Antonov An-2

Origins The Antonov An-2 was designed to meet a 1940s Soviet Ministry of Forestry requirement to replace the smaller Polikarpov Po-2, which was used in large numbers in both agricultural and utility roles. Antonov designed a large single bay biplane of all-metal construction, with an enclosed cockpit and a cabin with seats for twelve passengers. The first prototype, designated SKh-1, powered by a Shvetsov ASh-21 radial engine, flew on 31 August 1947 from Yeltsovka Airport in Novosibirsk Oblast, Russia. The second prototype was fitted with a more powerful Shvetsov ASh-62 engine, which allowed the aircraft's payload to be increased from , and in this form saw production. Initial production was at State Factory 473 in Kiev, Ukrainian SSR, where the majority of up to 5,000 units had been produced by 1960. Later Soviet production (after 1965, of model An-2M especially) was at State Factory 464 at Dolgoprudniy, Russian SFSR. After 1960, most An-2s were constructed at Poland's WSK factory in Mielec. It is believed that over 13,000 were built in Poland before manufacturing ended in 1991. Until 2001, limited production was undertaken using remaining stocks of spares, including a small batch of four aircraft that were produced for Vietnam. That same year, the company stated that it had received orders for upgrading hundreds in Azerbaijan, Cuba and Russia to the An-2-100 version. The Siberian Research Institute of Aviation (SIBNIA) test flew a modified An-2 with winglets and a carbon fibre wing structure. It was equipped with a turboprop engine with a five bladed propeller. According to Russian aviation company Sukhoi, this aircraft was a demonstrator for an An-2 replacement announced on 10 June 2015. The carbonfibre composite materials, including wing panels, spars and ribs were produced by the Novosibirsk Aviation Plant. Sukhoi says the design change increased its speed by 50%. ==Design==

, Moscow region aviation show The An-2 is a mass-produced single-engine biplane that was deliberately furnished with a minimum of complex systems. The wing leading edge slats that give the aircraft its slow flight ability are fully automatic, being held shut by the airflow over the wings. When airspeed drops below , elastic rubber springs extend the slats. Under typical conditions, take-off can be made within while the landing run requires . These figures vary dependent on weight, air temperature, runway surface, and wind direction. The An-2 is equipped with features which make it suitable for operation in remote areas with unimproved airstrips. It is fitted with a pneumatic brake system similar to those used on heavy trucks to stop on short runways, along with an air line attached to the compressor, so the pressure in the tires and shock absorbers can be adjusted. The batteries, while sizable, are easy to remove, and it does not need a ground power unit for starting the engine. Likewise, there is no need for an external fuel pump to refuel the aircraft as it is provided with its own. The operating handbook does not explicitly specify a stall speed, stating instead: "If the engine quits in instrument conditions or at night, the pilot should pull the control column full aft and keep the wings level. The leading-edge slats will snap out at about and when the airplane slows to a forward speed of about , the airplane will sink at about a parachute descent rate until the aircraft hits the ground." The low stall speed makes it possible for the aircraft to fly backwards relative to the ground under high wind conditions while under control. Many western countries prohibit the use of the An-2 commercially because the aircraft has not been certified by the relevant national aviation authorities. These restrictions vary by country, but all prevent the An-2 being used for any commercial purpose, with the exception of the United States, where PZL-built An-2s are exempt from this restriction due to a bilateral agreement with Poland. Other An-2s are operated non-commercially under an experimental certification. ==Operational history==

Military service depicting the An-2 airplane The An-2 was operated in large numbers by the Soviet Air Force and Eastern Bloc forces. Its first military use was during the Korean War of the early 1950s. The Vietnam People's Air Force (VPAF) operated the An-2 during the Vietnam War and occasionally used the type as an attack aircraft. During the 1960s, a single An-2 that was engaging South Vietnamese naval units was shot down by a United States Air Force McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II fighter. An Air America Bell UH-1B resupplying the site gave chase to the attacking aircraft. Using an AK-47, the American crew (Ted Moore Captain, Glen Wood Kicker) succeeded in shooting down one of the An-2s while the second aircraft was forced down by combined ground and air fire, eventually crashing into a mountain. The surviving Antonov returned to its home base, Gia Lam, near Hanoi. The chief advantage of the An-2 was its ability to operate from small improvised airstrips. They frequently dropped supplies by parachute to isolated garrisons. At least one An-2 was shot down on 2 December 1991 over Vinkovci, eastern Slavonia, by a Serbian salvo of SA-6 surface to air missiles. North Korea has also operated An-2s. The Korean People's Army Special Operation Force has used the An-2 to infiltrate paratroopers. During the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, Azerbaijan operated unmanned An-2s for surveillance and bombing of Armenian defenses, however the type of the drone was unknown as of October 2020. Armenian forces revealed footage of the alleged shootdown of an Azerbaijani An-2, according to video evidence at least 11 An-2 have been destroyed, with 10 confirmed as shot down and one crashing after takeoff. On March 2, 2022, Russian An-2s were observed at Seshcha Air Base, Bryansk Oblast. As the base is close to the Ukraine border, it was speculated that the aircraft were to be used in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Civil aviation (May 2006). Over the years, dozens of nations and companies have employed the An-2 in civil roles. The type was heavily used throughout the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc nations. In particular, the Russian airline Aeroflot operated a large number of them. The An-2 was used as a short-range airliner, and in Estonia, made regular flights between the towns of Kuressaare and Kärdla, which are on separate islands, Saaremaa and Hiiumaa. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, most airlines in these regions have been retiring their An-2s, as some were over 40 years old, as well as a result of the decline in the production of avgas to fuel the type. However, certification of that aircraft's Klimov VK-800SM engine is not expected until 2025, with engine deliveries not starting until 2026. ==Variants==

Soviet / Polish production Prototype • Izdeliye F – The in-house designation for the An-2NAK observation aircraft which was later re-designated An-2K and/or An-2F. • Izdeliye K – A prototype weather reconnaissance/research aircraft with an observers cockpit immediately forward of the fin above the rear fuselage. First flown on 21 March 1948 'Izdeliye K' was found to be under-powered and unable to carry out its intended mission at high altitude, the aircraft was abandoned after a landing accident in October 1948. The concept was resurrected in 1954 as the 'An-2ZA' / 'An-6 Meteo'. • An-2F – Developed concurrently with the An-2 prototype, 'Izdeliye F' was an experimental artillery-observation aircraft with a twin-tail, ventral observer's position and dorsal defensive machine-gun position. The initial service designation of An-2NAK was changed to An-2F once post test flight modifications had been carried out. Two prototypes were built, with the first completed in the summer of 1948, but flight testing was delayed to April 1949 due to the need to incorporate modifications called up from the standard An-2 flight test programme. The flight test of the An-2F showed that the aircraft met all the requirements of the specification, but helicopters were demonstrating that they could perform the artillery correction role without the need to provide fixed base airstrip for them to operate from, thus the An-2F was not proceeded with and the two prototypes were retained by the Antonov bureau for hack duties with one later serving as a flying wind tunnel to investigate para-dropping from the Antonov An-8 twin-turboprop transport. and 16 in service by early 2017. • SibNIA TVS-2-DT – Fitted with new composite wings (with no bracing struts or wires) and tail. First flight 10 June 2015. • SibNIA TVS-2-DTS "Partizan" - unmanned version of the TVS-2-DTS Chinese variants • Feng Shou-2 (Harvester-2) – The name given to the first Nanchang built agricultural 'Y-5II'. • Nanchang Y-5 – (Yunshuji – transport) Chinese version of An-2, initially built from Soviet blueprints and with supervision from Soviet advisors, 727 had been built when production was transferred to Harbin in 1968. • Nanchang Y-5II – Crop-sprayer/duster with a chemical hopper/tank in the cabin and interchangeable spraying/dusting equipment. Cooling of the cockpit was increased to improve comfort in the sub-tropical regions of China. 229 built. for a very high resolution image of this cockpit. • Nanchang Y-5K – A VIP passenger variant with five seats. Eleven were delivered to the PLAAF from 1958. A seven seater was delivered to Ho Chi Minh in North Vietnam and two were given to the Nepal Royal Flight for use by King Birendra. • Shijiazhuang Y-5B (turboprop) – A projected turboprop upgrade conversion programme replacing the 1,000 hp Huosai-5 radial engine with a more powerful turboprop. • HY100 Large UAV - An unmanned aerial vehicle based on either the Shijiazhuang or Nanchang models. According to the manufacturer, the HY100 "is the first and only "large-scale" UAV approved by the Civil Aviation Administration of China," has a listed payload of 1900 kilograms, and can be equipped for roles including crop spraying, forestry monitoring, and aerial firefighting. Ukrainian variants • An-2-100 – Modification of the design first flown in 2013 with a modern 3-bladed reversible propeller and a 1500shp Motor Sich Sich MS-14 turboprop engine running on kerosene rather than Avgas. First flew on 10 July 2013 in Kyiv ==Operators==

The aircraft is popular with air charter companies, small airlines, private individuals and private companies, and is mainly used in post-Soviet states, Cuba, China and North Korea. Military operators Current operators ; • Azerbaijani Air Force ; • Bulgarian Air Force ; • Georgian Air Force ; • Latvian Air Force ; • Moldovan Air Force ; • Korean People's Air Force ; • Russian Airborne Forces ; • Serbian Air Force and Air Defence ; • Republic of Korea Air Force − In service with aggressor squadrons '''''' • Armed Forces of Transnistria '''''' • Ukrainian Naval Aviation − In service of the 10th Naval Aviation Brigade Former operators ; • Albanian Air Force ; • Armenian Air Force ; • People's Liberation Army Air Force ; • Cuban Air Force ; • Egyptian Air Force ; • Estonian Air Force ; • Hungarian Air Force ; • Indonesian Air Force − In service with Indonesian Aero Sport Federation (FASI) ; • Mongolian People's Air Force ; • Polish Air Force ; • Romanian Air Force ; • Somali Air Force ; • Soviet Air Force • Soviet Naval Aviation ; • Vietnam People's Air Force ; • Yemen Air Force == Accidents and incidents ==

As of 8 January 2023 there have been 802 An-2 hull-loss accidents, claiming a total of 825 lives. One of the most recent accidents occurred around 13:30 on 14 November 2022 in the Everglades, when an An-2, which had been seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection was being transported to Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport and overturned during a forced landing caused by an engine failure. Both pilots survived. The first known post-WWII act of suicide by pilot was with an An-2. Timofei Shovkunov stole an An-2 and flew it directly into his apartment building in Voroshilovgrad (now Luhansk) on March 27, 1972, apparently despondent after his wife having left along with his son the day before. He was the lone casualty. In the third known post-WWII act of suicide by pilot, on 26 September 1976, Russian national made an unauthorized takeoff with an An-2 (Reg # USSR-79868) from Novosibirsk-Severny Airport. He crashed it into the stairwell of an apartment complex at Stepnaya st., house 43 / 1, where his ex-wife's parents lived, in an attempt to kill his ex-wife. After completing two laps around the scene, Serkov attempted to pilot the plane to the parents' apartment where his wife and two-year-old son were visiting. The aircraft pierced the stairwell between the 3rd and 4th floors, and being fueled with 800 liters of gasoline, ignited a large fire inside the stairwell that ultimately spread to damage 30 total apartments. Firefighters were on scene in five minutes, taking 57 minutes to extinguish the blaze. A four-year-old and two six-year-old children were killed at the scene from burns. Another four-year-old child died eight days later as a result of burns. In total, 11 residents were injured as a result of fire burns. Serkov's ex-wife (and her parents) and his toddler son were not injured in the incident. ==Specifications (An-2)==