The Antonov An-14 Pchelka or Pchyolka , Bdzhilka ( Ukrainian : «Бджілка» , "Little Bee", NATO reporting name : Clod ) is a Soviet utility aircraft which was first flown on 15 March 1958. It was a twin-engined light STOL utility transport, with two 300 hp Ivchenko AI-14 RF radial piston engines . Serial production started in 1966, and about 300 examples were built by the time production ended in 1972. The An-14 failed to replace the more successful An-2 biplane, which was manufactured until 1990; the An-2 is still manufactured on special order. The An-14's successor, the An-28 with turboprop engines, is still manufactured at PZL Mielec factories in Poland, under the names PZL M28 Skytruck and PZL M28B Bryza .
19-485: With very stable flight characteristics, the An-14 could be flown by most pilots after a few hours of basic training. A small number of An-14s are still in airworthy condition. The development goal was a plane that was easy to fly and could be used as a light passenger and cargo transport as well as agricultural aircraft and air ambulance . The maiden flight took place on March 15, 1958. Aeroflot had planned to introduce
38-455: A process known as eutrophication , which has led to restrictions on topdressing near waterways. Hydroseeding Hydroseeding (or hydraulic mulch seeding , hydro-mulching , hydraseeding ) is a planting process that uses a slurry of seed and mulch . It is often used as an erosion control technique on construction sites, as an alternative to the traditional process of broadcasting or sowing dry seed. The hydroseeding slurry
57-769: Is an aircraft that has been built or converted for agricultural use – usually aerial application of pesticides ( crop dusting ) or fertilizer ( aerial topdressing ); in these roles, they are referred to as "crop dusters" or "top dressers". Agricultural aircraft are also used for hydroseeding . The most common agricultural aircraft are fixed-wing , such as the Air Tractor , Cessna Ag-wagon , Gippsland GA200 , Grumman Ag Cat , PZL-106 KRUK , M-18 Dromader , PAC Fletcher , Piper PA-36 Pawnee Brave , Embraer EMB 202 Ipanema , and Rockwell Thrush Commander but helicopters are also used. Generally, agricultural aircraft have piston or turboprop engines. The only known exception
76-526: Is now often subject to restrictions, for example spraying pesticide is generally banned in Sweden, although exceptions can be made such as for an area plagued by mosquitoes during summer. The aerial spread of fertilizer has also raised concerns, for example in New Zealand fertilizer entering streams has been found to disproportionately promote growth of species that are more able to exploit the nutrients, in
95-774: Is the Polish PZL M-15 Belphegor which has a jet engine. Crop dusting with insecticides began in the 1920s in the United States. The first widely used agricultural aircraft were converted war-surplus biplanes, such as the De Havilland Tiger Moth and Stearman . After more effective insecticides and fungicides were developed in the 1940s, and aerial topdressing was developed by government research in New Zealand , purpose-built agricultural fixed-wing aircraft became common. In
114-451: Is transported in a tank, either truck-mounted or trailer-mounted and sprayed over prepared ground. Helicopters have been used to cover larger areas. Aircraft application may also be used on burned wilderness areas after a fire , and in such uses may contain only soil stabilizer to avoid introducing non-native plant species. Hydroseeding is an alternative to the traditional process of broadcasting or sowing dry seed. A study conducted along
133-505: Is uneconomic, utility types such as the Antonov An-2 biplane and De Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver have been used. In the case of helicopters , tanks are placed on or outside the body of the aircraft, while a spray rig, extending outward to the sides, is attached well below the main rotor blades. Hydroseeding is often done by helicopters using tanks and drop systems much like those used for aerial firefighting . To reduce drift of
152-940: The East German Army in 1966. They were used by the Verbindungsfliegerstaffel 25 (aerial liaison squadron) of the East German Air Force in Strausberg, renamed to VS-14 in 1971, until 1980 or 1981. Two of these, 995 and 996, survive in the German Air Force Museum and the Airport Museum Cottbus. Production ceased in 1976 after 332 units as the type proved unable to replace the Antonov An-2. A high-wing plane with struts, all variants except
171-685: The PAC Cresco , twin engined types such as the Lockheed Lodestar and the WSK-Mielec M-15 Belphegor – a turbofan -powered biplane . All tend to be of simple, rugged STOL design. Sometimes a ram air turbine is used as an auxiliary power source for the pumping machinery instead of taking power directly from the engine (because this can be installed without any modifications of the airplane's mechanical systems). In places where dedicated use as an agricultural aircraft
190-467: The An-14M are powered by two Ivchenko AI-14 air-cooled nine-cylinder radial engines. The strut-braced wing has automatic leading-edge slats and split flaps . Twin vertical stabilizers are mounted on the tips of the tail plane in the air stream of the propellers. The tricycle landing gear was not retractable in the original variant but could be fitted with skis for winter use. Short sponsons serve to mount
209-484: The US and Europe, agricultural aircraft are typically small, simple, and rugged. Most have spraying systems attached to the trailing edges of their wings, and pumps are usually driven by wind turbines. In places where farms are larger, such as New Zealand , Australia , the former Warsaw Pact nations, and parts of the developing world, larger and more powerful aircraft have been used, including turboprop powered aircraft such as
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#1732790645161228-638: The lower Colorado River in Arizona reported that hydroseeding could be used to restore riparian vegetation in cleared land. The slurry often has other ingredients including fertilizer , tackifying agents , fiber mulch, and green dye. Originating back to the USA in the 1940s, Maurice Mandell from the Connecticut Highway Department discovered that by mixing seed and water together, the resulting mulch could be spread and sprayed over
247-506: The main gear. The fuselage is an all-metal semi-monocoque design. Data from Soviet Transport Aircraft since 1945 General characteristics Performance Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era The initial version of this article was based on material from aviation.ru . It has been released under the GFDL by the copyright holder. Agricultural aircraft An agricultural aircraft
266-451: The rear of the cabin had an opening of 0.85 by 1.90 metres (2.8 by 6.2 ft). In 1967, the type was presented at the milestone Domodedovo air show. The An-14 had a capacity of seven passengers or 600 kg (1,300 lb) of freight. For aerial application in agriculture, it could be fitted with a 1,000-litre (260 US gal) tank and spraying booms. The air ambulance version was able to accept six stretchers and one nurse. There
285-476: The sprayed materials, agricultural pilots attempt to fly just above the crops being treated. Fields are often surrounded by obstacles such as trees, telephone lines, and farm buildings. Purpose-built agricultural airplanes have strengthened cockpits to protect the pilot if an accident occurs. Aerial spraying has been controversial since the 1960s, due to environmental concerns about pesticide drift (raised for example by Rachel Carson 's book Silent Spring ). It
304-521: The steep and otherwise inaccessible slopes of the Connecticut expressways. If planting a relatively large area, hydroseeding can be completed in a very short period of time. It can be very effective for hillsides and sloping lawns to help with erosion control and quick planting. Hydroseeding will typically cost less than planting with sod, but more than broadcast seeding. Results are often quick with high germination rates producing grass growth in about
323-532: The type in 1959 but the project was delayed by development problems with the Antonov An-10 which tied down the complete Antonov OKB , as well as issues with the An-14 prototype itself. The An-14A went into production in 1965 in the state-owned aircraft factory No. 166 in Arsenyev . By now, it had different wings, a distinctly V-shaped tail plane and modified vertical stabilizers. A large cargo door at
342-515: Was also a VIP version for five passengers. Other variants included the An-14B with retractable landing gear, as well as the An-14M with turboprop engines which was later developed into the Antonov An-28 . The maiden flight of the An-14M took place in 1969. It received a stretched fuselage and high-lift wing. Like the An-14B, its prototype had been fitted with retractable landing gear, but that
361-567: Was dropped in the final production version. Another unusual variant was the An-14Sh, which tested an air cushion landing gear for unprepared landing strips. While these tests were successful, the gear impaired the aerodynamics and only left minimal payload capacity. A precursor of the An-14Sh had been the An-714 with inflatable floats. In China, there was a smaller variant named Sha-Tu (or Capital) N°1. 15 An-14 were exported, four of which went to
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