| An-14 Pchelka or Bdzhilka | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Preserved An-14 on public display. | |
| General information | |
| Type | Utility transport |
| Manufacturer | Antonov |
| Status | In limited service as private aircraft |
| Primary users | Soviet Air Force |
| Number built | 332 |
| History | |
| Manufactured | 1965–1972 |
| Introduction date | 1966 |
| First flight | 15 March 1958 |
| Developed into | Antonov An-28 |
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TheAntonov An-14 Pchelka orPchyolka,Bdzhilka (Ukrainian:«Бджілка», "Little Bee",NATO reporting name:Clod)[1] is a Sovietutility aircraft which was first flown on 15 March 1958.[2] It was a twin-engined lightSTOL utility transport, with two 300 hpIvchenko AI-14RFradial piston engines. Serial production started in 1966, and about 300 examples were built by the time production ended in 1972. The An-14 failed to replace the more successfulAn-2 biplane, which was manufactured until 1990; the An-2 is still manufactured[when?] on special order. The An-14's successor, theAn-28 with turboprop engines, is still manufactured[when?] atPZL Mielec factories in Poland, under the namesPZL M28 Skytruck andPZL M28B Bryza.
With very stable flight characteristics, the An-14 could be flown by most pilots after a few hours of basic training. A small number of An-14s are still in airworthy condition.[citation needed]
The development goal was a plane that was easy to fly and could be used as a light passenger and cargo transport as well asagricultural aircraft andair ambulance. Themaiden flight took place on March 15, 1958.Aeroflot had planned to introduce the type in 1959 but the project was delayed by development problems with theAntonov An-10 which tied down the completeAntonovOKB, as well as issues with the An-14 prototype itself.
The An-14A went into production in 1965 in the state-owned aircraft factory No. 166 inArsenyev. By now, it had different wings, a distinctlyV-shaped tail plane and modified vertical stabilizers. A large cargo door at the rear of the cabin had an opening of 0.85 by 1.90 metres (2.8 by 6.2 ft). In 1967, the type was presented at the milestoneDomodedovo air show.
The An-14 had a capacity of seven passengers or 600 kg (1,300 lb) of freight. Foraerial application in agriculture, it could be fitted with a 1,000-litre (260 US gal) tank and spraying booms. The air ambulance version was able to accept six stretchers and one nurse. There was also a VIP version for five passengers. Other variants included the An-14B with retractable landing gear, as well as the An-14M withturboprop engines which was later developed into theAntonov An-28. The maiden flight of the An-14M took place in 1969. It received a stretched fuselage and high-lift wing. Like the An-14B, its prototype had been fitted with retractable landing gear, but that was dropped in the final production version.[3]
Another unusual variant was the An-14Sh, which tested anair cushion landing gear for unprepared landing strips. While these tests were successful, the gear impaired the aerodynamics and only left minimal payload capacity. A precursor of the An-14Sh had been the An-714 with inflatable floats. In China, there was a smaller variant named Sha-Tu (or Capital) N°1.
15 An-14 were exported, four of which went to theEast German Army in 1966. They were used by theVerbindungsfliegerstaffel 25 (aerial liaison squadron) of theEast German Air Force in Strausberg, renamed to VS-14 in 1971, until 1980 or 1981. Two of these, 995 and 996, survive in theGerman Air Force Museum and the Airport Museum Cottbus.
Production ceased in 1976 after 332 units as the type proved unable to replace the Antonov An-2.
A high-wing plane with struts, all variants except the An-14M are powered by twoIvchenko AI-14 air-cooled nine-cylinder radial engines. The strut-braced wing has automaticleading-edge slats and splitflaps. Twin vertical stabilizers are mounted on the tips of the tail plane in the air stream of the propellers. The tricycle landing gear was not retractable in the original variant but could be fitted with skis for winter use. Short sponsons serve to mount the main gear. The fuselage is an all-metal semi-monocoque design.
Data from Soviet Transport Aircraft since 1945[4]
General characteristics
Performance
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
The initial version of this article was based on material fromaviation.ru. It has been released under theGFDL by the copyright holder.
