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Antonov An-22 Antei

Antonov · Heavy Strategic Transport / Heavy Strategic Airlift · Ukraine · Early Jet (1946–1969)

Antonov An-22 Antei — Heavy Strategic Transport / Heavy Strategic Airlift
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The Antonov An-22 "Antei" (NATO reporting name Cock) was the world's first wide-body transport aircraft and remains the world's largest turboprop-powered airframe ever built. Designed by the Antonov Design Bureau in Kyiv, Soviet Ukraine, it first flew on 27 February 1965 and entered Soviet Air Force service in 1967. 68 airframes were built between 1966 and 1976. As of 2026, no An-22 is in active service — the last airworthy aircraft (RA-09309) was retired by the Russian Aerospace Forces in 2021 after a half-century of operations.

The An-22 was Antonov's response to a 1960 Soviet specification for a heavy-lifter that could move 50-tonne loads — main battle tanks, ICBM transporter erector launchers, locomotives — into unprepared front-line airfields. Power came from four Kuznetsov NK-12MA turboprops (15,000 shp each), the same engine family that drove the Tupolev Tu-95 bomber but here driving counter-rotating eight-blade propellers via a complex reduction gear. The propeller diameter was 6.2 m — among the largest aero propellers ever flown — and the noise on takeoff was extraordinary, with shockwaves audible miles from the airfield.

The An-22's hold was 33 m long, 4.4 m wide, and 4.4 m tall — large enough to swallow a T-62 main battle tank or two BMP infantry-fighting vehicles, with rolling-load capacity for self-propelled-gun calibres up to 152 mm. Maximum payload was 80 tonnes (176,000 lb), with a range of 5,000 km when fully loaded. The aircraft set 41 world records during the late 1960s, including a 100-tonne payload to 7,848 m (1969). The combination of outsize hold, contra-rotating turboprop power, and rough-field landing gear made the An-22 the unique answer to the Soviet doctrine of forward-deployed armoured warfare.

Two An-22s were lost with all hands during the 1970 humanitarian relief flights to Peru after the May 1970 earthquake — both crashed in the Atlantic, in suspected mid-air structural failures. The type was nonetheless retained in Soviet/Russian service through 2021 and saw heavy use in commercial outsize-cargo charters under Antonov Airlines from the 1990s onward, hauling oversized loads no other aircraft could carry. The An-22 was the direct conceptual ancestor of the An-124 Ruslan and the An-225 Mriya that followed.

For Kids — a shorter, friendlier version

The Antonov An-22 is a giant cargo plane from the Soviet Union. It first flew on 27 February 1965. It was made to carry very heavy loads to rough airfields far from cities. Pilots called it the "Antei," after a giant from old legends.

The An-22 was the world's first wide-body transport plane. It is still the largest turboprop plane ever built. Sixty-eight of these planes were made between 1966 and 1976. The last one stopped flying in 2021 after about fifty years of service.

Four powerful engines drove the An-22 through the sky. Each engine spun two sets of eight-blade propellers at the same time. The propellers were bigger than a school bus is long, measuring over six meters across. The noise at takeoff was so loud that people could feel shockwaves from miles away.

The cargo hold inside was huge. It was 33 meters long and 4.4 meters wide. This gave it room to carry main battle tanks and even large locomotives. It could lift up to 80 tonnes of cargo at once.

Fun Facts

  • The An-22 is the largest turboprop plane ever built — no turboprop has beaten it since 1965.
  • Its propellers were bigger than a school bus, stretching over six meters from tip to tip.
  • The shockwaves from its takeoff noise could be felt miles away from the runway.
  • It could carry heavy battle tanks inside its giant cargo hold.
  • Sixty-eight An-22s were built, and the very last one retired in 2021 after fifty years of flying.
  • Four engines gave it a combined power equal to about 60,000 horses pulling at once.
  • The same engine family powered the Tupolev Tu-95 bomber as well.
  • It entered Soviet Air Force service in 1967, just two years after its first flight.

Kids’ Questions

What made the An-22 special?

The An-22 was the world's first wide-body transport plane. It is also the largest turboprop plane ever built. No other turboprop cargo plane has matched its size since 1965.

What kinds of things could the An-22 carry?

The An-22 could carry very heavy things like battle tanks and large locomotives. Its cargo hold was 33 meters long, giving it lots of room. It could lift up to 80 tonnes at one time.

Why were the propellers so noisy?

Each engine spun two sets of blades spinning in opposite directions at the same time. The blades were over six meters wide. This made a huge amount of noise and even created shockwaves people could feel far away.

Is the An-22 still flying today?

No, the An-22 is no longer in service. The last flying An-22 was retired in 2021. It had been flying for about fifty years before it stopped.

Variants

An-22 (basic)
Production transport. 27 February 1965 first flight. 68 built between 1966 and 1976. NK-12MA turboprop power, 80 t payload, 5,000 km range fully loaded.
An-22A
Late-production refresh with upgraded avionics, electrical, and crew accommodations. Used for the bulk of late-Soviet and Russian Air Force operations through 2021.
An-22PZ
"Hump" variant with a saddle-mounted external transport pylon, used for moving outsize fuselage sections (Tu-95 wing centre-sections, etc.) between Soviet aircraft factories.

Notable Operators

Soviet Air Forces / Russian Aerospace Forces
Lead operator. Used the An-22 for heavy-lift of armoured vehicles, ICBM components, and humanitarian-relief loads between 1967 and 2021. The last airworthy An-22 (RA-09309) was retired in 2021.
Antonov Airlines
Commercial outsize-cargo operator from the early 1990s to 2010s. Carried power-station rotors, oil-and-gas pressure vessels, and humanitarian cargo on charter; complemented the larger An-124 Ruslan fleet.
Aeroflot
Operated several An-22s in cargo service during the late Soviet era. Aircraft were transferred between Aeroflot and the Soviet Air Force as required by the airlift demand cycle.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Antonov An-22 still flying?

No — the last airworthy An-22 (RA-09309) was retired by the Russian Aerospace Forces in 2021 after a 54-year service life. As of 2026 a few non-flying airframes survive on static display in Russia and Ukraine, but no An-22 is operational. The remaining heavy-lift role is filled by the An-124 Ruslan family.

How big was the Antonov An-22?

Length 57.9 m (190 ft), wingspan 64.4 m (211 ft), maximum takeoff weight 250 t (550,000 lb), maximum payload 80 t (176,000 lb). The cargo hold (33 m × 4.4 m × 4.4 m) was the world's first wide-body transport hold; large enough to swallow a T-62 main battle tank.

What engines powered the An-22?

Four Kuznetsov NK-12MA turboprops, 15,000 shp each — the same engine family used on the Tu-95 Bear bomber. Each engine drove two contra-rotating eight-blade propellers via a complex reduction gear. The takeoff noise was extraordinary and audible for miles.

How is the An-22 different from the An-124?

The An-124 Ruslan is jet-powered (four Lotarev D-18T turbofans), with a much larger hold (36 m × 6.4 m × 4.4 m) and a 150-t payload — almost double the An-22's. The An-22 is the older turboprop predecessor; the An-124 superseded it for most missions in the 1980s.

How many An-22s were built?

68 airframes between 1966 and 1976 at Antonov's Tashkent (Uzbekistan) plant. Two were lost in 1970 humanitarian flights to Peru. The remainder served the Soviet/Russian Air Force and Antonov Airlines through 2021.

Sources

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