View source for Antonov An-8

{{Short description|Soviet transport aircraft}}
{{More citations needed|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox aircraft
 |name = An-8
 |image = File:Aeroflot Antonov An-8 Osta.jpg
 |caption =An-8 of [[Aeroflot]] in 1992 
 |type = [[Military transport aircraft]]
 |manufacturer = [[Antonov]]<ref name="Gordon An-12">Gordon,Yefim & Komissarov, Dmitry. Antonov An-12. Midland. Hinkley. 2007. {{ISBN|978-1-85780-255-9}}</ref>
 |designer = 
 |first_flight = 11 February 1956
 |introduction =
 |retired = 2004 (2010 de-facto)<ref name="Gordon An-12"/>{{dubious|reason=The Military Balance 2023 lists the An-8 as in service with the Ukrainian Border Guard|date=December 2023}} 
 |produced =
 |number_built = Approx 151<ref name="Gordon An-12"/>
 |status = Airworthiness certificate/support withdrawn.<ref name="Gordon An-12"/>{{dubious|reason=The Military Balance 2023 lists the An-8 as in service with the Ukrainian Border Guard|date=December 2023}} 
 |unit cost =
 |primary_user = [[Soviet Air Force]]<ref name="Gordon An-12"/>
 |more_users = [[Aeroflot]]<ref name="Gordon An-12"/>
 |developed_from =
 |variants = 
}}

The '''Antonov An-8''' ([[NATO reporting name]]: '''Camp''') is a Soviet-designed twin-[[turboprop]], high-wing light [[military transport aircraft]].

==Development==
In December 1951, [[OKB-153]] initiated the design of a twin-engined assault transport aircraft, designated '''DT-5/8''' (''Desahntno-Trahnsportnyy [samolyot]'' – assault transport aircraft), to be powered by two [[Kuznetsov TV-2]] turboprop engines, and fitted with a large rear cargo door to allow vehicles to be driven straight into the hold.<ref name="GordonAn-12p4">Gordon and Komissarov 2007, p. 4</ref> On 11 December 1953, the Soviet Council of Ministers issued directive No.2922-1251 to the Antonov OKB, requiring them to build a twin-turboprop transport aircraft derived from the DT-5/8. Bearing the in-house designation '''''Izdeliye P''''' the resulting aircraft had a high wing carrying two turboprop engines, atop a rectangular-section fuselage which could carry 60 troops or 40 passengers. Alternatively. the aircraft could carry a range of vehicles (including [[ASU-57]] [[assault gun]]s, [[BTR-40]] or [[BTR-152]] [[armoured personnel carrier]]s) or artillery pieces. The aircraft was fitted with a [[tricycle undercarriage]] with main gear units housed in pods on either side of the fuselage, and an upswept rear fuselage providing clearance of the tail unit for loading and unloading.<ref name="GordonAn-12p46">Gordon and Komissarov 2007, pp. 4–6</ref>

The aircraft made its first flight on 11 February 1956 from [[Sviatoshyn Airfield]], Kyiv and made its public debut at the Aviation Day air display at [[Tushino Airfield]] on 18 August that year.<ref name="GordonAn-12p7">Gordon and Komissarov 2007, p. 7</ref> Following State acceptance trials, production was not recommended due to poor spin characteristics, directional stability and control issues, nosewheel shimmy, poor controllability when landing in crosswinds above {{convert|6|m/s|kn|abbr=on}} and also [[phugoid]] oscillations in all three axes which were difficult to control and made piloting the prototype tiring. As well as the aerodynamic faults, the TV-2 engines were unsuitable, being unstable at high altitudes and difficult to start, as well as having a short service life.<ref name="GordonAn-12p7"/>

The Antonov OKB set about rectifying these faults with increased-area vertical and horizontal tail surfaces, anti-spin strakes on the upper rear fuselage sides, deleting the wing [[leading-edge slats]], adding local structural reinforcements and replacing the TV-2 engines with [[Ivchenko AI-20]]D turboprop engines, which had the added benefit of reducing the empty weight by {{convert|3|t|lb}}. These changes resulted in the modified aircraft being ordered into production at the GAZ-34 factory in [[Tashkent]]. The new design required the use of new production techniques, such as stamping and forging of large high-strength parts, extrusion of long sections, chemical milling of large skin panels and other new techniques.<ref name="GordonAn-12p7"/>

Given the service designation An-8, the new transport was built in the GAZ-34 factory in [[Tashkent]] from 1957 to 1961, as a larger-capacity replacement for the earlier [[Lisunov Li-2]] (DC-3), with a large unpressurized hold, a manned tail gun position, chin radome for navigation/mapping radar and a glazed nose for the navigator.<ref name="Simpson p.46">Simpson, Rod. "Airlife's World Aircraft". Airlife Publishing Ltd. London. 2001. {{ISBN|1-84037-115-3}}</ref> A total of 151 An-8s were built in Tashkent.<ref name="GordonAn-12p7"/>

==Operational history==
The first production aircraft was rolled out in December 1958 incorporating de-rated AI-20D engines, (the initial production AI-20D was found to be incapable of delivering the specified power), modified undercarriage control systems, fuel vents, pressurization and de-icing systems, as well as thicker gauge skin in the propeller plane of rotation and increased rudder range of movement.<ref name="GordonAn-12p7"/>

The majority of An-8s built served in the Soviet Air Forces, with two An-8s being used to land special forces to seize [[Plzeň]] airport during the [[Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia|Invasion of Czechoslovakia]] in 1968. Others were used as electronic reconnaissance aircraft, and one aircraft was used for air sampling following Chinese nuclear testing in 1966.<ref name="AI p25">Lake 2004, p. 25.</ref>  They continued in large-scale use on frontline military duties in the Soviet Air Force until the 1970s, when many were later transferred to [[Aeroflot]] for use as freighters. Following a series of accidents in the early 1990s, the An-8 was withdrawn from use in Russia. This did not mean the end of the An-8, however as a number were sold overseas with a few aircraft observed flying in the Middle East and in [[Africa]], particularly [[Liberia]], [[DR Congo]] and [[Angola]] until around 2010, (especially airlines associated with the Russian businessman and convicted arms dealer [[Viktor Bout]]),<ref name="Simpson p.46"/><ref name="AI p26-7">Lake 2004, pp. 26–27.</ref> despite [[Antonov]] having withdrawn the [[Type certificate|airworthiness certificate]] and support for the type in 2004, ending legal use of the aircraft.<ref name="Gordon An-12"/>{{failed verification|date=December 2021}}

==Variants==
[[File:Antonov An-8 Camp two-view silhouette.png|thumb|right|Silhouette two-view of the Antonov An-8]]
;Izdeliye P
:Antonov OKB in-house designation for the first prototype.<ref name="GordonAn-12p5">Gordon and Komissarov 2007, p. 5</ref>
;Izdeliye N
:Antonov OKB in-house designation for a projected airliner version with a pressurised circular section cabin accommodating up to 57 passengers.<ref name="GordonAn-12p8">Gordon and Komissarov 2007, p. 8</ref>
;An-8
:The initial production version.<ref name="GordonAn-12p7"/>
;An-8M
:(''Morskoy'' – marine) Projected Anti-Submarine Warfare variant.<ref name="GordonAn-12p8"/>
;An-8T
:(''Toplivovoz'' – fuel tanker/carrier) A fuel transporter used for all kinds of automotive fuels, as well as aircraft and rocket fuels, including two 5,300 litre (1,100 imp gal) tanks for petroleum products, or a single 5,000 litre tank for rocket oxidizers like red fuming nitric acid (RFNA), nitric acid, or a liquid oxygen flask.<ref name="GordonAn-12p7"/>
;An-8RU
:(''Raketnymi Ooskoritelyami'' – with rocket boosters) One aircraft fitted in 1964 with two rocket boosters to increase the single engined MTOW to 42 tonnes (93,000&nbsp;lb). This project was abandoned after the crash of the first prototype during trials.<ref name="GordonAn-12p78">Gordon and Komissarov 2007, pp. 7–8</ref>
;An-8Sh
:(''Shtoormanskiy'' – for navigators) A projected Navigator trainer.<ref name="GordonAn-12p8"/>
;An-8PS
:(''Poiskovo-Spasahtel'nyy'' – search and rescue) A projected maritime search and rescue aircraft.<ref name="GordonAn-12p8"/>

==Operators==

[[File:EL-AKZ An-8 SCI Santa Crus Imperial SHJ 21NOV00 (6823331488).jpg|thumb|Ex- Santa Cruz Imperial An-8 at Sharjah airport]]
;{{SRI}}
*[[Sky Cabs]]
;{{IDN}}
*Air Mark
;{{USSR}}
*[[ATRAN]]
*[[Aeroflot]]
*[[Soviet Air Force]]
;{{UAE}}
*[[Air Cess]]
*[[Dolphin Air|Santa Cruz Imperial]]
;{{UKR}}
*[[Ukrainian Sea Guard]]{{sfn|IISS|2023|page=204}}

==Specifications==
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=Airlife's World Aircraft<ref name="Simpson p.46"/>
|prime units?=met
<!--
        General characteristics
-->
|crew=6 (pilot, copilot, navigator, flight engineer, tail gunner, wireless operator)<ref name="Gunruss p23"/>
|capacity=48 persons / {{cvt|11000|kg|-3}} max payload
|length m=26
|length note=
|span m=30
|span note=
|height m=9.7
|height note=
|wing area sqm=117.2
|wing area note=<ref name="Gunruss p23">Gunston 1995, p. 23.</ref> 
|aspect ratio=11.7<ref name="Gunruss p23"/>
|airfoil=
|empty weight kg=21250
|empty weight note=<ref name="Gunruss p23"/>
|gross weight kg=
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight kg=40000
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity=
|more general=
<!--
        Powerplant
-->
|eng1 number=2
|eng1 name= [[Ivchenko AI-20D]]
|eng1 type=[[turboprop]] engines
|eng1 shp=5180
|eng1 note=
|prop blade number=4
|prop name=constant-speed propellers
|prop dia m=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia note=
<!--
        Performance
-->
|max speed kmh=610
|max speed note=
|cruise speed kmh=480
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed kmh=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed note=
|minimum control speed kmh=
|minimum control speed note=
|range km=2780
|range note=
|combat range km=
|combat range note=
|ferry range km=
|ferry range note=
|endurance=<!-- if range unknown -->
|ceiling m=9600
|ceiling note=<ref name="alex p31">Alexander 1975, p. 31.</ref>
|g limits=<!-- aerobatic -->
|roll rate=<!-- aerobatic -->
|climb rate ms=7.12
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude=
|wing loading kg/m2=
|wing loading note=
|fuel consumption kg/km=
|power/mass=
|more performance=<!--<br />
*'''Take-off run:''' {{cvt||m|0}}
*'''Take-off run to {{cvt|15|m|0}}:''' {{cvt||m|0}}
*'''Landing run:''' {{cvt||m|0}}
*'''Landing run from {{cvt|15|m|0}}:''' {{cvt||m|0}}-->
<!--
        Armament
-->
|guns= One 23 mm cannon in the tail turret.
|avionics=
}}

==See also==
{{aircontent
|related=
|similar aircraft=
*[[de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou]]
*[[Fairchild C-123 Provider]]
|lists=
*[[List of military aircraft of the Soviet Union and the CIS]]
|see also=
*[[Antonov An-10]]
*[[Antonov An-12]]
}}

==References==
;Notes
{{reflist}}
;Bibliography

* Alexander, Jean. ''Russian Aircraft since 1940''. London: Purnell Book Services, 1975.
* Gordon,Yefim & Komissarov, Dmitry. ''Antonov An-12''. Midland. Hinkley. 2007. {{ISBN|1 85780 255 1}} {{ISBN|978 1 85780 255 9}}
* [[Bill Gunston|Gunston, Bill]]. ''The Osprey Encyclopedia of Russian Aircraft 1875–1995''. London: Osprey, 1995. {{ISBN|1-85532-405-9}}.
* Lake, Jon. "Antonov's An-8 Camp: The Little Known Pioneer". ''[[Air International]]'', September 2004, Vol 67 No 3. pp.&nbsp;24–27.
* Simpson, Rod. ''Airlife's World Aircraft''. Airlife Publishing Ltd. London. 2001. {{ISBN|1-84037-115-3}}
*{{cite book |last1=International Institute for Strategic Studies |title=The Military Balance 2023 |date=February 2023 |publisher=Routledge, Chapman & Hall, Incorporated |isbn=978-1-032-50895-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U86kzwEACAAJ |language=en |ref={{SfnRef|IISS|2023}} |author1-link=International Institute for Strategic Studies }}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Antonov An-8}}
*[http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?aircraft_genericsearch=Antonov%20An-8&distinct_entry=true Pictures of An-8]

{{Antonov aircraft}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Antonov An-008}}
[[Category:Antonov aircraft|An-008]]
[[Category:1950s Soviet cargo aircraft]]
[[Category:1950s Soviet military transport aircraft]]
[[Category:High-wing aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1956]]
[[Category:Twin-turboprop tractor aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear]]