IAF's AN-32 missing: All you need to know about the aircraft

Chennai, July 22: While all the three defence forces-Navy, Army and the Air Force-join hands to find the missing AN-32 aircraft, experts turn to speculations as to why it went missing, given its immaculate track record.

Although considered to be the most reliable Russian-made aircraft in the Indian Air Force, media reports claim that bad weather may have led to its going off-radar.

While the country awaits more news about the aircraft and its passengers, here are a few details that one needs to know about its features to understand its reliability.

• It is a twin-engine aircraft, which is primarily used as a cargo flight. However, in this case it was carrying 23 personnel and 6 crew members.
• There are 10 variants of the AN-32 aircraft: An-32A, An-32B, An-32B-100, An-32B-110, An-32B-120, An-32B-300, An-32LL, An-32MP, An-32P firekiller and An-32B-200.
• The aircraft can carry either 7.5 tonnes of cargo or upto 50 passengers
• It can fly at a maximum speed of 530km/hour.
• It weighs around 16,800kg and its maximum take-off weight is 27,000 kg.
• The An-32 prototype took its maiden flight in July 1976.
• The aircraft is designed to be used in both - civilian as well as military situations.

[Read: Chennai: IAF plane with 29 on board missing]

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