Even at the very beginning of the development and creation of the legendary “Kukuruznik”, the possibility of using this maneuverable light aircraft for military purposes was considered. In the spring of 1947, the O.K. Antonov ASTC (formerly OKB-153) began developing a special three-seat aircraft designed for night reconnaissance and artillery fire adjustment. The An-2's minimal take-off and mileage, its low speed, and high maneuverability were completely suitable for performing these tasks.
The created aircraft was almost a complete analogue of the base model. Only the fuselage and tail unit underwent significant changes. An observer's cabin was mounted on the fuselage, which was a glazed truss structure. A stabilizer with spaced fins and a non-retractable tail wheel were attached to it. Also, to repel enemy attacks from the rear hemisphere, a VEU-1 turret with a 20-mm BD-20E cannon was installed behind the upper wing. The engine and crew positions were protected by armor. The plans of the creators of the new combat vehicle also included using the aircraft as a night bomber, for which it was additionally equipped with two cassettes in the fuselage for vertical suspension of six 50-kg bombs and four underwing holders for 100-kg bombs, as well as another 20-kg bomb. mm cannon (in the lower right plane). The aircraft received the designation "F" ("Fedya").
Suspension of bombs and NURS blocks
In the spring of 1949, the first prototype of the new aircraft took off; it was designated An-2NAK (night artillery spotter). Tests of the new vehicle were carried out by pilots V. Didenko and A. Pashkevich; they continued until February 1950 and were considered successful. But at the beginning of the same 1950, it was decided that it would be more expedient to use helicopters to perform such tasks, and this modification of the An-2 was not put into mass production.
The next combat modification of the An-2 was the An-2A high-altitude aircraft project, designed to combat automatic reconnaissance balloons. This aircraft was created on the basis of the An-6 weather sounder, it was equipped with an automated sight-finder, as well as a remote installation equipped with an AM-23 cannon and a searchlight for night search for targets. The meteorologist's cabin was removed from the rear fuselage.
Also, simultaneously with the An-2A project, another project was being developed with the designation An-3, which involved a more radical redesign of the An-2. The An-3 was supposed to be a two-seat braced all-metal monoplane with a high aspect ratio wing. But these projects remained only in drawings.
It seemed that with the closure of these projects and attempts at combat use of the An-2, it was over forever. But the Kukuruznik still had to fight, and the fight was carried out by peaceful An-2 biplanes that were completely unsuited for these purposes.
The first reliably known combat use of the An-2 occurred in Hungary in 1956. When suppressing the uprising, An-2s were used to scatter leaflets over rebel detachments, as well as for visual reconnaissance, while they quite often came under enemy fire.
The An-2 was used in the Indochina War. An-2 aircraft of the Air Force of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) made their first combat flights to Laos, where in 1960-62. there was a civil war going on. The Vietnamese "Cornmen" delivered equipment, ammunition, etc. to their allies - the Pathet Lao detachments and left-wing neutralists. Around the same time, An-2s were also used to supply the Viet Cong.
There is a known case when an An-2 flight of the Vietnamese Air Force sank a warship of the South Vietnamese Navy (a corvette or frigate according to modern classification) in a night combat mission and damaged a landing ship; the attack was carried out using a NURS. After this, Vietnamese An-2s tried to attack US Navy warships shelling the coast at night. These attempts were unsuccessful; at least one An-2 was shot down by a missile defense system.
An-2s were successfully used to combat sabotage and reconnaissance junks and armed boats.
To do this, they were equipped with one or two machine guns in the doorway (“Ganship” in Vietnamese) and holders for small bombs. The successes of the An-2 in this role were repeatedly covered in the press of that time.
The Vietnamese also used these aircraft for operations against ground targets. But during the bombing of American bases, they were shot down quite often.
In Cambodia in 1970, An-2s were used by government forces in battles with partisans as transport aircraft. In 1979, again in Cambodia, An-2s took part in the fight, this time with the Khmer Rouge detachments. In addition to transport duties, they were used as forward air controllers. The crews, having discovered targets, “treated” them with NURS, bombs, or simply hand grenades with white phosphorus, which, when burned, released thick white smoke, which served as a guide for attack aircraft. It is interesting that captured F-5s and American-made A-37 attack aircraft, which were suitable for these purposes like no other, were used for airstrikes.
After the armistice was concluded in the Korean War, it continued on the “invisible front”. The North Korean Air Force used the An-2 in covert operations against South Korea. These biplanes could fly low and slow enough to be undetected. On the DPRK side, Antonov biplanes of Soviet and Chinese production were actively used to transport and evacuate sabotage and reconnaissance groups. On the territory of South Korea, North Korean agents prepared secret runways on which the An-2 was supposed to land at night.
An An-2 captured by South Korean intelligence services is on display at the Military Museum in Seoul.
I had to “smell gunpowder” with the An-2 in Nicaragua. According to eyewitnesses, the Sandinistas dismantled agricultural equipment on several vehicles, and in return installed three bomb racks for 100 kg bombs under the lower wing and fuselage. In this form, the planes made several sorties against CIA-backed contra units.
The former Yugoslavia, and primarily Croatia, became an extensive field of combat activity for the An-2. After the collapse of the SFRY, all military aviation went to the Serbs. Wanting to somehow change the situation, the Croats adapted literally everything that could fly into the air for military purposes. Thus, on the basis of the Osijek agricultural aviation detachment, a unit was created that was armed with about a dozen An-2s. This unit performed well in the battles for Vukovar, where the Anas were used for transport and night bombing. The bombs, usually homemade, were loaded into the fuselage and thrown out through an open door. Such attacks inflicted rather moral damage on the enemy, but there was still a case when such a bomb destroyed a dugout in which the Serbian headquarters was located.
From November 3 to December 2, 1991, Croatian “twos” carried out 68 night raids. Thanks to their excellent maneuverability, they were able to evade attacks from fighters of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA), and due to their low infrared visibility, avoid being hit by MANPADS missiles. There is a known case when at night before shooting down a Croatian An-2, the Serbs fired 16 (!) missiles at it. In total, during the battles near Vukovar, the Croatian side admitted the loss of at least five An-2s on the ground and in the air. The circumstances of the death of two of them are known: one was shot down by a Kvadrat air defense missile system (SAM-6 according to Western classification), the other by anti-aircraft artillery. There is information about other losses of Croatian An-2s: on September 8, a fighter-bomber of the JNA Air Force “Orao”, storming the Osijek airfield, destroyed one aircraft with 57-mm NURS. On September 15, Serbian aircraft destroyed several more “twos” on the ground.
In addition to actions against military targets, the Croats used Ana several times in raids on columns of Serbian refugees, which is a war crime. And one An-2, repainted red for quick identification, was used for courier flights, including to Italy, from one of the airfields on the Istrian Peninsula.
At the beginning of 1992, the fighting in Croatia stopped, but as a result, the unrecognized Republic of Serbian Krajina appeared on its territory. In January-February 1993, Croatian troops carried out an operation in an attempt to eliminate it. During the battles, aviation was used, including the An-2, which carried out bombing attacks on enemy positions and important targets. One of them was shot down during a raid on an oil field near the village of Dzheletovitsi. The crew managed to make an emergency landing, but while trying to escape, the pilots walked into a minefield and died.
In 1992 The fighting took place on the territory of the former Federal Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, where all warring parties actively used aviation. The Croats continued to use the An-2 and on July 2 lost one aircraft to air defense fire. The Bosnian Serbs, having taken over all the equipment of local flying clubs, used the An-2 as reconnaissance aircraft and light attack aircraft. During the bombing of Muslim positions near the city of Srebrenica in March 1993, one of their planes was shot down. At the end of 1992,
after an ultimatum from NATO countries, the conflicting parties stopped using
combat aviation. Nevertheless, Croatian Anas continue to fly to Bosnia, transporting various cargoes, evacuating the wounded, etc.
Unfortunately, the An-2 was “noted” in conflicts on the territory of the former USSR. Thus, during the long-term war in Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenian and Azerbaijani Anas are used to deliver military cargo to the combat zone and remove the wounded and, at first, refugees from there.
According to press reports, at least one Armenian An was shot down. General Dudayev also had An-2 at his disposal. They were used for flights to Georgia and in internal showdowns, but they did not take part in battles with the Russian army, since in early December 1994 Russian aviation destroyed them at their home airfields.
Based on materials:
http://my.mail.ru/community/miravia/1246D7CF9F25D0E.html
http://subscribe.ru/catalog/science.model.wpalette
http://www.redov.ru/transport_i_aviacija/aviacija_i_vremja_1995_02/p2.php
The Antonov An-2 is a multi-role short takeoff and landing biplane designed primarily for use as a light transport aircraft, as well as for use in agriculture.
The idea of developing an aircraft capable of taking off and landing in hard-to-reach and sparsely populated areas of the USSR was put forward back in 1940 by Oleg Konstantinovich Antonov.
An 2 photos
However, Antonov's project was rejected in February 1941 due to the low flight speed of the proposed aircraft. But on January 16, 1946, permission was nevertheless given for the construction of a low-speed biplane by O.K. Antonov, and primarily to boost the national economy in the post-war years. Already on March 6 of the same year, a resolution was adopted to create a design team, OKB-153, to build a single-engine, transport and cargo biplane with a short take-off run. It was planned to release two versions of the aircraft.
The first version should be intended for military transport purposes and have an ASh-62IR engine, and the second version with an ASh-21 engine was intended for agricultural purposes. In July 1947, the first model of the aircraft was built, designated CX-1. The first flight of an aircraft with an installed ASh-62IR engine designed by Shevtsov was made by test pilot P. N. Volodin on August 31, 1947. Flights with this engine were carried out until September 10, 1947, after which the ASh-21 engine was installed on the aircraft model. After all factory tests, on October 4, 1947, the aircraft was handed over to the state commission to conduct state tests.
In 1948, after all tests were completed, the An-2 aircraft entered flight service. And initially it began to be used in cultivating rural fields.
In the NATO reporting names, the An-2 aircraft received the designation “Colt”, which translated means “foal”. The plane was popularly called the “corn farmer” because it was widely used during the sowing of corn fields during the times of Khrushchev in the USSR.
An 2 salon
Initially developed as an aircraft for agricultural work, the An-2 quickly became a multi-purpose aircraft - from training piloting to military use and passenger transport on domestic airlines.
The An-2 biplane has the following modifications:
An-2SKh - for agricultural work
An-2F - for aerial photography
An-2T - transport version
An-2TD - transport and landing modification
An-2TP - transport and passenger version
A-2PP - fire-fighting version, with water floats
An-2B - a version with floats for landing on the water surface.
Also produced were such modifications as the An-3, with a TVD-20 engine, the water version of the An-4 with a float landing gear and the An-6 weather reconnaissance aircraft.
In addition to the USSR, and then Russia and Ukraine, the aircraft was produced in Poland and China.
An 2 salon
Moreover, if in Poland and Russia the production of these aircraft has been suspended, then China continues their production. Chinese models are equipped with the HS-5 engine, an analogue of the ASh-62IR engine. Chinese An-2, designated Shijiazhuang Y-5. In total, China produces up to 20 of these machines per year. In Ukraine, production of the An-2 has now resumed, but only in a modernized version. In 2013, testing of a modernized version of the An-2-100 began at the Antonov state enterprise in Kyiv. This version of the aircraft is equipped with an MS-14 turboprop engine, developed by the Ukrainian enterprise Motor Sich PJSC.
Due to the fact that this An-2 biplane is easy to operate, economical, capable of taking off from unprepared unpaved airfields and has a short take-off and run length, in 2012 the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation decided to carry out a deep modernization to a thousand in 2015. An-2 aircraft. This modernization includes replacing engines, increasing flight range and installing modern air navigation equipment.
To date, over 18 thousand An-2 aircraft of various modifications have been produced.
Technical characteristics of the An-2 aircraft:
Years of serial production: from 1947 to the present.
Length: 12.70 m.
Height (on ground): 4.13 m.
Empty weight: 3400 - 3700 kg.
Total wing area: 71.52 sq.m.
Upper wing span: 18.17 m.
Lower wing span: 14.20 m.
Cruising speed: 180-190 km/h.
Stall speed: 60 km/h.
Maximum speed: 255 km/h.
Ceiling: 4500 m.
Flight range: 990 km.
Takeoff length: 150 - 235 m.
Run length: 140 - 225 m.
Engines: 1 piston engine ASh-62IR
Crew: 2 people
Number of passenger seats: 12 seats
An 2 videos
The An-2 aircraft (according to NATO codification: Colt - Foal, collapsible - Kukuruznik, Annushka) is a light transport aircraft, a biplane with a braced wing. It is operated with one Shvetsov ASh-62IR engine with a power of 1000 horsepower and an AV-2 propeller. It is used on local airlines as a passenger and cargo aircraft.
The An-2 was developed by OKB-153 of Oleg Konstantinovich Antonov, created in 1946 at plant No. 153 named after. V.P. Chkalov in Novosibirsk.
For the first time, the idea of creating a multi-purpose short take-off and landing aircraft with a payload capacity of 1000-1500 kilograms to serve hard-to-reach areas of the country, meet the needs of agriculture and use as a light military transport was put forward by Oleg Antonov in October 1940.
The first flight of the prototype An-2 took place on August 31, 1947. The aircraft entered service in August 1948. Conceived as an agricultural vehicle, it quickly became multi-purpose and was produced in 16 modifications. Serial production in the USSR was completed by 1960 after the construction of more than 5 thousand aircraft. After that, An-2s were produced under license in China (more than 950 aircraft under the designation Y-5 were built in 1957-1992) and Poland (about 12 thousand aircraft were built in 1960-1992, of which 10,440 were delivered to the USSR and the CIS). The aircraft was exported to 26 countries.
Modifications of the An-2 aircraft: float aircraft An-2B (An-4), cargo aircraft An-2T, transport and passenger aircraft An-2TP, transport and landing aircraft An-2TD, agricultural aircraft An-2SKh, specialized high-performance agricultural aircraft An -2M, An-2P passenger aircraft, An-2S ambulance aircraft, An-2K night artillery spotter and aerial photographer (An-2F, NAK), An-6 Meteo weather reconnaissance aircraft, An-2ZA atmospheric sounder, An-2 high-altitude aircraft 2B (for weather reconnaissance), firefighting aircraft An-2PP, forest firefighting aircraft An-2LP, forest protection An-2L, agricultural with an aviation fire-fighting sprayer An-2SKh with APO, An-3 with a TVD-20 turboprop engine, An-2 on a ski chassis, An-2 on a multi-wheeled chassis.
In the Air Force, this vehicle was used as a military transport, headquarters and communications vehicle. The An-2 was also widely used as a training aircraft for practicing parachute jumps.
Flight characteristics of the An-2 aircraft:
Maximum take-off weight - 5500 kg
Empty weight of the aircraft - 3400 - 3900 kg (depending on version)
Maximum landing weight - 5250 kg
Fuel mass - 1240 l
Cruising speed - 150-190 km/h (depending on modification)
Practical flight range with load - 990 km
Service ceiling - 4.5 km
Aircraft length - 12.4 m
Aircraft height - 5.35 m
Upper wing span - 8.425 m
Lower wing span - 5.795 m
Wing area - 71.52 sq. m.
Crew - 2 people.
Passengers - 12 (An-2P), modification An-2TD - up to ten paratroopers.
June 16th, 2015
The Soviet An-2 aircraft still does not leave the runways of many countries. There are many reasons for this: despite the fact that the aircraft has been in use for fifty years, it remains a convenient and useful piece of equipment in operation. Many An-2s currently in operation have been in use, without unnecessary modifications, for more than forty years. Flight hours on such aircraft can reach as much as 20 thousand hours, which once again proves how good this aircraft from the distant past is.
But the handsome An-2 attracted public attention not only with its tangible practicality. It is this biplane that pilots from many countries use at air shows to show unprecedented tricks: hovering in the air and even flying tail first. You will learn how the engineers of the Soviet Union “taught” all these tricks to the aircraft at the end of the post, but for now let’s remember the history of the creation of the aircraft.
An-2 plane(according to NATO codification: Colt - Foal, colloquial - Kukuruznik, Annushka) - Soviet light transport aircraft, with a piston engine, a biplane with a braced wing. Before the appearance of the aircraft, the An-3 was the largest single-engine aircraft.
In the Soviet Union, a project for a light multi-purpose aircraft with a payload capacity of 1000-1500 kg, which could be used as a transport aircraft in hard-to-reach areas of the country, as well as in agriculture and military transport aviation, was proposed by O.K. Antonov, the future chief designer of the design bureau of the same name, back in 1940.
In March 1940, Oleg Konstantinovich Antonov, who at that time worked at Leningrad Plant No. 23, was tasked with developing an analogue of the German light aircraft Fieseler Fi 156. The Fieseler analogue was called “aircraft No. 2” (OKA-38). On its basis, Antonov proposed creating a military transport aircraft “Airplane No. 4”, the distinctive features of which were the M-62R radial engine with a power of 800 hp. and a three-blade propeller ZSMV-3, a lightweight fuselage and a biplane wing box. It was designed to carry 800 kg of cargo or 10 soldiers with full equipment and weapons. However, in February 1941, experts from the Air Force Research Institute rejected this project due to its low flight speed (no more than 300 km/h).
In 1945 O.K. Antonov, being the deputy chief designer of OKB-115, turned to A.S. Yakovlev with a proposal to develop an aircraft of his own design and received consent from him. The long-standing project of “aircraft No. 4” has been completely redesigned. All that remained from the previous one was the biplane box.
In March 1946, the Novosibirsk branch of OKB-115 was transformed into an independent OKB-153. Antonov was appointed its chief designer. The main task of the new design bureau was to develop a new transport aircraft.
The main characteristics of the model were:
Wing profile P-IIC, developed by P.P. Krasilnikov and previously used on many Antonov gliders, as well as on the German reconnaissance and communications aircraft Fieseler Fi 156 Storch;
Expanded wing mechanization, consisting of slats on the leading edge along the entire span of the upper wing and two-element flaps dividing the profile into two parts;
Fixed landing gear;
According to the technical specifications, the aircraft was supposed to be equipped with an ASh-21 engine with a power of 720 hp, but further research showed the need to use a more powerful ASh-62IR engine with a power of 1000 hp.
At the beginning of 1946, preliminary design documentation was ready, and in February an order for the production of parts was opened, and in March the first model was created for testing in a wind tunnel.
On August 31, 1947, in favorable weather and a light crosswind, test pilot P.N. Volodin first flew the first prototype, designated SHA. The plane performed two large circles at an altitude of 1200 meters and landed after 30 minutes of flight.
Professional test pilot, Peter Volodin was very pleased with the first flight. He described the aircraft as easy to fly and suitable for even the most entry-level pilot. In the USSR, the biplane became a real workhorse: it was used to fly between regional centers, and it also went out into the fields for agricultural work. The ease of operation of the aircraft played a significant role - the An-2 was able to take off from short unpaved platforms and was very small in size. In fact, thanks to this, it could be used in the most difficult areas of Siberia and the Far North.
In December 1947, State tests began at the Air Force Research Institute, which continued until March 1948. In July of the same year, tests of the second prototype with the ASh-21 engine were completed.
On August 23, 1948, the aircraft, designated An-2, was adopted by the Air Force and supplied to the Civil Air Fleet. Serial production was organized at plant No. 473 in Kyiv.
On September 9, 1949, test pilot G.I. Lysenko took to the skies the first production An-2 (in transport version).
The An-2 is built according to the aerodynamic design of a braced biplane. The fuselage is all-metal (D-16T, D-16AT), semi-monocoque, beam-stringer type with working skin. The wings are straight, two-spar, formed by a biconvex asymmetrical profile R-II-TsAGI. The wing box is single-post with I-shaped struts. The upper wing is equipped with automatic slats along the entire span, slotted overhanging flaps and aileron flaps. Only slotted flaps are installed on the lower wing. The covering of the wings and empennage is linen. The landing gear is non-retractable, tricycle, with a tail wheel. In winter, a ski chassis can be installed. The power plant consists of a piston 9-cylinder air-cooled engine ASh-62IR with a four-blade propeller.
The aircraft of the first 129 series were equipped with a wooden propeller B-509A-D7 with a diameter of 3.6 meters and saber-shaped blades. Later it was replaced by the B-509A-D9 propeller. Starting from the 57 series of Polish production, a metal AB-2 propeller with straight blades was installed.
The fuel supply is located in 6 wing tanks (in the upper wing). The left side has a cargo door measuring 1.46 x 1.53 m, and a smaller passenger door (0.81 x 1.42 m). The cockpit canopy is made convex on the sides for better visibility back and down.
The first production An-2 aircraft were placed at the disposal of the USSR Ministry of Geology. They were also equipped with flight units of the civil air fleet. From June 1950, the An-2 began to arrive at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Border Guard Aviation, and from June 1951 - to DOSAAF (the first five aircraft were received by the Central Aero Club named after V.P. Chkalov in Moscow).
In 1952, the first aircraft were received by the headquarters squadrons of the Air Force and Navy. In February 1959, the Yeisk VAUL began to use the An-2 for flight and parachute training of cadets, and two years later all flight schools acquired them.
The initial stage of creating the aircraft and launching it into production was complicated by the fact that a number of high-ranking officials and aviation specialists considered this project archaic. After all, the aircraft being created was a braced biplane, and by the end of the forties, the time of biplanes seemed to have already passed.
Production in full swing AN-2 aircraft began to gain momentum after 1953 (the death of I.V. Stalin and the rise to power of N.S. Khrushchev, who was especially sympathetic to this aircraft in terms of its capabilities for working in agriculture). The aircraft was mass-produced at plant No. 437 in Kyiv ( Kyiv State Aviation Plant "AVIANT"- is now part of the Ukrainian State Aircraft Concern "Antonov").
Production of the AN-2 by plant No. 437 continued until 1963, and during this period 3,164 copies of various modifications were produced. A specialized agricultural version of the AN-2M was also produced at plant No. 464 in the city of Dolgoprudny, Moscow region (now the Dolgoprudny Research and Production Enterprise - a manufacturer of weapons for air defense systems).
However, the largest number of biplanes AN-2 was released in Poland. Since 1958, the rights to produce this aircraft were transferred to it and the procedure for selling it in the USSR was determined. At the WSK PZL-Mielec plant in the Polish city of Mielec, full-scale production continued until the end of 1992, and individual small series were produced until January 2002.
A total of 11,915 copies were produced in Poland. AN-2 aircraft, of which 10,440 were delivered to the USSR (and further to the CIS after the collapse of the USSR).
In addition, this aircraft was produced under license in China in various versions with the names Shijiazhuang Y-5 and Nanchang Y-5. The PRC remains today the only country in the world where production of the AN-2 continues to this day.
In total, more than 18 thousand copies of the AN-2 were built and, as of the end of 2012, about 2,300 such aircraft are in operation in the world in 26 countries. The largest number of them (about 1400 pieces) is located in Russia. Most of these aircraft are currently in storage (about 1000 units).
And you AN-2 has already entered the Guinness Book of Records as the only aircraft in the world whose production has not stopped for more than 60 years. Such longevity is determined by the excellent capabilities and characteristics of the aircraft in its class, and numerous extremely positive reviews from the flight crew only confirm these qualities.
The high adaptive capabilities of the airframe made it possible to develop a large number of different options AN-2 aircraft. In addition to the basic transport and agricultural options, there are also seaplanes on floats, passenger versions, medical assistance aircraft, scientific laboratories, aircraft for fighting forest fires, and light military transport options for carrying cargo and dropping paratroopers.
There are more than twenty modifications in total. As an experiment, an ekranoplan was even manufactured on the basis of the AN-2. It was exhibited at the MAKS-2009 exhibition.
The AN-2 was especially widely used in the USSR for transporting cargo and passengers on local airlines. Often these were flights between regional and district centers and even between villages.
Exceptional simplicity and unpretentiousness in operation, high reliability, excellent takeoff and landing characteristics, allowing the use AN-2 from unprepared small sites, made it indispensable for use in underdeveloped areas of the Arctic, Central Asia and Siberia. There it was used almost everywhere.
AN-2 aircraft has an all-metal fuselage and a power wing frame made of aluminum alloy type D-16 (T/AT). The wing covering is made of polyester fabric. The power plant is a 1000 hp ASh-62IR piston radial engine with a four-bladed AV-2 variable-pitch propeller. Crew - 1-2 people (depending on modification). Maximum take-off weight - 5500 kg. Payload up to 1600 kg or 12 people in passenger version.
The aerodynamic design is a braced biplane with a single-pillar wing box. The upper wing has automatic slats, slotted flaps and aileron flaps. The lower one has only slotted flaps. The landing gear is a non-retractable three-post with a tail wheel.
This aircraft has some design features that facilitate its operation in hard-to-reach areas from unprepared small-sized unpaved landing sites.
Air brakes on AN-2 designed on the principle of heavy vehicle brakes to ensure reliable braking on short runways.
Pressure in brakes, tires and shock absorbers can be adjusted using an on-board compressor without the use of ground equipment.
To start the engine, the aircraft does not necessarily need an airfield power launcher. There are easily removable high-power batteries on board.
To carry out on-board refueling there is no need for a special tanker. Fuel can be pumped into aircraft fuel tanks from any containers (barrels) using an on-board transfer pump.
In winter, the wheeled chassis can be easily changed to a ski chassis with special heated runners.
The biplane itself is very simply designed and has at least any complex systems. Maximum permissible speed AN-2 aircraft- 300 km/h, cruising - 180 km/h. The run length is about 150 m, the run length is about 170 m.
However, these figures are nominal and can vary significantly depending on external conditions (air temperature, headwind strength, runway surface conditions) and aircraft weight.
The biplane flies confidently at very low speeds, which in many cases makes it possible to significantly reduce takeoff and landing distances. For him, one might say, the concept of stall speed is practically absent. When the flight speed decreases to about 64 km/h, the slats automatically extend and the aircraft continues fully controlled flight.
With a further decrease in speed to a value of about 40 km/h, the plane still does not stall but begins to parachute. The rate of descent in this case is approximately equal to the rate of descent of an ordinary parachute until the plane comes into contact with the ground.
I must say that with the engine off AN-2 aircraft plans confidently, but the parachute mode is also provided for use in case of engine failure and lack of visual visibility (flying by instruments or at night).
According to pilot reviews, the biplane handles well up to speeds of about 50 km/h. Such low values even make it possible to hover above the ground or move the aircraft in flight in reverse relative to the ground. This is quite possible with a headwind speed of more than 50 km/h. At the same time, the aircraft remains fully controllable relative to the airspace.
In principle, this flight mode is characteristic of most STOL (short take-off and landing) aircraft, however AN-2(this is the world's largest single-engine biplane) performs it at the lowest headwind speed.
There are also quite well-known cases of using remarkable takeoff and landing characteristics. AN-2 for its landing across the runway at stationary airfields with concrete pavement.
This usually happened if a normal landing of the aircraft along the runway was impossible due to strong crosswinds. The crew commander, with the permission of the flight director, decided to land across the runway, the width of which was usually enough not only for the minimum run, but also for subsequent taxiing.
Due to its unique properties, AN-2 aircraft enjoyed good fame among flight personnel and great demand among operators in the Soviet Union everywhere, even when the WSK PZL-Mielec plant launched specialized aircraft PZL M-18 Dromader and PZL-106 Kruk, as well as PZL M-15 “Belphegor” (late 70s).
However, since 1989, the demand for AN-2 began to gradually fall, which led to the cessation of its production in Poland in 1992.
The main reason for this was, of course, the collapse of the USSR, accompanied by the decline of the economies of the former Soviet republics and countries of the socialist camp. Not only has the demand for new aircraft decreased, but the operation of old ones has also largely ceased. A large number of AN-2s went into storage (the quality of which left much to be desired). The production of aviation gasoline ceased, which also had a detrimental effect on the aircraft’s operational capabilities.
The aircraft itself, created back in 1947, despite its high flight qualities and quite a large potential for use in the economic sphere, was already outdated and did not meet certain European requirements for aircraft of this class.
In particular, this is a fairly high noise level and increased operating costs due to the rather high fuel consumption, which is expensive aviation gasoline.
In Europe, as well as in the USA and Canada, commercial use AN-2 prohibited everywhere since the aircraft is not certified by national aviation authorities. However, it is quite widely represented in the collections of classic aircraft collectors due to its appearance, unique flight characteristics and simply because AN-2 aircraft- the largest single-engine biplane in the world. And the demand in this regard continues to increase.
However, the real life story of the biplane seems to be not over yet. After all, there is a completely effective way, based on the advantages of this wonderful aircraft, to get rid of many of its shortcomings. The first and most obvious way is to replace the well-deserved, but outdated and noisy piston engine (developed before the Second World War and no longer in production) with a modern turboprop.
Such an engine is more economical; moreover, the cost of aviation kerosene is significantly lower than gasoline (almost five times for Russia) and its availability in various remote areas is higher.
The idea of installing a TVD on AN-2 aircraft originated in the Antonov Design Bureau back in the 1950s. However, work was stalled due to the lack of a suitable engine. And only in the late seventies, at the engine plant in Omsk, the TVD-20 engine was created, for which the aircraft was designed (or, more correctly, modernized). A three-bladed propeller with reverse capability was used, which reduced the run length to 100 m.
The new aircraft was named AN-3. In May 1980, the AN-3 was first flown, but due to difficulties in organizing engine production, the entire range of tests was completed only by 1991. The aircraft was never put into production. At this time, the Soviet Union collapsed and the economy began to collapse.
However, in 1997, the Antonov Design Bureau decided to continue work on the AN-3 project. The emphasis was on aircraft production AN-3T(transport), although other options are possible: passenger, forest patrol, landing, agricultural.
The aircraft was modified to meet modern requirements, the design of the fuselage and tail was slightly changed. The cabin equipment has changed with the possibility of installing modern navigation equipment, an on-board flight data recorder, modern radio communication equipment and systems monitoring devices. Working conditions for the crew and transportation of passengers have been significantly improved.
Compared to basic AN-2 As a result of modernization, the weight of the payload increased by 1.2 times, the speed by 1.3 times, the rate of climb by 1.8 times, and the noise level in the cabin decreased. The aircraft's performance increased by 1.5 times while fuel and oil costs decreased by 2 times.
AN-3 converted from AN-2 aircraft with a remaining life of at least 50% at the Omsk production association “Polyot”. A total of 20 copies were produced, after which mass production was discontinued in 2009. The reason for this was the high cost of the aircraft (62 million rubles in 2007) due to the lack of a portfolio of orders from the manufacturer. The budgets of small constituent entities of the Russian Federation (especially the northern ones) could not ensure the simultaneous acquisition of the required number of aircraft.
However, this line is currently being continued. And by two manufacturers. In Ukraine, the Kiev Aviation Production Association “Antonov” (a follower of the Antonov Design Bureau) took up this again. Flight tests of the aircraft began in July 2013 AN-2-100. It is equipped with a turboprop engine manufactured by the Ukrainian engine-building company Motor Sich MS-14 with a three-bladed reversible propeller.
What is currently happening with this project is unknown.
According to reports from the Antonov State Enterprise, a preliminary agreement has already been reached with the Cuban Aviation Corporation on the conversion of the entire multifunctional fleet of Cuban AN-2s (about 140 units) into AN-2-100. In addition, there are orders from Azerbaijan.
However, in Russia itself, similar developments began earlier. In September 2011, a plane took off AN-2MS. Otherwise, it is also called TVS-2MS, that is, turboprop aircraft (TVS). The development and production of this aircraft is carried out by SibNIA named after. S.A. Chaplygina (Novosibirsk city). This is the same enterprise where the newly created aircraft made its first flight in 1947. AN-2 aircraft.
An-2MS equipped with a Garrett TPE 331-12 turboprop engine manufactured by the American company Honeywell Aerospace with a five-bladed reversible propeller HC-B5MP-5CLX/LM 11692MX from Hartzell.
The AN-2 veteran has a very real opportunity to get a second life. The duet of the newly used engine and propeller turned out to be very successful. The level of noise and vibrations has significantly decreased, the working conditions of the crew, the temperature and comfort conditions in the passenger cabin have significantly improved.
The highly economical engine made it possible to increase the flight range by 1.5 times compared to the AN-2. The aircraft has become lighter and its takeoff, landing and flight characteristics have improved by an average of 15-20%. For example, the standard range is now no more than 80 meters (as opposed to 170 for the AN-2), although in reality it may even be significantly less.
Three copies have been produced so far AN-2MS, and all of them (together with the Ukrainian AN-2-100) were exhibited at the MAKS-2013 international air show held in August-September this year. The aircraft showed themselves in all their glory, combining the best qualities of a long-liver AN-2 and progressive achievements of modern aircraft and engine manufacturing.
The spectators were especially impressed by the almost silent 2MS hovering in the air, taking off almost from a standstill and after landing running no more than 20 meters.
The appearance of new, modernized AN-2 models coincided with growing interest in the revival and further development of the network of local and regional airlines in Russia. This is a natural process associated with economic growth and accelerated industrial development.
However, there is currently no aircraft for such lines that could perform various tasks in the rather harsh conditions of today’s Russia, and imported aircraft are expensive, and their class is somewhat different. Helicopters in this regard are more expensive to maintain, less economical and too large in size (such as MI-8). A new specialized aircraft can be created, but it will take a lot of time, at least 5-7 years. But we need to live and work now.
In connection with the current situation, the highest echelons of power in the Russian Federation have taken a course towards re-engining and updating the fleet of existing, but already outdated aircraft in order to extend and significantly improve their flight life.
In particular AN-2 aircraft There are 1400 pieces in Russia, 135 pieces in Ukraine. Quite a few of them remain in other former Soviet republics. It is assumed that about half of them could well be upgraded to the 2MC or 2-100 variants. This would help survive the crisis period in local aviation until the advent of new generation aircraft.
This decision is quite controversial, and it has many supporters and opponents, both in Russia and Ukraine. Whether it will be implemented in practice, and how high its usefulness will be, time will tell. And now one thing is absolutely clear: the resource of possibilities of the “eternal”, as experienced specialists call it, AN-2 aircraft not yet exhausted.
And now some interesting features of the AN-2 aircraft:
1. The design of a unique biplane can be called one of the greatest successes of the Antonov design bureau. Despite the fact that even the first models were outdated machines for their time, literally no aircraft could replicate the features of the An-2. Externally, the car looks like a completely ordinary biplane and does not stand out from the orderly ranks of its fellows. Even the purpose of the An-2 was, initially, quite standard: spraying pesticides over fields and light transport in case of military needs.
2. It was not in vain that the designers decided to make the An-2 a biplane. Two parallel wings can provide more lift to an airplane than one. Due to the powerful engine and this feature, the biplane learned to take off from the shortest, completely unsuitable platforms. In the cabin, of course, there is not enough comfort - the noise of the engine can turn any conversation into meaningless articulation, and the absence of a rear landing gear dictates an uncomfortable seating position for passengers, however, the plane was not built for pleasure at all, but for business.
3. That same lift gives the aircraft incredible handling. The minimum speed at which the pilot remains able to control the biplane is only 40 km/h. The world-famous Cessnas become uncontrollable already at 80 km/h. This quality makes the An-2, among other things, an ideal simulator for novice pilots: to crash this machine, you will have to really try.
4. Advanced wing mechanization allows the An-2 to perform stunts that are completely impossible for other aircraft. A biplane can hover above the ground when the headwind is strong enough. And we are not talking about any off-scale indicators. No, to turn into an analogue of a helicopter, the An-2 only needs a wind of 30 km/h.
5. The deflectable panels mounted on the leading edges of the wings are called slats. The same ones are located on the trailing edges - these are flaps. On a conventional airplane this is exactly the case, but the An-2 is equipped with flaps along the entire length of the trailing edge of the lower wing and along the entire length of the leading edge of the upper wing. If you release them all, it will significantly increase the lifting force of the biplane. This allows the An-2, with the same 30-40 km/h headwind and the engine operating at maximum power, to go tail first. This trick cannot be repeated by any other aircraft.
An-2 (according to NATO codification: Colt - “Foal”, colloquially - “Corn grower”, “Annushka”) is a Soviet light transport aircraft, a piston single-engine biplane with a braced wing. The world's largest single-engine biplane in the history of aviation (before the appearance of the An-3 aircraft).
Material from Wikipedia
Even at the very beginning of the development and creation of the legendary “Kukuruznik”, the possibility of using this maneuverable, light aircraft for military purposes was considered. In the spring of 1947, the O.K. Antonov ASTC (formerly OKB-153) began developing a special three-seat aircraft designed for night reconnaissance and artillery fire adjustment. The An-2's minimal take-off and range, its low evolutionary speed, and high maneuverability were completely suitable for performing these special tasks.
The created aircraft was almost a complete analogue of the base model. Only the fuselage and tail unit underwent significant changes. An observer's cabin was mounted on the fuselage, which was a glazed truss structure. A stabilizer with spaced fins and a non-retractable tail wheel were attached to it. Also, to repel enemy attacks from the rear hemisphere, a VEU-1 turret with a 20-mm BD-20E cannon was installed behind the upper wing. The engine and crew positions were protected by armor. The plans of the creators of the new combat vehicle also included using the aircraft as a night bomber, for which it was additionally equipped with two cassettes in the fuselage for vertical suspension of six 50-kg bombs and four underwing holders for 100-kg bombs, as well as another 20-kg bomb. mm cannon (in the lower right plane). The aircraft received the designation "F" ("Fedya").
In the spring of 1949, the first prototype of the new aircraft took off; it was designated An-2NAK (night artillery spotter). Tests of the new vehicle were carried out by pilots V. Didenko and A. Pashkevich; they continued until February 1950 and were considered successful. But at the beginning of the same 1950, it was decided that it would be more expedient to use helicopters to perform such tasks, and this modification of the An-2 was not put into mass production.
The next combat modification of the An-2 was the An-2A high-altitude aircraft project, designed to combat automatic reconnaissance balloons. This aircraft was created on the basis of the An-6 weather sounder, it was equipped with an automated sight-finder, as well as a remote installation equipped with an AM-23 cannon and a searchlight for night search for targets. The meteorologist's cabin was removed from the rear fuselage.
Also, simultaneously with the An-2A project, another project was being developed with the designation An-3, which involved a more radical redesign of the An-2. The An-3 was supposed to be a two-seat braced all-metal monoplane with a high aspect ratio wing. But these projects remained only in drawings.
It seemed that with the closure of these projects and attempts at combat use of the An-2, it was over forever. But the Kukuruznik still had to fight, and the fight was carried out by peaceful An-2 biplanes that were completely unsuited for these purposes.
The first reliably known combat use of the An-2 occurred in Hungary in 1956. During the suppression of Ana's uprising, the "Cornmen" were used to scatter leaflets over Imre Nagy's troops, as well as for visual reconnaissance, while they quite often came under enemy fire.
The An-2 was used in the Indochina War. An-2 aircraft of the Air Force of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) made their first combat flights to Laos, where in 1960-62. there was a civil war going on. The Vietnamese "Cornmen" delivered equipment, ammunition and weapons to their allies - the Pathet Lao detachments and left-wing neutralists. Around the same time, An-2s were also used to supply the Viet Cong.
There is a known case when an An-2 flight of the Vietnamese Air Force sank a warship of the South Vietnamese Navy (a corvette or frigate according to modern classification) on a night combat mission and damaged the landing ship. To complete the mission, each aircraft carried eight S-8 NURS.
An-2s were successfully used to combat sabotage and reconnaissance junks and boats. To do this, they were equipped with one or two machine guns and holders for small bombs. The successes of the An-2 in this role were repeatedly covered in the press of that time.
The Vietnamese also used these aircraft for operations against ground targets. But during bombing they were shot down quite often.
In Cambodia in 1970, An-2s were used by government forces in battles with partisans as transport aircraft. In 1979, again in Cambodia, An-2s took part in the fight, this time with the Khmer Rouge detachments. In addition to transport duties, they were used as forward air controllers. The crews, having discovered targets, “treated” them with NURS, bombs, or simply hand grenades with white phosphorus, which, when burned, released thick white smoke, which served as a guide for attack aircraft.
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