An-14 Pchelka, O.K.Antonov 'Clod'

44k b/w An-14 in military colors at Luftwaffen Museum (Berlin-Gatow), courtesy of Das virtuelle Luftfahrtmuseum

"Pchelka" (The Little Bee) was designed to fulfill similar function as An-2 biplane. Original requirements were accommodation for 3 passengers and pilot.

• feederliner;
• transport;
• agricultural;
• ambulance;

O.K.Antonov expressed the idea of An-14 as an aircraft with helicopter's take-off and landing performance but excel it in other respects. It should also be simple enough for a lorry driver to pilot after a brief course of instruction.

Strut-braced high-wing twin-engined monoplane of all-metal design was built in 1957 and first flown on March 15, 1958, piloted by V.Izgeim. It has a distinctive 'box' fuselage with twin tails on narrow tailboom.

An-14 was scheduled to enter service with Aeroflot next year, but priority was given to development of An-10 heavy transport. Number of problems delayed An-14 career start until 1965 (one prototype was probably lost during trials). As a result, series aircraft differed strictly from the prototypes. The original constant chord wing was replaced by tapered one of smaller area with 2° dihedral of outer wing panels. Tailplane also got some dihedral and swept leading edge of tailfins became straight. The crew door on at least one experimental aircraft was located at the nose (starboard side, hinged on the centerline).

Cargo door on the rear end of the cabin also evolved from clam-shell to whole 'rear end' swinging upwards and back to the clam-shell (0.85x1.90m²). Three-blade propellers with large spinners was replaced by variable pitch 2-blade V-530.

Production started at 'Progress' works (Arsenev, Eastern Siberia) and on Summer 1965 An-14 was demonstrated at Vnukovo airshow. Two years later An-14 appeared in military colors at Domodedovo airshow.

Passenger variant was flown with up to 9 (normally 7) passengers. As a transport An-14 could carry 600kg of cargo. Agricultural variant had accommodation for 1,000l tank (or equivalent hopper of chemicals) of chemicals. Spray bars on early versions were attache only to the stub wings, later 'expanded' to the struts and whole wing span. Ambulance had provision for 6 stretchers and one medical attendant. Executive 5-seat version was also built to carry bosses (called in the USSR 'shishka' - pinecone or bump).

Production seems ceased in 1968, because An-14 failed to replace the An-2. 11-seat all-weather variant, announced by O.K.Antonov to be ready in October 1967 never surfaced. Improved variants with turboprop powerplants will emerge later as An-14M and An-28.

Approx 300 built. Served in the USSR, Bulgaria, East Germany, Mongolia and Yugoslavia.

In China downscaled Sha-Tu (Capital) N°1 was built by students at the Pekin Agricultural College. It was powered by two M-11FR radials.