The Antonov An-12, a four-engined turboprop transport aircraft that was designed in the Soviet Union, took off for the first time on Dec. 16, 1957 with Captain Yakov I. Vernikov at the controls.
Igor Dvurekov, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The An-12 was the military cargo lifter variant of the An-10, which is based on the An-8. For over 30 years, the An-12 was the standard medium-range cargo and paratroop transport aircraft of the Soviet air forces. It was known for its reliability and versatility, and it played a crucial role in supporting the Soviet military’s operations around the world.
The Antonov An-10 and An-12 were similar in many ways, with the main difference being the rear section of the fuselage. The An-12 had a stronger resemblance to the An-8, with a redesigned rear fuselage that featured a manned tail turret equipped with twin Afansayev-Makarov AM-23 23-millimeter cannons and a ranging radar system. The An-12 also had rear loading doors that allowed for easier loading and unloading of cargo. Additionally, the tailfin of the An-12 featured a larger forward fin fillet and lacked ventral fins, further distinguishing it from the An-10.
The crew of an An-12 included a pilot and copilot, flight engineer, radio/radar operator, navigator, and a rear turret gunner. The pressurized crew cabin was equipped with safety features such as cockpit armor and emergency exits, including dorsal and ventral hatches and cockpit windows that could be opened on each side.
Production of the An-12 ended after 16 years in 1973 and a total of 1,248 aircraft were built. However, the cargo lifter remained in production in China, which had obtained a license to produce the aircraft locally. However, the Sino-Soviet split occurred before China could roll out a licensed aircraft.
Xi’an Aircraft Company then worked on reverse engineering the An-12 and the result was the Xian Y-8, which first flew on December, 1974, 17 years after the first flight of the An-12. Externally, the visual difference between the Chinese and Soviet aircraft is the lengthened nose and arrangement of the tail turret. The Chinese variant inherited the nose and current of the H-6 bomber, also produced by Xian.
Later variants of the Y-8 would feature a new nose design with the nose glazing for the navigator removed and a redesigned tail that removed the tail current. Gone was the four-bladed propellers which were replaced with six-bladed composite ones. This later variant of the Y-8 is used by the Chinese military for special missions namely: airborne early warning, electronic warfare, signal intelligence, and submarine hunting.