Antonov has rolled out the first An-132 Demonstrator transport aircraft on Tuesday, developed for and with Saudi Arabian support.
Antonov has rolled out the first An-132 Demonstrator transport aircraft on Tuesday, developed for and with Saudi Arabian support.
The An-132 is designed as a short-medium airlifter, capable of carrying up to 9.2 tonne payload, with the ability to operate under harsh and hot climatic conditions.
Based on the Soviet era An-32 airframe, the An-132 is a vastly improved version featuring Western avionics and engines.
The aircraft was developed under a contract with King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), as a part of Saudi Arabia vision 2030, which envisions development of Kingdoms's indigenous aerospace capabilities.
Powering the A-132D is two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW150A turboprop engines rated a 5000 shp each, replacing the high mounted similarly rated Ivchenko Progress AI-20D turboprops.
Structural modification include the new forward fuselage design and the new engine nacelle.
The glass cockpit is equipped with the advanced Honeywell Primus Epic integrated modular avionics system. Liebherr supplies the air conditioning system.
The aircraft has a maximum cruising speed of 500 kilometers per hour and a maximum cruising altitude of 9,000 meters with a maximum range of 4500 km.
Series production will be carried out in Saudi Arabia by Taqnia Aeronautics, for which agreement was signed in Feb 2016. Saudi owns 50 percent intellectual property right of the aircraft.
The aircraft will commence flight testing after a series of taxi trials. Antonov projects a potential requirement for 200 aircraft between 2018 and 2025.
