 3 (Pilot, Co-pilot, & flight engineer)
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Engines: 2x Lotarev D-36 Turbofan engine | 63.74 kilo-newtons of thrust (14,330 Ft-lbs)
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Max speed: 705 km/h (438mph)
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Max Take-Off weight: 34,500 kg
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Empty weight: 19,050 kg
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Fuel weight: 12,950 kg
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Service ceiling: 11.8 km
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Combat Range: 800 km
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Take-Off distance: 620 meters
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Landing distance: 420 meters
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Bombs: 4x FAB-100
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Rockets: 2x UB-32 (S-5K, 64 total)
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Guns: GSh-23L (250 rounds)
Sources:
https://antonov.com/en/history/an-72
https://www.generalequipment.info/AN-72P-100.htm
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