Designed as an An-2 replacement on Aeroflot's short-haul routes, the An-28 is a derivative of the earlier An14. Official Soviet flight testing of the AN-28 was completed in 1972, and the production designation An-28 was allocated during 1973. The first pre-production An-28, which flew in September 1969, originally retained the same engines as the prototype. However, in April 1975the An-28 flew for the first time with Glushenkov TVD-10 turboprops (now WSK-PZL Rzeszow TWD-10B).

Although the An-28 was designed specifically for unimproved airstrips and STOL operations, with its complete avionics package, it still retains the ability to operate in IFR environments and under adverse weather conditions. With the large rear cargo door, overhead hoist and rail system and unique quick-change interior configuration, cargo, passengers or a combination of both may be carried with ease. The An-28 will not stall, even with the control column held in the extreme rearward position, because of the action of its automatic slots. If an engine fails, the upper surface spoiler forward of the aileron on the opposite wing is opened automatically; as a result, the wing bearing the dead engine drops only 12° in 5 s instead of the 30° that it would drop through loss of lift without the action of the patented Antonov spoiler. The fixed tailplane slat, also patented, improves handling during a high angle of attack climbout. Under icing conditions, if the normal anti-icing system fails, ice collects on the slat rather than the tailplane, to retain controllability.

The An-28 also forms the basis for the An-38 variant, which offers a stretched fuselage accommodating 26 passengers. The An-38 first flew on June 23, 1994.

Back