3/07/1957: Maiden Flight of the Antonov An-10

‍DALLAS — Today, in 1957, the Antonov Design Bureau marked a milestone with the maiden flight of the Antonov An-10 Ukraina. 

Developed as a follow-up to the An-8, the An-10 was envisioned as a versatile four-engined turboprop airliner for mid-range routes. 

The An-10 was born out of a need for an efficient airliner capable of servicing routes between 500 and 2,000 kilometers. Early design concepts, dubbed Izdeliye U (“Universal”), built on the layout of its predecessor, the An-8, but featured a larger, circular-section pressurized fuselage.

The choice of engines initially pitted the Kuznetsov NK-4 against the Ivchenko AI-20. Despite the NK-4’s performance edge, the decision ultimately favored the Ivchenko AI-20 for its longer service life and local production benefits in Ukraine.

Flight Test Challenges

The inaugural flight was a critical testing ground for the new design. Pilots noted a significant issue: poor directional stability. Revisions ensued.

Engineers increased the height of the vertical fin and later incorporated hexagonal auxiliary fins at the tips of the tailplane, ensuring better control and improved handling characteristics. These adjustments were pivotal in refining the aircraft's performance and safety for its upcoming production run.

The insights gained during the first flight paved the way for further modifications and mass production. 

Although the initial prototypes were equipped with the Kuznetsov NK-4 engines due to availability constraints, subsequent models from 1958 transitioned to the Ivchenko AI-20A engines, which offered comparable performance with enhanced durability. 

With these improvements, the An-10 soon earned its place in Soviet civil aviation, starting operations with Aeroflot (SU) later that year. The featured image shows an SU Antonov An-10 with registration - СССР-11205.

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