THE SECOND Antonov An-70 propfan-powered medium transport is nearing completion at the design bureau's prototype plant in Kiev. The programme has been stalled since the first aircraft crashed in early 1995.
Antonov deputy general designer Oleg Bogdanov says that the airframe and wiring has been completed, and about 80% of the equipment has been delivered by subcontractors, in many cases without charge or with a 50% discount because the programme is suffering from lack of proper financing.
Bogdanov says that money has been found to pay for new propellers manufactured by the Stupino plant near Moscow. They are to be delivered to Kiev soon. The question of delivering four Progress/Motor-Sich D-27 propfan engines from Zaporozhye also "-has been settled". Ukraine's Ministry of Machine Building has discussed An-70 development. Moves are under way to ensure that ground runs of the second prototype begin by the end of this year.
The first An-70 was lost in a crash in February 1995 when it collided with an An-72 chase aircraft.
Source: Flight International
