Antonov An-71

The Antonov An-71, NATO reporting name Madcap, was a Soviet airborne early warning and control aircraft intended for the frontal aviation forces of the Soviet Air Force, developed from the An-72 transport. It used the An-72 design with a completely redesigned rear fuselage carrying a radar dome atop a broad-chord forward-swept fin, with the electronic equipment and six operator stations in the cargo hold, and two Progress D-436K turbofan engines. Unlike the Tu-126 and A-50, which served only with the air defence forces, it was meant to support tactical operations over land. The first prototype flew on 12 July 1985, but only three prototypes were built, and the programme was cancelled with the fall of the Soviet Union when problems with the Vega-M Kvant radar could not be resolved. One example was transferred to the Ukraine State Aviation Museum in 2010.