In June 2011, original engines D-436K coming from Zaporozhye were installed onto the plane AK RLDN An-71, located in the museum. This engine modification has been developed based on D-36 modification specifically for the AN-71 aircraft, which required engines with higher power. In total, only a few copies of the D-436K were manufactured, four of which operated on two experimental instances of the An-71.

The second flying prototype of the aircraft came to the State Aviation Museum in October 2010 after extensive preparatory work in the experimental production shops of Antonov ASTC. D-436K engines were removed from the aircraft during this period, and then sent to Zaporozhye. There, on the "Motor Sich" company, they were subjected to a comprehensive study of their technical condition after 20 years of storage in the open.

On their return to Kiev engines were delivered to Zhulyany to install on an already relocated by that time aircraft An-71. The operation of the installation of engines was produced jointly by technical experts of GP "Antonov" and the restoration experts of the museum.

The next step is the complete restoration of paint and color scheme of the aircraft, which will match the configuration of the period of factory flight tests of the machine in the 1980s.

Photo: Anton Dovbush