| The Antonov An-24 (NATO reporting name: Coke) is a 44-seat twin turboprop transport manufactured in the Soviet Union by the Antonov Design Bureau. It was first flown in 1959. Over 1,000 An-24s were built and 880 are still in service worldwide, mostly in the CIS and Africa. As of August 2006 a total of 448 Antonov An-24 aircraft were in airline service. It was designed to replace veteran piston Il-14 transport on short to medium haul trips. The design of the aircraft was optimized for operating from rough strips and unprepared airports in remote locations. The high-wing layout protects engines and blades from debris, and the power-to-weight ratio is higher than that of many comparable aircraft. The machine is rugged and does not require sophisticated ground equipment for maintenance. The prototype build and the main production line was at Kiev-Svyetoshoni which built 985 and 180 were built at Ulan Ude. A further production line at Irkutsk built 197 freighter variants. China's Xian Aircraft Manufacturing Compan |
