Antonov An-2
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The Antonov An-2 (Russian nickname: кукуру́зник (kukuruznik) also nicknamed Annushka; NATO code name Colt) is an extremely durable, light, single-engine biplane which first flew in 1947. It is used as a light transport, capable of carrying 12 passengers, and for parachute drops and agricultural work. Its extraordinary slow-flight capabilities make it supremely suited for short, unimproved fields, and some specialized variants have also been built for cold weather and other extreme environments.
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Usage and characteristics
It is the largest single-engine biplane ever produced. It was produced in great numbers; over 5,000 had been built by 1960 in the USSR. Since 1960, most An-2s have been built at Poland's PZL factory in Mielec, with over 12,000 made there before production ended in 1992. The An-2 is also built under license in China as the Shijiazhuang Y-5. It is the biggest biplane still flying.
The original An-2 was designed as a utility aircraft for use in government-owned forestry and agricultural business. However, the basic airframe is highly adaptable and numerous variants have been developed. These include hopper-equipped versions for crop-dusting, scientific versions for atmospheric sampling, water-bombers for fighting forest-fires, flying ambulances, float-equipped seaplane versions, lightly armed combat versions for dropping para-troops, and of course the most common An-2T version, which is the 12-seater passenger aircraft.
The AN-2 has many design features which make it suitable for operation in remote areas with unsurfaced airstrips:
- It has a pnuematic brake system (similar to those used on heavy road vehicles), allowing it to stop on short runways.
- It also has an air-line fitted to the compressor, so the pressure in the tyres and shock absorbers can be adjusted without the need for special equipment.
- The batteries are overly large and easy to remove, meaning that the aircraft does not need a ground-generator to supply power.
- There is no need for an external fuel pump to re-fuel the aircraft- it has an onboard pump that allows the tanks to be filled from simple fuel drums.
- It has the minimum of complex systems- the crucial wing leading-edge slats that give the aircraft its slow-flight ability are fully automatic, being held closed by the airflow over the wings. Once the airspeed drops below 40 mph (64 km/h) the slats will extend because they are on elastic rubber springs.
- The aircraft has very sophisticated navigation systems given its age- it can detect a navigational radio beacon of only 25W power at a distance of 100 miles (220 KM).
An interesting note from the pilot's handbook reads: "If the engine quits in instrument conditions (blind flying when you can’t see the ground) or at night, the pilot should pull the control column full aft (it won’t stall) and keep the wings level. The leading-edge slats will snap out at about 40 mph (64 km/h), and when the airplane slows to a forward speed of about 25 mph [40 km/h], the airplane will sink at about a parachute descent rate until the aircraft hits the ground."
The AN-2 has no stall speed quoted in the operating handbooks (the stall speed being the speed at which the aircraft is travelling too slowly for the airflow over the wings to keep it aloft). Pilots of the AN-2 say the aircraft can be flown in full control at 30 MPH (as a contrast, a modern Cessna 4-seater light aircraft has a stall speed of around 55 MPH). This slow stall speed makes it possible for the aircraft to fly backwards (if the aircraft is pointed into a headwind of ,say, 35 MPH, it will travel backwards at 5 MPH whilst under full control). This is a rare ability, even amongst other Short Take Off and Landing (STOL) aircraft. Only the German Fieseler Fi156 'Stork' of World War 2 has better slow-speed ability.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Eastern European communist states, most airlines in these areas have been withdrawing their AN-2s from service (some of these aircraft now being over 40 years old). These aircraft are still easily put to use in the hands of private operators- their stability, capacity and slow-flying ability makes them very popular parachute-aircraft.
In the early 1980s Antonov experimented with a development of the An-2 powered by a modern turboprop engine. The unit used was a 1450 horsepower Glushenkov engine, and aircraft fitted with this engine were fitted with a longer, more streamlined nose to accommodate it. See Antonov An-3 article for more information.
Whilst their high noise levels, increasing maintenance costs, high fuel consumption and generally unsophisticated nature (the pre-flight checks alone take between 30 and 40 minutes) makes them obsolete in Europe, the huge number of aircraft available means that prices are low (from as little as $30,000 for a servicable example). This makes them viable propositions in the developing world, where their ability to carry large loads into short airstrips makes them valuable assests to airlines on a limited budget, and many ex Aeroflot AN-2s are now employed as regional airliners in Africa, Central and South America, Cuba and the Indian subcontinent.
North Korea has a number of the aircraft.[1] It is believed that the wooden propellers and canvas wings on their variants (the Y-5 version license-built in China)give them a low radar cross-section, and therefore a limited degree of steath.[2] In a war that they would probablly be used to parachute special forces troops behind enemy lines for sabotage operations.
The AN-2s ability, unique looks and flying characterstics, and its status as 'The World's Biggest Biplane' mean that demand for the aircraft is increasing in the United States and Western Europe, where they are prized by collectors of classic aircraft. This makes the AN-2 an increasingly common sight at airshows. However, in nearly all Western nations (the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany etc.) the AN-2 is not able to be used commercially (despite its obvious potential as a bush plane and parachute aircraft). This is because the aircraft has not been certified by the relevant national aviation authorities (of course, until recently it was never seen outside Soviet airspace). This places restrictions on its use. These vary from country to country, but all prevent the AN-2 being used for any 'for profit' purpose. In the USA the aircraft can only make flights within 300 miles of their base airfield, and they can only land at that same airfield.
Historic Events
During the 1960s a An-2 attempting to engage South Vietnamese naval units was shot down by a F-4 Phantom under the control of an Air Intercept Controller (AIC) on the USS Long Beach (CGN-9).
During the Homeland war (Croatia) the JNA which sided with the serb paramilitary forces was in possession of all military air force. Croatian forces used agricultural AN-2. They were armed with gas barrels with anti tank mines attached to the bottom. Thus armed they were used to bomb enemy positions and proved invaluable in boosting morale. Nevertheless AN-2 planes proved to be easy targets because of low flying speed and virtualy no manuverability and so were phased out of military service by 1992.
Operators
- Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Cambodia, China, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Germany, Egypt, Estonia, Ethiopia, Hungary, Iraq, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Mali, Mongolia, Nicaragua, North Korea, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia-Montenegro, Slovakia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Tadjikistan, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Yemen.
Former operators
Czechoslovakia, DDR (East Germany), North Vietnam, North Yemen and Soviet Union.
Specifications (An-2)
Image:Antonow An-2 COLT.png
Template:Aero-specs
{{airtemp
|plane or copter?=plane
|jet or prop?=prop
|crew=1-2
|capacity=
|span main=
- Top wing: 18.2 m
|span alt=59 ft 8 in)
- Bottom wing: 14.2 m (46 ft 9 in
|length main=12.4 m |length alt=40 ft 8 in |height main=4.1 m |height alt=13 ft |area main= m² |area alt= ft² |empty weight main=3,300 kg |empty weight alt=7,300 lb |loaded weight main=5,500 kg |loaded weight alt=12,000 lb |useful load main= |useful load alt= |max takeoff weight main= |max takeoff weight alt=
|engine (prop)=Shvetsov ASh-62R |type of prop=9-cylinder supercharged radial engine |number of props=1 |power main=1,000 hp |power alt=750 kW
|cruise speed main=190 km/h |cruise speed alt=100 kt, 120 mph |range main=845 km |range alt=456 nm, 525 mi |ceiling main=4,500 m |ceiling alt=14,750 ft |climb rate main= |climb rate alt= |loading main= kg/m² |loading alt= lb/ft² |power/mass main= W/kg |power/mass alt= hp/lb
}}
References and external links
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