An-72

An-72 (according to NATO codification: Coaler - “Coal Miner”, popular nicknames: “Cheburashka”) is a Soviet multi-purpose transport aircraft. Developed in the Design Bureau named after O.K. Antonov to replace the An-26 aircraft.

It has been in service with the Aerospace Forces of Russia and a number of other states of the world for almost 40 years (and it has no equal in terms of the volume of tasks performed). The operation of the An-72 in various modifications continues to this day[when?][2]. The multi-purpose An-72 holds the record among transport aircraft in terms of flight altitude.

Based on the An-72, the An-74 multi-purpose transport aircraft was created, featuring a slightly elongated wing, a separate navigator's workplace, a more powerful TA-12 APU, and so on, later the family developed into the An-148 passenger aircraft.