How does each An-22 engine drive its propellers?

Short answer

Each of the An-22's four Kuznetsov NK-12MA turboprops, rated at 11,000 kW (15,000 shp), drives a pair of contra-rotating, constant-speed, reversible-pitch propellers, with eight blades in total. Over its career, the aircraft set 41 records for speed, payload and payload-to-altitude.

Published: November 2, 2026 · Updated: November 2, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

How does each An-22 engine drive its propellers?

ANTONOV AN22 ANTHEUS AT THE TECHNIK MUSEUM SPEYER GERMANY APRIL 2013calflier001 (CC BY SA), vía commons

Four turboprops, two propellers per engine

The An-22 is powered by four Kuznetsov NK-12MA turboprops, each rated at 11,000 kW (15,000 shp). Each engine drives not a single propeller but a pair of contra-rotating, constant-speed, reversible-pitch propellers, with eight blades in total.

Built for unprepared strips

The undercarriage was relatively robust and, as a result, suited to poor runways. Aircraft from the early production batches could adjust tyre pressure in flight to obtain optimum landing behaviour.

Hold, crew and records

The hold of the future transport was to accommodate no fewer than four BMD-1s, whereas the earlier An-12 could carry only one. The flight deck normally housed two pilots, two engineers and a radio operator. Over its long career, the An-22 set 41 different records for speed, payload and payload-to-altitude.