An-38 - the forgotten pride of the Soviet aviation industry

In 1989, an air show was held in India, where the Soviet AN-28 aircraft, specially designed for use on local airlines, was presented. The plane aroused the liveliest interest: it is obvious that the need of the countries of South-East Asia for small aircraft, accommodating up to 30 people, is quite large. Antonov Design Bureau immediately began designing an improved version of the exhibitor, namely the An-38. It was assumed that it would take into account all the disadvantages that appeared in the predecessor.


In 1990, the USSR Ministry of Transport approved the development of a new aircraft. There was another reason: the An-28 was produced in Poland and would have had to be bought for the currency with which the country had big problems in the 90s. And the last moment - the novelty was supposed to replace the aging An-24. According to the project, the car will receive an elongated (compared to its predecessor) fuselage that can accommodate up to 30 people.


As a power plant, it was supposed to use a pair of TVD-1500 engines manufactured by the Rybinsk Engine Plant. Already in 1991, the finished An-38 model was shown to the general public in France at the Paris aerospace exhibition.

Assembly

The Novosibirsk Aviation Plant was engaged in the production of the first aircraft, components came from Belarus and Ukraine. Initially, six cars were produced. Four of them were intended for flight, one for ground and one more for static tests. Subsequently, the TVD-1500 replaced the TPE-331-14GR-801E from the US company Allied Signal. These motors are slightly more powerful (1521 hp), have lower fuel consumption, are equipped with Hartzell propellers, which are characterized by low noise.


The aircraft with American engines received the An-38-100 index. He first took to the skies on 23.06.1994/27/25. After passing state tests and certification (the Russian APG-1997 is identical to the requirements of the American FAR-XNUMX), the machine has been used for commercial purposes since XNUMX.

Design features

In fact, a more advanced version of its predecessor, the An-28, was being created. The new An-38 is a multi-purpose aircraft, which is a high-wing aircraft with struts. The wing is two-spar, with double-slotted flaps, ailerons and slats. Partially it is used for fuel storage. The tail is two-keeled. Chassis - three-wheeled, with low pressure tires, which allows you to take off and land on unpaved strips. When flying in the northern regions, skis are installed. The fuselage accommodates 27 passengers (compared to the An-28, three additional rows of seats have appeared): if necessary, the cabin can be quickly converted into a cargo compartment.


Thanks to successful engineering solutions, the aircraft turned out to be maneuverable. It is capable of landing on unprepared unpaved runways in cold and hot weather (from -50 °С to +45 °С). The aircraft is easy to control, so even an inexperienced pilot can fly it. At an overestimated angle of attack, the car does not fall down, like its "colleagues" of a similar class. Specifications:

✅ length, height - 15,54 and 4,3 m
✅ wingspan - 22,06 m
✅ empty weight (maximum takeoff) - 5 tons (8,8 tons)
✅ power plant - a pair of TVD-20-03 of 1500 "horses" each or two Allied Signals of 1521 hp each. With.
✅ cruising speed (maximum) - 380 (405) km / h
✅ highest height - 9 km
✅ range - up to 1450 km
✅ commercial load - 2,5 tons or 27 passengers
✅ takeoff run (for takeoff) - no more than 350 m

When developing the aircraft, the designers adhered to the concept, according to which the aircraft without major repairs should last at least 15 years (2 thousand hours).

cockpit

It provides two places: for the commander of the ship and the co-pilot. For the flight attendant (if needed) there is a place in the cabin. Then the passenger capacity is reduced to 26 people.


Behind the cockpit there are two exits: main and emergency. The board is equipped with a Russian-made navigation system that allows you to fly at night and in bad weather with minimal visibility.


Later versions of the An-38 have speech recorders and a system that warns of the approach of the ground or another aircraft.

Salon

The chairs are comfortable, soft, can be folded, the back leans back. The distance between them is quite acceptable - 0,75 m. If necessary, simultaneous transportation of both people and goods is possible.


To accommodate them, a hatch with a ladder is provided in the rear of the fuselage. If the machine is often needed to transport heavy loads, you can install a special caterpillar winch mechanism that can withstand up to half a ton. The entrance to the salon is carried out in the back, where the door with a ladder is located. Opposite her is a toilet.


A comfortable microclimate is maintained inside the aircraft, thanks to the use of a ventilation system, modern noise and heat insulation materials. Some cars are equipped with air conditioning.

Modifications

The two basic versions of the ship differ in engines. The Ar-38-100 uses power plants from the United States, while the An-38-200 uses Russian ones. In addition, other configuration options were produced:

✅ An-38-110 has a minimum set of equipment, which makes it cheaper
✅ An-38-120 has an extended set of equipment that allows you to fly abroad. The aircraft has an OPAL-B speech recorder and an SPPS-2000 system that warns of a critical descent
✅ An-38D - version for paratroopers
✅ An-38K - has an increased (3,2 t) carrying capacity, designed to transport 4 containers.
✅ An-38S - ambulance model.

In 2001, an aircraft was tested with Russian TVD-20-03 power units (AV-36 propellers made in the Russian Federation), manufactured by the Omsk Engine Building Enterprise. Unlike the American ones, it produces less power (1375 hp) and is heavier. Therefore, in order to take off, the An-38-200 will need 100 meters more runway. The flight duration will be slightly reduced. But the Russian engine is cheaper.

Incidents

The aircraft is extremely reliable, there were no accidents, but this is most likely due to the small number of aircraft produced. From 1994 to 2001, 11 copies were released. The only recorded incident happened in 2015. When landing on the site of the mining and processing plant, the car rolled out of the runway. There were no injuries, the plane was restored.

What today?

The only company operating the AN-38 to this day is Alrosa. On her balance sheet are a couple of cars that fly now. Another three aircraft are in storage with the Vostok JSC. The rest of the aircraft - in NPO them. Chkalov. Previously, the cars were leased: for example, they were used by the Mongolian company Hangard Airlines (2 aircraft) and the Malaysian Layang Layang Aerospace (4 aircraft). Both companies used the vehicles in their Armed Forces.


The aircraft has serious prospects. According to experts, the market demand in Southeast Asia is estimated at no less than 60 aircraft of this type. But nothing is known about the resumption of production of the An-38 (perhaps in a modernized form).