The origins of the An-72 can be traced back to the 1970s; early work on the programme appears to have been performed under a high level of secrecy. one of the AMST designs that had been submitted to the
United States Air Force as a prospective
tactical airlifter. Officially, the primary purpose of the An-72 programme was to produce a successor to the
turboprop-powered
Antonov An-26. The An-72 was powered by a pair of
Lotarev D-36 turbofan engines (these have previously been used on the
Yakovlev Yak-42); A substantial portion of the aircraft's design was shaped by this use of jet deflection across the upper surface of the wing; beyond the positioning of the engines, a
T-tail configuration was also necessary in order to keep the tail plane clear of the engine wake. This T-tail was equipped with a swept
fin, which helped to lengthen the tail moment arm and to accommodate
trim changes. The wing of the AN-72, unlike the straight wing of the YC-14, is
swept and a noticeable
anhedral; the centre section is unswept. It is furnished with multiple
flaps, which move on tracks; the outboard flaps are double-slotted while
slats are also fitted on the
leading edge. The fuselage of the An-72 was sized to provide slightly greater internal width than that of the preceding An-26. A large nose
radome is usually fitted. The
landing gear comprises four independent single-wheel main gear legs that retract inwards into sizable
fairings. The automatic flight control system was believed to be particularly challenging to develop due to the aircraft's STOL capabilities. An automatic navigation system that incorporated a
Doppler radar unit was also installed. The An-72 is capable of operating from austere airstrips even under icy conditions; specifically, the combination of a robust
undercarriage and high-flotation tyres permit operations on
sand,
grass, or other
unpaved surfaces. The rear fuselage of the aircraft has a hinged loading ramp with a rear fairing that slides backwards and up to clear the opening. Up to can be airdropped. The cabin featured side-mounted folding seats for up to 52 passengers, as well as provisioned for up to 24 casualties in
litters along with 12 seated personnel and an attendant in a
medical evacuation configuration. to achieve improved
STOL performance On , the prototype An-72 performed its
maiden flight; its STOL capabilities were not used during the initial flight. At the time, there was no other aircraft in the same class as the An-72 on account of its capabilities and the limited perceived market for such a specialised airlifter in Western nations. Despite this, its export prospects were hindered from the onset due to the type having been developed in isolation from non-Soviet certificating authorities. Various refinements and modifications were made between the first prototype and production aircraft; these included the lengthening of the fuselage and an increase in wing span. By 1990, quantity production of the An-72 had commenced, 20 aircraft were being completed each year prior to the dissolution of the
Soviet Union in the early 1990s. Produced in tandem with the An-72 was the An-74 derivative. This aircraft is oriented around operations under the inhospitable weather conditions in polar regions, for which it can be outfitted with wheel-skis landing gear,
de-icing equipment, and a number of other upgrades, allowing the aircraft to support activities in
Arctic or
Antarctic environments. Other An-72 versions include the An-72S VIP transport and An-72P
maritime patrol aircraft. The An-72's STOL performance includes a take-off roll of and a landing distance of . ==Operational history==