A decommissioned Antonov An-24 aircraft sits by the road, boxed in by buildings in a residential neighborhood of Ulaanbaatar. Antonov An-24 airplanes were produced in the Soviet Union between 1959 and 1979, and only 1,264 models saw the light of day. China produced another 103 models of an aircraft identical to the Antonov An-24, but under the name Xian Y-7. The Antonov aircraft was equipped with two four-blade propellers powered by a turbine engine (a turboprop). The Antonov An-24 may not be the epitome of elegance and beauty, but was…
