Antonov An-30
| An-30 | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Role | Aerial cartography Aircraft and reconnaissance and transport |
| Manufacturer | Antonov |
| Designer | Beriev |
| First flight | 21 August 1967 |
| Introduction | July 1968 |
| Status | Limited service |
| Primary users |
Ukrainian Air Force Bulgarian Air Force Romanian Air Force |
| Produced | 1971–1980 |
| Number built | 123 |
| Developed from | Antonov An-24 |
The Antonov An-30 (NATO reporting name: Clank), is a development of the An-24 designed for aerial cartography.
The first aerial survey version of the Antonov An-24 was designed by the Beriev OKB and designated An-24FK. The FK stood for fotokartograficheskiy (photo mapping). The prototype was converted from a production An-24A at Beriev's No. 49 construction shop during 1966. The An-24FK made its first flight on 21 August 1967, with state acceptance trials being completed in 1970 and civil certification completed in 1974. Redesignated An-30, production began in 1971 at the Antonov. 123 production An-30s were manufactured between 1971 and 1980 in Kiev in 2 main versions.
The Antonov An-30 is a derivative of the An-24 fitted with an entirely new fuselage forward of frame 11. The fuselage nose is extensively glazed, reminiscent of the Boeing B-29. Housed within the new nose section is the navigator and precise navigational equipment, including an optical sight for ensuring accuracy of aerial photography. To enable accurate and repeatable survey flights, standard equipment for the An-30 included computer flight path control technology. This additional equipment replaced the radar. The positioning of the new navigational equipment required the flightdeck to be raised by 41 cm in comparison to the An-24, giving the aircraft its other main feature, a hump containing the cockpit, similar to the Boeing 747.
The radio operator and flight engineer sat in the first cabin aft of and below the flightdeck. The mission equipment was located further aft, in a cabin featuring five camera windows in the floor. Each camera window could be closed with covers to protect the glass panels. The covers were located in special fairings protruding from the fuselage underside. In the normal aerial photography role, four or five cameras were carried aboard. Three cameras were mounted vertically, intended for mapping purposes. The remaining two cameras were pointed at an angle of 28° on each side of the aircraft, for oblique photography. The same fuselage compartment contained workstations for two camera operators and a crew rest area.
The aircraft's cameras could be used between 2,000 and 7,000 m (6,500 and 23,000 ft) and the scale of the resultant photographs was between 1:200,000 and 1:15,000,000. The aircraft was supplied with four or five cameras.
...
Wikipedia