The Antonov state enterprise is continuing work on the program for the An-70, a medium, wide-body military transport aircraft with short takeoff and landing. The aircraft will begin long-distance flights after completion of joint state tests, the press service of the state enterprise reports.
It has performed a cross-country flight on the route Kiev - Odessa - Kharkov - Lvov - Ivano-Frankivsk - Kiev, which lasted 8 hours 8 minutes. A joint crew from Antonov and the State Research and Test Center of the Armed Forces of Ukraine performed the flight.
The aircraft repeatedly crossed storm fronts during this flight. "The operation of the radar system was checked in actual weather conditions to identify and recognize hazardous meteorological formations, which was positively assessed. Moreover, the An-70 successfully underwent tests under natural icing conditions. All its systems functioned normally. The temperature field, vibrations, and noise levels in the workspace of crewmembers and the cargo hold were also monitored throughout the flight,” the press service said.
As previously reported, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry has announced plans to buy two AN-70 aircraft by 2017. The Russian military is also interested in purchasing the Ukrainian aircraft, but the cooperation between the two countries on this project will probably be terminated following Russia’s annexation of the Crimea and its covert support for separatism in eastern Ukraine.
