The Antonov An-10 was a medium range Soviet airliner designed by Antonov in Ukraine. It was powered by four Ivchenko AI-20A turboprop engines, with a range of 1,200 kilometres (750 miles) with a full payload. Initially introduced with seating for 85 passengers, this was eventually increased to as many as 132.
First flight took place on 7 March 1957 and it entered passenger service with Aeroflot on 22 July 1959 on the Moscow to Simferopol route. The refined and more powerful An-10A with Ivchenko AI-20K engines was the main variant in service.
Antonov An-10 Video
Following on from the last video about the Avro Tudor, this week we head over to the Soviet Union for a look at the Antonov An-10. This video comprises of three short Soviet newsreels and runs for about two and a half minutes.
While the film is in black and white and in Russian, it’s not too hard to work out what they’re talking about. There are exterior and interior shots, including some interesting details which you will see.
Also good is seeing the aircraft flying around, though I do wonder why one engine was shut down in the beginning. The cockpit looks enormous and the cabin, well let’s just say spartan is the word that springs to mind.
The An-10 was a fast turboprop, setting a world record on a 500km closed loop course, averaging 730.6 km/h on 22 April 1962. With good short field performance, it was useful throughout the Soviet Union on less developed airstrips.
Overall Thoughts
A total of 104 aircraft were built, and it remained in passenger service with Aeroflot until 27 August 1972. From that point onwards, the Soviet Air Force continued using it until 1974 when it was finally withdrawn altogether.
Many aircraft became children’s cinemas or youth cafe’s in parks, however all were eventually scrapped after falling victim to vandalism and disuse after the fall of the Soviet Union. Today there is just one An-10 remaining, which you can visit at the Central Air Force Museum in Monino, which is about 40 kilometres east of Moscow.
Have you ever seen an Antonov An-10 or been on board one before? What did you think of the video? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.
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I’m a bit surprised that the range was so short. Other than that it looks solid enough. The Russians were obviously quite proud of the amenities although cramming in 132 passengers makes me wonder if Willie Walsh’s father was involved in Russian aviation, making for a like father like son scenario.
Yes, it’s quite a lot of people, compared to how many it had originally. Even so, it had a pretty short service life, though other aircraft from the time were also supplanted by jets so it’s perhaps not too surprising.