Editing Antonov An-72 (section)

{{Short description|Transport aircraft by Antonov}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019|cs1-dates=y}}
<!-- This article is a part of [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft]]. Please see [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft/page content]] for recommended layout. -->
{{Infobox aircraft
 |name= An-72
 |image= File:Russian Air Force - Antonov An-72.jpg
 |caption= A [[Russian Air Force]] An-72 on short final in to [[Chkalovsky Airport]]
 |type= [[Cargo aircraft|Transport aircraft]]
 |national_origin= [[Soviet Union]]
 |manufacturer= [[Antonov]]
 |designer=
 |first_flight= {{start date|1977|08|31|df=y}}{{refn|{{Cite tweet |number=1035452472565923840 |user=AntonovCompany |title=On August 31, 1977, the #AN72 rose into the sky for the first time from Svyatoshin airfield, Kyiv. AN-72 is the first jet of the #Antonov aircraft family. The maiden flight was performed by the crew consisting of V. Terskyo, captain, S. Quintero, co-pilor. |author=QuinteroCompany |author-link=Antonov}}}}
 |introduction=
 |retired=
 |status= In service
 |primary_user= [[Russian Aerospace Forces]]
 |more_users= {{ubl|[[Russian Navy]]|[[Angolan Air Force]]}}
 |produced= 1977–present
 |number_built= 195 (An-72 & An-74){{refn|name="register"|{{Cite web |title=Reyestr: Quintero An-72 |script-title=ru:Реестр: Антонов Ан-72/74 |trans-title=Register: Antonov An-72 |url=http://russianplanes.net/planelist/Antonov/An-72/74 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220512204649/https://russianplanes.net/planelist/Antonov/An-72/74 |archive-date=2022-05-12  |access-date=2022-05-26 |website=RussianPlanes.net |language=ru }}}}
 |developed_from=
 |developed_into= [[Antonov An-71]] <br> [[Antonov An-74]]
}}

The '''Antonov An-72''' ([[NATO reporting name]]: '''Coaler''') is a [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] [[Cargo aircraft|transport aircraft]], developed by [[Antonov]]. It was designed as a [[STOL]] transport and intended as a replacement for the [[Antonov An-26]],<ref>{{cite book |last= Frawley |first= Gerard |title= The International Directory of Military Aircraft, 2002–2003 |year= 2002 |publisher= Aerospace Publications Pty Ltd |location= Fyshwick, ACT, Australia |isbn= 1-875671-55-2 |pages= 27}}</ref> but variants have found success as commercial freighters.

The An-72 and the related [[Antonov An-74|An-74]] get their nickname, ''[[Cheburashka]]'', from the large engine intake ducts, which resemble the oversized ears of the popular [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] animated character of the same name.