What was Antonov's first jet aircraft?

Short answer

The An-72, the first jet aircraft in the Antonov family. Design work began in the early 1970s, likely as a Soviet response to the US AMST programme, and the aircraft was developed with relative secrecy as a STOL transport. It first flew on 31 August 1977.

Published: November 1, 2026 · Updated: November 1, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

NAL Asuka ‘8501Alan Wilson from Peterborough, Cambs, UK (CC BY SA), vía commons

The An-72

The An-72 was the first jet aircraft in the Antonov aircraft family. Design work began in the early 1970s, likely as the Soviet Union's response to the US AMST programme, Advanced Medium STOL Transport. The aircraft was developed with relative secrecy as a short takeoff and landing (STOL) transport. Its first flight took place on 31 August 1977.

Exhaust over the wing

The An-72 used the Coandă effect to improve its STOL performance, by directing the engine exhaust over the upper wing surface to increase lift. The engines were mounted relatively high above the wing and relatively close to the longitudinal axis, which made use of this effect possible.

The in-house turboprops

On the An-32, the engines were raised 1.5 m above the wing to avoid damage from foreign objects on rough, unpaved runways. This high placement of the engine nacelles also allowed for larger-diameter propellers, driven by Ivchenko AI-20 turboprops, which deliver almost twice the power of the An-26's AI-24.