Antonov AN-72

The Antonov An-72 is a Soviet-designed short take-off and landing (STOL) transport aircraft developed by the Antonov Design Bureau in Kyiv. It was designed to replace the Antonov An-26 and to operate from unprepared or austere airstrips in remote regions, particularly in Siberia and the Arctic. Its most distinctive feature is the placement of its two high-bypass turbofan engines above and forward of the wings, a configuration that uses the Coandă effect to enhance lift over the wing flaps, significantly improving STOL performance. The aircraft features a rear-loading ramp for cargo operations. The An-72 has been operated by military and civilian operators across the former Soviet Union and in several developing nations. A refined variant, the An-74, was developed for extreme cold-weather operations in polar regions.