The AN-3T Light Aircraft

     The AN-3T aircraft is the further modification of the well-known AN-2 aircraft that has been in operation all over the world for 50 years.

     More than 15500 of the AN-2 aircraft have been totally produced by the plants of the former USSR, Poland and China. The aircraft is still under production in China. More than six thousand of the AN-2 aircraft are being successfully operated in different geographic areas: in the mountains and deserts, in the savannah of Africa, South American selva, in the Arctic and Antarctic zones, over different water spaces: rivers, lakes, sea coasts and in many other difficult for access areas. The distinctive feature of the AN-2 aircraft is its simplicity, high reliability, unpretentiousness and capability to operate from the unprepared airfields of only 500 m length.

     The AN-2 upgrading into AN-3 consists of alternating the АШ-62ИР piston engine (1000 h. p.) with more powerful the ТВД-20 turboprop (1375 h. p) fitted with a three-blade reversible pitch propeller (the AB-17 type), the new arrangement of the flight compartment with the heating and ventilation systems. Besides, there were changed the electrotechnical and flight navigation systems. The new integrated warning and fire protection systems were installed. There was also improved a broadcast external agricultural equipment (broadcast boom).

     The ТВД-20 engine has been designed by Omsk Machine Building Design Bureau, Russia is commercially manufactured at the Baranov Motor Production Plant (Omsk, Russia).

     The modification has allowed to:

• increase the aircraft productivity into 1.5 times;
• increase the aircraft payload into 1.2 times;
• increase the speed of flight into 1.2 times;
• increase the rate of climb into 1.85 times;
• ensure the comfortable conditions for the crew, to decrease the level of nose and vibration inside the cockpit and make a convenient entrance;
• increase the aircraft reliability and safety;
• maintain the ability to operate from the ground strips of 500 m length.

     Another fundamental result of updating was the possibility of usage the kerosene and oil being used for the rest of the airplanes (for example: the T-1, TC-1 types).

     The CIS Interstate Aviation Committee Air Register has issued the Certificate of Type to AN-3T in August 31, 2000.

     The conversion of AN-2 into AN-3 is carried out by refitting the operating AN-2 airplanes with the rest of their service lives more than 50 %. Polyot Production Association (Omsk, Russian Federation) and ANTONOV ASTC (Kiev, Ukraine) are participated in the upgrading procedure.

     The basic aircraft of this family is the AN-3T transport aircraft (cargo/passenger, convertible), capable of transporting either 9 passengers or 1,8 tons of cargo. It is intended to transport different cargoes over the local air route, obtaining the capability to operate both from the runways with the artificial covering and unpaved runways with the soil strength of 3,5 kGf/cm² and snowy runways with the thickness of fresh snow up to 35 cm (using the wheel and ski landing gear).

     There are several the AN-3 aircraft variants are envisaged on the AN-3T basis:

• Agricultural;
• Floatplane;
• Ambulance;
• Business class (VIP variant);
• Forest /Fire- fighting;
• Forest Patrol;
• Paratroop Transport;
• Forest/Fire-fighting aircraft that obtains the possibility of installation of the AN-2, agricultural equipment, etc.