). Unknown Antonov (8 pages) Engine operating modes

An aircraft that has a huge number of nicknames and has become the hero of jokes, Khrushchev’s favorite is the AN-2, also known as the “maize plant”, “foal”, “flying bookcase”, “Annushka”... Created by the brilliant Soviet aircraft designer Oleg Antonov, the AN-2 aircraft even found a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest-produced serial aircraft (more than 6 decades). This is the smallest transport aircraft in the USSR, however, it is the largest among aircraft - biplanes. The design solutions used in its creation made this machine very durable and multifunctional. Before the commissioning of the AN-3 aircraft, the Kukuruznik was considered the lightest single-engine aircraft in Soviet aviation.

Manufacturer

For the production of a new aircraft in the USSR with the designation AN 2, the Kiev Aviation Plant No. 473 was allocated, which at the time the first series of the maize plant was launched into assembly was a low-power aircraft repair enterprise. However, with the support of the USSR government and Khrushchev personally, Kiev was able to put the production of the new product on stream. At the Moscow region machine-building plant in the city of Dolgoprudny, a modified An-2M was produced (parts for assembly were also supplied from Kyiv). In 1958, the right to produce the AN 2 as the most suitable small aircraft was transferred to Poland (as part of the CMEA agreement). Antonov biplanes began to be produced at the WSK PZL plant in the city of Mielec. All work was carried out under the supervision of Soviet specialists.

Two years earlier, mass production of the “corn maker” began in China at a state-owned plant in Nanchang, and was then transferred to the Shijiazhuang Aviation Corporation. The Chinese version of the aircraft is no longer designated AN2, but Shijiazhuang U-5; several dozen of them are produced per year.

Both Polish and Chinese production AN-2s had their own markings.

Date of release and modification

The chronicle of the AN aircraft begins even before the war, at the beginning of the 40s of the last century, when Antonov received the task of creating an aircraft of a simple design to solve primarily agricultural problems (pest control for crops), similar to German biplanes, designed to replace the outdated lightweight PO-2. He had to perform other military transport work as well. Requirements were put forward for the capabilities of the new machine: to land and take off from any surface, be it soil or even forest clearings. In terms of technical operation, such an aircraft should have been simpler than expensive helicopters and also unpretentious in terms of maintenance and operating conditions. Due to the war, the start of development had to be postponed until 1946. The AN2 made its first test flight in 1947, covering 3 thousand kilometers.

The aircraft has many modifications that allow it to perform work in different areas and climatic conditions:

• An-2C – ambulance transportation;
• An-2SKh - for agricultural tasks (mainly spraying crops against pests, for which it received the nickname “corn farmer”);
• An-2T – transport transportation (capable of taking on board about a ton of cargo);
• An-2TP – transports both cargo and passengers;
• An-2TD – designed for landing troops, as well as civilian paratroopers (with a retractable platform);
• An-2F - equipped for aerial photography, also conducts artillery reconnaissance at night, equipped with a cabin for a navigator in the tail, the engine and cabin are covered with an outer layer of armor;
• An-4 - an aircraft with the ability to splashdown;
• An-6 – carries out meteorological reconnaissance;
• An-2 – for cartographic surveys (with built-in cameras);
• An-2 – for radiation (with an X-ray meter) and geological exploration (with a magnetometer);
• An-2 – for rescue operations (with a hatch in the floor and a rail trolley);
• An-2L - for extinguishing forest fires (with containers for fire extinguishing mixtures);
• An-2M - for agricultural work with a long fuselage;
• An-2P - for transporting passengers;
• An-2S sanitary - can take on board 6 bedridden patients (there are special stretchers) and 2 accompanying persons, equipped with a thermal insulation system, a first aid kit and a toilet;
• An-2E ekranoplan;
• An-2PK – for work in polar conditions (equipped with a ski chassis and additional heating capabilities).

Over the entire production period, more than 18,000 copies of the AN2 aircraft were assembled; they performed their tasks in several dozen countries.

When did the issue end?

Despite its enormous popularity in the USSR and in many countries of the world, the demand for the Antonov biplane began to gradually decline in the 80s of the last century, which led to the cessation of its mass production in 1992. Piece models (mainly ordered by the governments of Asian countries) were produced in China and later.

Specifications

The AN-2 aircraft is 12.7 meters long and 6.1 meters high. An empty cornbox weighs 3.4 tons, the maximum weight at takeoff is 5.5 tons. Load capacity (for the standard model) is 1.5 tons, fuel on board is 0.9 tons.

Flight andspecificationsThe device has the following:

• Maximum range – 900 kilometers;
• Cruising speed – 185 km per hour;
• The maximum flight altitude is 4.4 kilometers;
• The power of the piston engine with an air cooling system is 1000 horsepower (designed by designer Shvetsov).

This plane is capable of not going into a tailspin, but of descending smoothly, like a parachute, even if the engine stalls. The base and wings of the AN2 were made of aluminum, the wings were then covered with fabric made of polyester materials.

The aerodynamic design of the AN-2 is typical for a biplane: there are two load-bearing surfaces, i.e. wings, between which a brace is installed - a steel cable. The braced biplane, due to its design, acquires additional stability.

The landing gear of this small representative of the aircraft family is tricycle, they are not retractable, and instead of the rear landing gear there is a wheel in the tail. The biplane's wing is so mechanized that the AN-2 can hover in the air in one place and even move in reverse. The crew consists of two people.

Layout of seats in the aircraft cabin

Transporting people over short distances, an advantage in remote areas, was carried out by AN-2-P modified for these purposes. They were equipped with 12 passenger seats. The salon was 4.2 meters long, 1.65 meters wide, and 1.85 meters high.

Now wealthy individuals or wealthy corporations, for the sake of exclusivity, purchase rare AN-2s and convert them into VIP aircraft for business flights. The cabins in such aircraft are distinguished by luxury that is not available for the basic configuration.

In total, the AN-2 seats 12 (sometimes a thirteenth seat is installed) passengers, so the interior layout is quite simple.

Best/worst places

In general, the level of comfort in all seats in the AN-2 is very low, since the aircraft was not created primarily for transporting passengers. When seats are placed in two rows, the least inconvenience is experienced by passengers in the 4th row of seats near the aisle (2, 5, 8, 11). The seats near the windows are less comfortable due to the roundness of the sides of the aircraft. The two rear rows of seats are inclined significantly downwards, since the plane rests on its tail - it is better not to sit in these seats with children. In addition, passengers in these seats may be disturbed by the odors of the toilet located behind the frame (if it is not a bio-device).

All passengers feel shaking during takeoff and unevenness of the runway, and there is also a high level of noise in the cabin, despite the presence of only one engine.

Facilities

Since the AN-2 aircraft was not originally designed as a passenger aircraft, there is no need to talk about special amenities. For example, this biplane does not have a toilet cabin, which is familiar to passengers of large airliners. Sometimes a bucket with a seat (located in front of the frame) was used as a toilet. More modern and VIP models use bio-toilets. Sound insulation is carried out, the sides are equipped with a GPS system. Wi-Fi is not installed because it is unnecessary and expensive.

Despite his advanced age, it is too early to write off the famous “corn maker”. So, in 2013, the Antonov design association announced the start of work on a new modification of the AN-2, now the hundredth series. A Ukrainian-made turboprop engine will be installed here. In Russia, the new AN-2ms was presented with the American Garrett engine and equipped with a five-blade propeller with reverse speed. We can conclude that the legendary Antonov biplane will receive a new life.

Video

He is called "the last great aircraft designer of the 20th century." He created 22 types of aircraft, including the largest and most lifting aircraft in the world, which became the “calling card” of our country. It was his car that holds the absolute record for the duration of active service - the legendary An-2 was mass-produced for more than half a century! In total, the famous Antonov Design Bureau has about 500 aviation records, most of which have not yet been broken.

Although Oleg Konstantinovich Antonov received worldwide recognition as a designer of civil and transport aircraft, his design bureau was also active in the military field, which was not customary to mention before. Only experts know that among Antonov’s first independent projects were the development of a front-line jet fighter and a jet “flying wing”. And even the An-2 “maize plant” was supposed to have several combat modifications: a night reconnaissance and artillery fire spotter, a high-altitude balloon fighter, and even a turbojet “stratospheric biplane” with a “ceiling” of about 20 km!

The new book by a leading aviation historian tells in detail about ALL aircraft of the great aircraft designer, both civil and military, serial and experimental, well-known and almost forgotten - from gliders of the 1930s to the transport giants "Ruslan" and "Mriya", which have no equal in the world.

Sections of this page:

LONG-LIFE BIPLANE

Birth of "Annushka"

An-2 is a trouble-free and irreplaceable air worker...

Such planes are ageless.

General designer A. S. Yakovlev

There are many long-lived aircraft known in the world. Today, the vast majority of them are only demonstration flights at various air shows to entertain spectators. But there are also exceptions. For example, the Soviet biplane An-2. This machine, created in the first post-war years, is widely known on all continents of the planet and, despite its venerable age, continues to transport passengers and cargo and cultivate agricultural land.

I think I won’t be mistaken if I say that the biography of the aircraft began back in 1940, following the beginning of copying the German Storch. The project of a military transport vehicle, designated “aircraft No. 4,” rationally combined a 1000-horsepower air-cooled M-62 engine and a fairly light airframe with a biplane wing box. Calculations showed that with ten equipped fighters, a runway 50 meters long would be sufficient.

There is talk that Antonov's attitude towards aircraft for similar purposes was significantly influenced by the agricultural aviation aircraft CX-1, created in Leningrad by A. G. Bedunkovich. Even if this is true, one can only be happy for A.G. Bedunkovich, since his idea has lived for almost 70 years and has no plans to die. The main thing is not to forget that the CX-1 and An-2 are united only by an idea, and their designs have nothing in common.

This is what the design of aircraft No. 4 looked like on paper

At that time, the proposed biplane looked like a complete anachronism and did not fit into the slogan “above all, farthest, fastest.” And although the military rejected Antonov’s proposal. Oleg Konstantinovich’s faith in the car has not faded. Five years later, when the country began to gradually return to peaceful life, Antonov returned to his idea again.

Antonov learned about the victory over Nazi Germany in Novosibirsk, being deputy chief designer A.S. Yakovleva. At the same time, Oleg Konstantinovich turned to Yakovlev with a proposal to develop a project for his aircraft.

On this matter, today you can get different opinions from the press. Evil tongues say that Antonov shared his plans with Yakovlev, but the boss refused. All this is a deliberate lie, which can be explained by the rumors about Yakovlev that are still circulating. Yes, Alexander Sergeevich had a cool character, and he knew how to make enemies for himself who spread gossip.

Contrary to rumors, I can only say that on the explanatory note to the preliminary design, the Deputy People's Commissar of the Aviation Industry for Experimental Aircraft Construction on May 25, 1945 imposed a resolution:

« T. Shishkina S.N.:

This is an interesting plane, we need to build it. Instruct us to request from Comrade Antonov an estimate and production date for the machine.”

In the address on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of A.S. Yakovleva O.K. Antonov emphasized:

"To me I had the good fortune to work for a total of several years under your leadership in the wonderful design bureau you created, which is an example of a creative organization in terms of coherence, efficiency and speed of implementation of new advanced ideas.

I remember with pleasure and gratitude these years of study, which brought me invaluable benefits in my further independent work.”

In my opinion, there is enough evidence to “rehabilitate” Yakovlev.

The creation of your own machine in those years, if successful, could result in the organization of a new design bureau. Yakovlev knew this very well and, nevertheless, did not refuse Antonov, fully aware that he could lose a good assistant and engineer. Not every chief designer was able to take such a step. By that time, little remained of the original appearance of “aircraft number 4”. Maybe a biplane box of wings.

In March 1946, Minister of Aviation Industry M.V. Khrunichev signed order No. 94 on the separation of the Novosibirsk branch of OKB-115 into an independent OKB-153 for the purpose of “developing experimental work in aircraft construction and building up new teams,” appointing O.K. as its chief designer. Antonov.

The new team was faced with one, but vitally important task for the new design bureau - the creation of a transport aircraft "T" with an ALLI-62IR engine. Moreover, its maximum speed had to be at least 270 km/h at an altitude of 1750 meters, and cruising speed - 205. Range with a commercial load of 1000 kg - 1300 km, and with 2000 kg (overload) - 900 km. Practical ceiling - 7500 meters. The take-off run is 65 meters, and the landing speed is 70 km/h. After nine months, the car was ordered to be submitted for state testing.

Five months later, the Ministry of Aviation Industry allowed OKB-153 to build a second copy of the aircraft in an agricultural version with an ASh-21 engine in accordance with the requirements of the Civil Air Fleet and submit it for state tests by May 1, 1947. But it was not possible to meet the deadlines set by the ministry.

The first to be built was a transport aircraft with an ASh-62IR engine, but for some reason designated as SHA - “Antonov Agricultural Aircraft”. August 31, 1947 test pilot of the Civil Air Fleet Research Institute (now GosNII GA)

P.N. Volodin tested SCA for the first time in flight. This event became the birthday of the future An-2.

An-2 in flight

The plane was extremely simple. So, both of its wings have a rectangular shape with rounded ends. The wing profile is constant in span, biconvex, asymmetrical type P-ll with a relative thickness of 14 percent. The same profile was used in all Antonov’s previous projects, including the German Storch.

The double-spar wings were covered with canvas. The upper wing has automatic slats along the entire span, slotted flaps and aileron flaps. The lower wing has only a slotted flap. The fuselage of the aircraft is an all-metal semi-monocoque of the beam-stringer type. The landing gear is non-retractable, tricycle with a tail wheel. By the way, Antonov made a lot of efforts to speed up the creation of the An-2, trying, whenever possible, to use finished products that were collecting dust in military warehouses. Thus, the wheels of the main landing gear were borrowed from the Il-2 attack aircraft, and the tail wheel from the Tu-2 bomber.

Factory tests of the aircraft showed that its ceiling was lower and its speed was higher than specified. In general, the SHA-2 met the requirements for a truck, and in October the aircraft was to be transferred for state testing to the Air Force Research Institute, located in the Moscow region. The region is not close, and many thought it would be better to dismantle the car and send it to the capital by rail. However, Volodin, confident in the aircraft, had a different opinion and proposed to overtake the SKhA under its own power, and at the same time demonstrate its capabilities to the Civil Air Fleet and Air Force specialists. There was, of course, a risk, but the pilot’s confidence convinced Antonov.

On October 10, the plane set off on its first flight, passing through Omsk, Sverdlovsk, Kazan and Arzamas. Three days later, the plane landed at the airfield of the Air Force Research Institute in Chkalovskaya. State tests began in the second half of December after defects were eliminated and the engine was replaced. State tests of the first prototype in the airborne transport version were completed in March 1948, and four months later - of the second ACS, this time a real agricultural one, but with an ALU-21 engine, which took place at the Civil Air Fleet Research Institute (pilot G. I. Lysenko, presenter engineer N. M. Zasimko and flight mechanic A. V. Ilyin).

On August 23 of the same 1948, the vehicle with the ALU-62IR engine was adopted by the Air Force and supplied to the Civil Air Fleet under the designation An-2. The government decree provided for the production of aircraft in passenger, ambulance, airborne transport and agricultural (with aerosol) versions.

In 1949, the SKhA-3 aircraft with modified agricultural equipment was tested at the Civil Air Fleet Research Institute.

In March 1948, serial production of the An-2 was entrusted to plant No. 473 in Kyiv. From the adoption of this decision to the lifting into the air on September 8 of the first production vehicle in a transport version, a little more than a year passed. At the beginning of 1950, the plant delivered the lead series of aircraft to the customer, and the third copy of them was presented for control tests at the Air Force Research Institute on February 28 (leading test pilot V.P. Boroshenko). Despite the fact that the machines left the assembly shop of the serial plant, the specialists of the Research and Testing Institute could not yet answer the question: which of the propellers - the B-509A-D7 with saber blades or the AB-9N-21 with straight blades - is most suitable for it ?

Control tests showed a clear advantage of saber-shaped propellers over the AV-9N-21. The plane turned out to be 53 kg lighter, and the altitude and speed characteristics, although not by much, were higher. As a result, mass production continued with saber-shaped propellers.

To improve maneuverability on unprepared sites with low soil strength, the An-2 was tested on a six-wheeled chassis, but things did not go further than the experiments.

Production aircraft differed from experimental ones in the anti-icing system of the propeller and cockpit glass. The areas of the keel and ailerons were increased (due to the chord), and the transverse “V” of the wing was changed. There were other modifications that improved the aircraft's performance.

Production aircraft intended for farmers were designated An-2SH. The lead copy of such an aircraft with equipment for a sprayer and fertilizer spreader was built in August 1950 and was tested at the Civil Air Fleet Research Institute in the fall, after which it was returned to OKB-153 for modifications to the equipment. Tests continued in May of the following year, while orchards, vineyards, grain crops, rice plantations and other agricultural land were sprayed. As a result, the aircraft was recommended for mass production.

Meanwhile, aircraft began to arrive in agricultural aviation from the beginning of 1951, but without equipment for spraying and dispersing fertilizers. In particular, the Krasnoyarsk Civil Air Fleet Department received aircraft with identification marks - A2597, A2601, A2630 and A2637, but they were used not for pest control and for plant feeding, but for other purposes. And one of them (USSR - A2597) completely disappeared.

During operation in Krasnoyarsk in 1951, over 12 defects and shortcomings were identified on the An-2, including those dangerous for flight: overheating of the engine at an outside air temperature of 25 degrees or more, vibration of the stabilizer and front braces of the half-boxes of the wings, tendency of the aircraft to turn to the left.

Mass production of the An-2 in the agricultural version began at plant No. 473 only in 1952, when the first 25 An-2SH were delivered to the customer. A tank for chemicals and fertilizers was located in its cargo compartment. Under the lower wing and fuselage there is equipment for spraying them. 12 vehicles from the first batch were handed over for operational tests, which took place in the fields of Ukraine, the North Caucasus, Uzbekistan and Armenia.

The An-2SKh gradually became the main aircraft for agriculture and was produced in large series both in the Soviet Union and in Poland (An-2R). They can still be seen over agricultural lands in many countries.

The An-2 is also used for other tasks, in particular for aerial photography. The first An-2 was converted into an aerial photography version at OKB-153. To do this, in September 1951, pilot Babich flew it from Kyiv to Novosibirsk. Moreover, his route ran through the Moscow region. At the Medvezhye Lakes airfield, located near Chkalovskaya near Moscow, an AFA-33/20 aerial camera was loaded into it and released into Siberia. An-2s are still used for these purposes, but in addition to cameras they are also equipped with autopilots.

Another, no less interesting version of the An-2 was an aircraft with a multi-wheeled landing gear, developed by specialists from the Antonov and Bashta design bureaus on the basis of a government decree issued in August 1950. By the fall of 1952, the aircraft in this form passed state tests at the Air Force Research Institute with a recommendation to produce 10 sets of new landing gear. An aircraft with such a landing gear could be operated from wet ground and arable land, which expanded its capabilities. But what is good for the military turned out to be unacceptable for the Civil Air Fleet. According to the acting head of the Civil Air Fleet Main Directorate N. Zakharov, “Weightening the An-2 by 190 kg will lead to a significant reduction in the commercial load of the aircraft... It would be more expedient to equip the An-2 with lightweight balloon or semi-balloon type wheels.” Apparently, this circumstance decided the fate of the “centipede.”

For the first seven years, the An-2 was built mainly in cargo (transport) and agricultural versions, and only in December 1957 the question arose about the release of its passenger modification. To begin with, in 1958, we took a simple path. The industry began to produce special removable equipment that made it possible to quickly convert the cargo An-2 into a passenger one. In less than a year, on April 24, 1967, the An-2 carried its hundred millionth passenger!

In 1957, rescue and training versions of the An-2 were developed.

An-2V seaplane

In 1951, in accordance with the August decree of the Soviet government, floats were developed for the An-2. From October 15 to November 24, 1951, the seaplane with a reversible propeller V-514D-8 passed state tests at the Navy Research Institute-15. The results were encouraging, the aircraft was recommended for use in lake and river areas, as well as in closed bays of coastal areas.

A year later, based on the June order of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, five production An-2s were put on floats for operational testing. Subsequently they received the designation An-2B (An-4). In those years when the helicopter was considered a curiosity, the creation of a light seaplane, moreover more comfortable than the Sh-2, made it possible to expand the network of local airlines and speed up the delivery of passengers and cargo from the interior of the country to regional centers. The significance of this car must be appreciated, because for almost half a century the peoples of the Soviet Union built socialism, and most of them did not travel further than their village. The An-2B not only shortened distances, but also changed the way of life of many people.

The float An-2 underwent operational tests on the lake lines of the Karelo-Finnish SSR and the Tyumen - Salekhard - Tazovskoye hydrolines. Powerful mechanization of the wings, combined with sufficient power supply, makes it possible to operate the vehicle from rivers, lakes and coastal sea areas with a depth of at least a meter and water areas measuring 850 x 90 m. Subsequently, for the operation of the An-2V, a minimum depth of the reservoir was established at 1.2–1.8 m in depending on wave height.

An-2V

The An-2B was the most popular aircraft in Karelia in the 1950s. In 1960, Civil Aviation magazine wrote:

“An-2 with long cigar-shaped floats is known in the most remote and inaccessible corners of Karelia. The An-2B carries passengers, air mail, and delivers fresh fish from Vygozero, Vodlozero and other points to the capital of the republic.

Seaplanes do a lot of work for surveyors of the route of the Western Karelian Railway under construction. Often, An-2Vs are sent to populated areas surrounded on all sides by water and continuous forest, with a doctor on board.

Experienced pilots of the Petrozavodsk hydroairport work on seaplanes, working for many years without flight accidents. Pilot V. Kalygin was one of the first in Karelia to master the An-2B and began flying his second million kilometers.”

It is noteworthy that it was in 1960 that An-2 commanders were allowed to be assigned the second class of Civil Air Fleet pilot. Previously, highly qualified pilots had only third class, which made it difficult for them to transition to “big” aviation.

The An-2B was used not only to transport cargo and passengers, but also to extinguish fires. For this purpose, water was used, poured into the floats.

The highly reliable, easy-to-fly An-2B aircraft is still used to this day for exploration of ice, fish and sea animals, aerial photography and geological exploration, as well as for solving other problems facing humanity.

On October 7, 2007, flight tests of the updated An-2B aircraft were successfully completed at the TsAGI hydroaerodrome near Moscow. The enthusiasts of the Moscow Aviation Repair Plant ROSTO (MARZ) have undertaken to revive the legendary aircraft, which once mastered the vast expanses of the Far North and was undeservedly taken out of service.

“At numerous requests from An-2 owners,” said MARZ General Director V. M. Smirnov, - “We made an attempt to restore the possibility of their operation from water airfields and, as an experiment, we manufactured for it an experimental set of floats from composite materials.”

Despite its advanced age, the An-2 is still in service. Today, there are about 6,000 of them in operation around the world, and the demand for them is not falling due to their relatively low cost and excellent time-tested performance characteristics.

The An-2B seaplane on a float landing gear can be used in passenger, transport, ambulance, search and rescue, patrol and reconnaissance and tourist versions; it does not require specially equipped landing strips, while the float landing gear can easily be transformed into a wheeled or ski-mounted one. The project for recreating the An-2V at MARZ provides for the introduction of new technical solutions to improve its operational characteristics: fiberglass floats; the use of a steering system similar to that used on yachts, instead of a reversible propeller; and the improved engine cowling will reliably protect the environment from pollution and make the aircraft environmentally friendly. Coupled with traditional measures - such as upholstery with modern materials and replacement of outdated avionics - this will result in a very practical and inexpensive aircraft for small aviation.

An-2V

Flight tests of the An-2B aircraft with new fiberglass floats fully confirmed the design characteristics, and test pilots N. M. Grigoriev and V. G. Bondarenko noted good controllability both in the air and on the water. In their opinion, the process of retraining An-2 pilots for An-2B will take no more than three to four days.”

For the first time, the An-2B was publicly presented at, where it aroused genuine interest among visitors and became a notable exhibit in the line of general aviation aircraft.

An-2M

In the fall of 1963, O.K. Antonov approached the CPSU Central Committee with a proposal to improve the agricultural and passenger versions of the An-2 and restore its production in the Soviet Union. Chairman of the GKAT P.V. Dementyev supported Antonov and in a letter sent to the Supreme Economic Council Commission on Military-Industrial Issues, reported, in particular: “Creation of the An-2 modification<…>with increasing load capacity up to 1500 kg(at normal flight weight. - Note aut.) and equipping the aircraft with more advanced on-board equipment, which will allow it to be used economically by accelerating loading and<…>improving the design of pesticide sprayers.

The fuselage will be lengthened, the cockpit will be sealed... It is also envisaged<…>construction of a modified An-2 for passenger local lines (16 people instead of 10)..."

An-2M

In January 1964, a government decree was issued on the creation of the An-2M with new agricultural equipment.

The first two An-2Ms were converted from serial An-2s (serial numbers 42641 and 4263) in 1964 at aircraft plant number 464 in Dolgoprudny near Moscow. The first of them was taken into the air by test pilot I. E. Davydov on May 20 of the same year. Externally, the agricultural An-2M with an ASh-62M engine and an AV-2 metal four-bladed propeller differed from its predecessor in its enlarged vertical tail. The second control was removed from the machine, assigning all piloting and navigation responsibilities to one pilot. It seems that the An-2 had problems with directional stability and controllability: a quarter of a century later, a similar modification was carried out on its version with a theater engine. In October of the same year, joint state tests were completed. In early January 1965, at a joint meeting of the heads of the ministries of aviation industry and civil aviation, they decided to launch serial production of the An-2M in the Moscow region of Dolgoprudny that same year, but in a transport version due to the lack of new agricultural equipment. By that time, Aeroflot's An-2 aircraft had flown over 20 million hours, cultivated 300 million hectares of agricultural land, transported 100 million passengers and over 2.3 million tons of cargo and mail.

Despite the fact that all the designers’ plans could not be realized in the An-2M, the aircraft could be converted into a transport-passenger version for transporting up to 1,500 kg of cargo or up to 11 passengers with luggage on local routes. At the request of the buyer, the An-2M could be produced with dual controls. In this case, instead of the technician’s seat, the co-pilot’s (instructor’s) seat, the second control and the necessary equipment were installed.

The An-2M was built in small quantities. Since 1966, An-2M began to be exported.

Atmospheric sounder

The aircraft, intended for atmospheric sounding, reconnaissance of weather and ice conditions, and transportation of hydrometeorological services cargo, was created in accordance with the December 1946 government decree. It took four months to develop the preliminary design, and it seemed that the aircraft could be built quite quickly. But it took almost a year.

Atmospheric sounder ZA-TK. The experimenter's cabin is located near the tail unit.

The atmospheric probe "ZA" was rolled out to the airfield in the spring of 1948, and on March 21, pilot V. A. Didenko tested it in the air. The main difference between “ZA” and the transport An-2 was the glass observer’s cabin located in front of the keel. It offered an excellent view in all directions; meteorological instruments located in the air flow were clearly visible. The crew "ZA" consisted of a pilot and an experimenter. In addition to its intended purpose, the aircraft could also be used in an airborne transport version, since its fuselage could freely accommodate up to 10 people.

It was expected that with the ASh-62IR engine and the AB-911-21K propeller the vehicle would rise to a height of up to 7,000 meters, and with the M-62R engine - to 10,000 meters. But since the experimental aircraft became half a ton heavier than expected, its ceiling did not exceed 5,000 meters. Otherwise, as follows from the act based on the results of state tests completed in the fall of 1948, “ZA” corresponded to the task. However, the aircraft did not go into serial production. The reason is simple - the customer needed a probe built on the basis of a production vehicle, and the fate of the SKhA had not yet been decided.

In May 1950, another government decree was issued, according to which it was necessary to install TK-19 turbochargers used on the bomber on the ZA aircraft. This made it possible to raise the ceiling of the car to 10,000 m or more.

At the same time as a pair of turbochargers, the aircraft's propeller was replaced with a B-513-D-13. The wing and empennage were equipped with thermal anti-icing devices. Increasing the axial compensation of the ailerons and elevator, and, on the latter, the trimmer area, reduced the forces on the control wheel.

Factory tests of the aircraft, designated "ZA-TK", ended in December 1950, and six months later it entered the Air Force Research Institute. Based on the results of state tests completed on August 15, 1951, the vehicle was recommended for mass production. A year later, the ZA-TK was tested in a transport version, and its overload weight increased to 5200 kg. The aircraft put into serial production was designated An-6. In 1957, Kiev Plant No. 473 was supposed to deliver 20 An-6s. It was not possible to clarify how many of them were actually built, but they left a lasting memory of themselves by studying the state of the atmosphere along airlines. Moreover, on December 12, 1953 and June 9 of the following year, pilot V.A. Kalinina and engineer B.I. Baklaykin set two world altitude records on the An-6, rising to 10,293 m and 11,248 m, respectively.

Night Scout

In 1947, based on the An-2 with the ASh-62IR engine, two versions of the “Near Night Reconnaissance” (BNR) were developed. The last of them provided for armament from three B-20 cannons: one fixed in the right console of the lower wing and a pair on the SEB-ZA electrified turret. The preliminary design of an aircraft with armor protection for the power plant, pilot and navigator served as the basis for the “Night reconnaissance and artillery fire spotter” (NRK).

In the reconnaissance aircraft, only half of the familiar An-2 remained; the entire rear part of the fuselage behind the wing box was replaced with a new truss structure with a glazed navigator’s cabin. To improve visibility of the rear hemisphere, the tail was made of two fins and placed on a thin tail boom.

The aircraft included both a fixed artillery mount with a 20-mm cannon and 100 rounds of ammunition, and a mobile electrified VEU-1 with a similar gun and 250 rounds of ammunition. From the latter, located on the fuselage behind the upper wing, the navigator had to fire at the enemy air force. They also provided for the suspension of up to four luminous (SAB-100-55) or photo bombs (FOTAB-50-35) with a total weight of up to 400 kg. Although the reconnaissance aircraft was considered a two-seater, the second control was retained in case it was used for pilot training.

Since the NRK was considered a combat vehicle, the pilot was protected from fragments of anti-aircraft artillery shells by a 12-mm armored head and 4-mm armor plates on the left side and on the floor. During the flight along the route, the navigator sat next to the pilot, but in a combat situation - at the main workplace, protected by sixteen armored glass 15 mm thick and a 6 mm armor plate covering him from behind. Like the pilot, the navigator was seated in a seat with 5 mm armor protection.

Night reconnaissance and artillery fire spotter NRK

The first flight on the NRK was carried out by pilot A.E. Pashkevich in the spring of 1949, and in the fall the machine was transferred to the Air Force Research Institute. During state tests, which ended in February 1950, a number of defects were identified that required improvements, and the insufficient power of electricity sources did not allow testing of weapons. The reconnaissance flight duration reached 4 hours 33 minutes at an altitude of 4000 meters. The aircraft was still included in the OKB plans for some time, but was no longer transferred to the Air Force Research Institute.

Anti-aircraft An-3

In the 1950s, the United States spent great effort on creating a strategic reconnaissance network, and primarily on the territory of the USSR, using automatic aerostatic vehicles. Hundreds, if not thousands of “free wanderers” penetrated into the most forbidden corners of the Soviet Union, photographing everything that came their way. High-speed fighter aircraft and anti-aircraft artillery were powerless against this invasion, since the main difficulty in combating automatic drifting balloons (ADBs) was their low speed.

This circumstance gave rise to the idea of ​​​​creating an anti-balloon aircraft based on the An-2. In accordance with the June 1958 government decree, this airplane was supposed to hit ADA at altitudes of 10,000-12,000 meters in all weather conditions, day and night. However, the plans were never fully realized. It was only possible to install on the serial An-2 (serial number 110347315) the PV-61 weapon system with a double-barreled AO-9 (GSh-23) cannon of 23 mm caliber. The aircraft's artillery mount allowed the cannon to be replaced with an A-12.7 machine gun of 12.7 mm caliber. Special “anti-aircraft” cartridges were developed for the cannon and machine gun. This aircraft (in the OKB it was designated An-2A), which actually became a flying laboratory, passed factory tests in 1963 with firing from on-board weapons and was presented for state tests.

At the same time, the anti-aircraft An-3 was developed with a power plant from the An-6 and the PV-61 weapon system, tested on the An-2A. Taking this opportunity, I would like to note that in those same years, the An-25 aircraft was designed for a similar purpose, but with an AI-25 turbojet engine. Unlike the An-3, its ceiling reached 20 km. In the process of creating both cars, the designers encountered a number of technical difficulties that did not allow them to complete the work begun, and both cars remained on paper. Moreover, due to the positive results of tests in 1964 of a 12.7 mm machine gun mount on the UTI MiG-21 aircraft in shooting at automatic balloons, the work on retrofitting the An-2 lost its relevance.

Much later, when the An-28, a distant descendant of the Bee, appeared, many designers, including O.K. Antonov, they talked about the imminent replacement of the An-2. But the creators of “Annushka” could not even imagine that her replacement could only be herself, albeit in a new capacity.

An-2E ekranoplan

Perhaps the most original and unexpected modification of the biplane was the An-2E ekranoplane project. Currently, a large number of An-2 aircraft have been laid up, mainly because the engine has completely exhausted its service life. Considering that the conversion of these machines into the An-3 variant is proceeding at an extremely slow pace, a group of enthusiasts led by Yu. V. Makarov proposed turning them into ekranoplanes.

The essence of this transformation is to replace the biplane wing box with a single load-bearing surface of a triangular shape in plan, similar to that used by Alexander Lippisch on his ekranoplanes. Such a wing will allow you to fly at altitudes of up to five meters using the effect of proximity to the ground.

At the same time, the power plant is also changing. Instead of the usual ASh-62IR engine, which runs on scarce B-91 gasoline, an automobile diesel engine with a power of at least 590 hp is offered. one of the foreign companies.

In this form, the An-2E will be able to carry a load weighing 1900 kg (or 20 passengers) at a speed of 190–200 km/h.

The take-off and landing of the An-2E is made easier by blowing the air flow from the propeller into a chamber limited by the wing and side floats, which, by the way, are borrowed from the An-2B seaplane. A retractable wheeled chassis can also be used, turning the vehicle into an amphibian.

Another advantage of the ekranoplan is that, being an aircraft, it is not subject to ICAO and JAR requirements and is subject to registration in... the maritime register.

An-2E ekranoplan

The An-2E project has received positive reviews from leading civil aviation institutes and the Ministry of Transport.

To test the capabilities of the future ekranoplan, in 2002, the Aviastar plant built an experimental device based on the An-2 on a wheeled and special wheeled chassis, which flew excellently both near the screen and at altitudes of up to 2000 m.

In August 2003, the Moscow Aircraft Repair Plant (MARZ) built a prototype of the An-2E, albeit with the old ASh-62IR engine.

Exploitation

From 1950 to 1962, more than 3,167 An-2s of various modifications were built in Kyiv. Of these, 879 (over five years) are An-2SH. After this, the plant began production of the An-24.

The first production An-2s were placed at the disposal of the USSR Ministry of Geology. At the same time, they were equipped with the flight squads of the Civil Air Fleet. From June 1950, the aircraft began to arrive at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and border troops, and from June of the following year - to DOSAAF (the first five aircraft were received by the V.P. Chkalov Central Aero Club in Moscow). In 1952, the first aircraft entered 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 it.

After the plane appeared, the pilots gave it the name “Annushka,” which stuck with it for the rest of its life.

An-2 of various modifications are still widely used in agriculture and forestry, for transporting passengers and cargo on local airlines (by 1977 they served 3,254 settlements), training parachutists in flying clubs and units of the Airborne Forces (Airborne Forces), aerial photography and geological exploration, exploration of ice, fish and sea animals, destruction of ice by pollinating it with black powder, monitoring of oil and gas pipelines and power lines, treatment of oil spills with reagents and for solving many other problems.

By January 1987, the An-2 had transported 370 million passengers, 9 million tons of cargo, and completed 96% of aerochemical work.

An-2 Aeroflot

At the beginning of 1950, OKB-153 received an order from the Polar Aviation Directorate of the Civil Air Fleet to equip the An-2 for work in the Arctic. For modifications, the fourth vehicle of the first series (serial number 10147304) was allocated, and it was equipped with an autonomous source of electricity, a gasoline heater for heating the interior and heating the engine, and additional workstations for the navigator and radio operator. The An-2 was equipped with an anchor, a stepladder, barrels of fuel and other equipment necessary in the Arctic. The construction of the aircraft took place under the supervision of the polar pilot M. N. Kaminsky, who made many valuable proposals that contributed to the widespread introduction of the aircraft in the Arctic.

In June 1950, the Polar Aviation Directorate of the Civil Air Fleet received the first An-2 (the first serial one of the Kiev aircraft plant No. 10147301), with the identification mark of the USSR - N545, then the second - the USSR - N546 (serial number 10147304). On these machines, M. Kaminsky, flight mechanic M. Chagin and OKB-153 representative A. Eskin, from June 15 to November 26, 1950, flew about 800 hours in the Arctic and Chukotka and performed more than 100 landings on sites selected from the air. All flights took place on a wheeled chassis, and in the Arctic and the Arctic, a ski chassis was required first of all.

Testing of the An-2 on a ski chassis was completed in April 1952. For the first time, metal skis were equipped with air-controlled comb-type brakes. Thanks to this, the handling of the An-2 when driving on snow remained almost the same as on wheels. The main problem that hampered the use of aircraft on ski landing gear was the freezing of their runners to the snow crust in the parking lot. They tried to solve it with the help of electric heating of the runners, but the matter did not go further than experiments. So the crews suffered until Poland proposed gluing polyethylene linings to the runners. But this design did not completely exclude freezing; moreover, the polyethylene cracked and collapsed due to frost and friction. It all ended with the fact that since 1970, a new polar version of the An-2PK with an electric ski heating device was built in Poland.

Over time, the widespread use of the An-2 led to a genuine revolution in the development of the extreme latitudes of the country. Kaminsky said: “Do you know what the cultural revolution in the North is? This is Soviet power plus aviation. And northern aviation without the An-2 is like a left-hander without a left hand.”

Since 1954, the An-2 began to be used to organize and maintain drifting polar stations. The first of these was “North Pole-4”, and a year later the “North Pole-5” station began to be served by the An-2 crew led by M. N. Kaminsky.

In the polar night conditions of 1955–1956, his An-2 delivered 80 tons of cargo to the camp. To this day, not a single polar expedition can complete without the An-2.

In 1955, the first Soviet Antarctic expedition set off for the ice continent. Its air squadron was headed by polar pilot Hero of the Soviet Union I. I. Cherevichny. In January of the following year, the diesel-electric ship Ob was unloaded onto the ice from the flagship ship of the expedition and the first An-2 was flown around. Pilot A.A. Kash made the first reconnaissance flight on it for the construction of the Mirny station. Then the An-2 flew to the South geomagnetic pole of the planet, where they were also going to build a scientific station. Having covered approximately 400 km to the south, the crew consisting of A.A. Kasha, navigator M.M. Kirillov, flight mechanic M.I. Chagin and flight radio operator A.I. Chelyshev landed on the sastrugi-covered surface of the mainland at an altitude of about 3500 m above sea level at a frost of about 30 degrees. In one of the subsequent flights to the east of Mirny, a rocky area measuring 50 by 20 km was discovered, almost free of snow and ice, on which the Oasis scientific station was opened.

The air squad of the second Soviet Antarctic expedition was headed by pilot I. P. Mazuruk. On March 18, 1957, together with A.S. Polyakov, he was the first to land on the top of an iceberg on the An-2.

The air detachment of the third expedition to Antarctica, which operated from 1957 to 1958, included three An-2s (USSR - N619, serial number 16847310 and USSR - N620, serial number 16847309), whose commanders were M. Kaminsky, A. Karelin and K. Mikhalenko .

The permanent base of the detachment was the ship "Ob", from which aircraft were unloaded onto fast ice and carried out research flights along the coast and cargo flights to scientific stations. Once, during a storm, an ice floe near the ship broke - and the An-2 pilot K. Mikhalenko fell through the ice. There were no casualties, but the plane was lost.

In subsequent years, the Anas continued to maintain air watch on the ice continent. The last An-2 was delivered to Antarctica in February 2003 on board the diesel-electric ship Akademik Fedorov.

In 1952, the first An-2 arrived in Magnitogorsk. The following year, the “archaic biplane” entered the flight squad of OKB-1, headed by S.P. Korolev (now RSC Energia) and which later turned into the Kosmos airline. Gradually the geography of application

The An-2 expanded, making it the most popular aircraft not only in the Soviet Union, but also abroad.

On February 10, 1954, the crew of Konstantin Shashel landed the first An-2 at the Ozernye Klyuchi airport (Artem), which flew from the factory across the country and gradually replaced the Po-2 and LU-2. The An-2 dramatically changed the situation on local airlines. A month later, the plane went to Iman (Dalnerechensk) to serve geologists. That year, the air squadron received three more aircraft. A couple of years later, the unique flight qualities made the An-2 the main “air carrier” of the region. The aircraft was operated on wheeled, ski and float landing gear. By the mid-1980s, An-2 operated more than 40 daily cargo-passenger flights in the region, not counting “charter” flights ordered by foresters, farmers and geologists. The volume of work is evidenced by the fact that there were two An-2 squadrons in Ozernye Klyuchi, and additional squadrons in Dalnerechensk, Dalnegorsk and Terna. The reliability of the machine, as follows from the book “Antonov - the versatility of talent,” published in Kyiv in 2006, is evidenced by the fact that during all the years of operation, not a single passenger was injured due to the fault of the aircraft. But this does not mean that there were no tragedies caused by the car. The first disaster (due to the fault of the car) occurred on September 7, 1952. On that day, while performing a training flight, the An-2 of the Ukrainian Civil Air Fleet Directorate collapsed in the air “due to design and manufacturing defects,” taking the life of 3rd class pilot Katelyanets. However, this “fly in the ointment” did not spoil the “honey barrel”, since the An-2 was and is considered (subject to all the rules of its operation) the most reliable aircraft.

The An-2 also left its mark in L. I. Brezhnev’s memoirs “Virgin Land”, where he talked about the time when he was the first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan. “For our movements,” wrote Leonid Ilyich, “the An-2 was indispensable. The pilots chose a place to land from the air and could land anywhere in the steppe - near any furrow, tractor, field camp. And he had no peace on earth: more than once, so that the wind would not overturn or break our An-2, they drove loaded dump trucks and tied the plane to them. I had to fly all year round, often regardless of the weather, sometimes violating the instructions. What kind of troubles has this little machine been through?

By the end of 1963, Aeroflot was operating about 300 An-2Ps, designed to carry up to ten passengers.

An-2 - the calling card of the Kyiv aviation plant "Aviant"

In 1969, some An-2s began to be equipped with hanging containers for transporting mail, luggage and cargo.

A special feature of the An-2 were the wings and rudders covered with natural fabric. Since 1987, repair factories have introduced the technology of replacing natural fabric with synthetic fabric.

The float version of the An-2B also became widespread in the 1950s. For many years this aircraft was considered the main means of transport in Karelia and in many areas of Siberia. It was used to fight forest fires, and fire extinguishing liquid (water) was poured into the floats.

During the years of operation of the An-2 in the Soviet Union and abroad, there was not a single aircraft accident related to its design. But with the collapse of the USSR, the attitude towards the aircraft changed. The lack of control over the condition of aircraft and the use of counterfeit products have led to an increase in aviation accidents. Too often, operators began to rely on the Russian “maybe it will blow through.” As a result, “specialists” of the Ural branch of ITAR-TASS classified the An-2 as one of the most dangerous aircraft (“Aviainform”, No. 3, 2007, p. 69). At the same time, they reported that “Since 1945, 92 such planes have crashed.” It is appropriate to recall here that the operation of the An-2 began five years later, in 1950, and they fell mainly due to low discipline, or rather, the sloppiness of the operators. In fact, the An-2 is one of the most reliable aircraft.

As of January 1, 2004, Russian airlines operated 1,731 An-2 aircraft, although not all of them fly. There is a shortage of spare parts and engines that have not been produced by industry for a long time and are only being repaired. There are also difficulties with purchasing aviation gasoline. There is much less flying, but reports of flight accidents continue to come. So, on June 24, 2007, the crew of an An-2, owned by Ilin Airlines (Yakutia), was scheduled to fly on the route Uel-Siktyakh - Zhigansk, but the engines failed on takeoff, and the plane overturned while making an emergency landing. There were three crew members on board, no injuries. Lucky. But a year later, on June 7, another An-2 crashed in the Stavropol region (near the village of Novoternovsky). According to preliminary data, the pilots took the plane into the air without permission. After the fall, an explosion occurred and the plane completely burned out. This tragedy claimed the lives of two people. The cause of the disaster was bad weather conditions.

The last report of an An-2 flight accident was received on July 19, 2008. On that day, in the Orenburg region (40 kilometers from Buzuluk), an An-2 000 Avantage, which was pollinating agricultural land, crashed due to a fire on board.

Modern An-2 is equipped with satellite navigation systems, so it cannot be considered obsolete. Moreover, the An-2 is the most versatile aircraft in the world. Although it is officially banned from carrying passengers on airlines because it is single-engine, people still fly and will continue to fly. The only question is what to call such transportation.

Quite a few An-2s were used by law enforcement agencies, DOSAAF and forest protection. In ROSTO, the successor to DOSAAF, and in the Airborne Forces, the An-2 is still used to train paratroopers.

And yet the An-2 does not last forever. In April 2008, the commander of the Airborne Forces, Lieutenant General Valery Evtukhovich, discussed with the leadership of the Polyot production association the issues of replacing the obsolete An-2, which had exhausted its service life, with the landing version of the An-ZT aircraft.

Word of the unique aircraft quickly spread throughout the world. By May 18, 1963, at the end of serial production in Kyiv, 230 An-2s were exported abroad.

The Chinese were the first to acquire a license for the production of An-2 and in 1957 they organized their production at an aircraft plant in Nanchang under the designation Y-5. Until 1986, 727 vehicles were built there, including 229 in the agricultural version and 114 in the cargo-passenger version. According to the latest data, over 1,100 Y-5 of various modifications were produced in China.

In 1960, production of the An-2 began in Poland. The PZL plant in Milec produced 11,915 vehicles until 1993. This enterprise was the main manufacturer of the An-2.

This aircraft is certified not only in the CIS countries and the states of the former socialist camp. It can be found in Brazil, the USA, France and even Australia. The An-2 has so many fans that an “Aviation Lovers Club” has appeared.

The An-2 was used abroad not only for its intended purpose, but also as flying laboratories. In particular, in Poland, a flying laboratory LALA-1 was made at its base to test the future M-15 agricultural aircraft. To do this, its fuselage behind the wing box was cut off and a power plant with an AI-25 engine was installed, and its air intake was placed on the starboard side of the front part of the fuselage. In this case, the highly raised two-fin tail was placed on a truss attached to the power frame of the fuselage. Construction of LALA-1 was completed in 1971 and its first flight was carried out on February 10 of the following year.

The aircraft was used in more than 50 countries, not only in peaceful skies, but also in combat conditions. For example, it was used in Hungary in 1956, in Laos in 1960–1962 and 1972–1975, in Vietnam in 1963–1973, in Kampuchea in 1970 and 1979, in Afghanistan in 1980–1989, in Nicaragua in 80 's, in Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, in Nagorno-Karabakh (by Armenians and Azerbaijanis), in the first Chechen war. In the 1960s, during incidents on the Soviet-Chinese border, An-2 crews treated crowds of Red Guards with tear aerosols.

When clashes between units of the federal army of Yugoslavia and armed forces of the then unrecognized Croatia began at the end of 1991, the latter used several agricultural An-2s in the battles. Airplanes were used mainly during daylight hours to attack ground targets with homemade aerial bombs, which was reminiscent of the aviation tactics of the early last century. Foreign media also reported night bombings of An-2s equipped with NAVSTAR navigation system receivers in the area of ​​Vukovar. As one would expect, the effectiveness of the An-2 “bombers” was extremely low.

By mid-2006, the Vietnamese Air Force had two An-2s. In October 2007, a message was received from the DPRK about the cessation of operation of the An-2. The reason is the high cost of gasoline. There are still about 300 An-2s in North Korea. Many “Ans” remain in the CIS countries, where emergencies also occur. Thus, in August 2007, in the Chui region of Kyrgyzstan, an An-2 agricultural aircraft burned down after an emergency landing; however, no one was hurt. A year later, in May, a Ukrainian An-2 crashed in the Krasnopolsky district of the Sumy region.

By the end of 1995, factories in the Soviet Union, Russia and Poland had delivered 15,082 aircraft to customers. In total, over 16,182 aircraft of various modifications of the “archaic biplane” left the factory floors of the three countries. Despite its considerable age, according to specialists from airlines operating the An-2, this is the only aircraft today that has no restrictions on its service life.

An-3

The idea of ​​replacing the An-2's piston engine with a turboprop appeared in the late 1950s, but an obstacle to this path was the lack of a turboprop engine with the required power. This problem began to be solved more actively in the mid-1960s, when the small-sized TVD-10 engine appeared, but its power was not enough for the future An-3. In those years, the development of small turboprop engines was carried out at the Omsk Engine Design Bureau. The situation changed in the 1970s, when the TVD-10 engine was modified into the 1,430-horsepower TVD-20. Other power plant options were also considered, since life urgently required the An-3 aircraft. Moreover, by that time, due to the massive decommissioning of Il-14 aircraft with piston engines in the Air Force and civil aviation, the production of aviation gasoline had also sharply decreased, and the leadership of the Ministry of Aviation Industry defended the M-15 agricultural aircraft with a jet engine.

The creation of the An-3 was preceded by flight research carried out on the An-2. The first An-3 prototype, which inherited the best qualities of the An-2, in an agricultural version, equipped with a TVD-20 turboprop engine, took off on May 13, 1980, piloted by OKB test pilot S.A. Humpbacked, but it remained in a single copy. Five years have passed since then, and it seemed that the car had been forgotten. But December 12

1985 OKB test pilot V.G. Lysenko set three world records on the An-3 in two flights, lifting a load of 2583 kg into the air with the take-off weight of the machine being 6200 kg. Next time, test pilot S.A. Gorbik surpassed these achievements by lifting a load of 2375 kg with a take-off weight of the vehicle of 5800 kg. However, this did not affect the position of the MAP leadership, which still dreamed of a modern agricultural aircraft with a turbojet engine. Only in the spring of 1986 did the State Research Institute of Civil Aviation accept the An-3 for state tests, which took place in two stages and ended in the summer of 1989. The aircraft has undergone comprehensive testing in Crimea and the Krasnodar region. They showed that the new aircraft is one and a half times more efficient than its predecessor. This turned out to be unexpected for the leadership of the Ministry of Aviation Industry, since the An-3 met all the requirements for an agricultural aircraft. However, this time they found a reason to bypass the car.

The situation changed in 1993, when Omsk and Kyiv aircraft manufacturers revived the An-3 project. True, by that time interest in the agricultural aircraft had faded, which was facilitated by the collapse of the Soviet Union and the economic crisis of the newly formed states. Then they proposed a cargo and passenger version of the An-ZT, modified in accordance with the requirements of the time. The aircraft, which became the base version of the whole family, was designed to transport 1800 kg of cargo and four passengers, for which purpose there are two double blocks of soft seats in its “cabin”.

An-ZT with a turboprop engine. Aviation Ministry of Emergency Situations

The decision to mass produce the An-ZT was made in 1997. In August of the same year, the reanimated aircraft was demonstrated at the Moscow Aviation and Space Salon MAKS-97. The first An-ZT, converted in Omsk, took off on February 19, 1998. The plane was piloted by S.M. Tsivak - test pilot of the ASTC named after. O.K. Antonov.

In 2002, An-ZT passed tests in Antarctica.

In addition to the new power plant with a titanium firewall, the airframe was significantly modified, in particular, the frames from the third to the eighth were strengthened, and between the fifth and sixth fuselage frames an insert appeared with an additional power frame 5A, intended for attaching the main landing gear.

On the left side there was an entrance door for the pilots with a step and handrail, and on the opposite side, between frames 11 and 12, there was an emergency exit. At the same time, the canopy and the layout of the cockpit were changed.

The wing box has been preserved, like that of the An-2, but the upper center section panel has been strengthened, and the load-bearing surfaces are no longer covered with percale, but with synthetic fabric, which is one and a half to two times stronger and more durable than natural fabric.

The shape of the vertical tail was changed (the vertical tail of the An-2 was retained on the 1980 model aircraft) with a new rudder equipped with a decompensator.

The aircraft control cables were replaced with rigid rods. There were other, smaller, but not conspicuous new items.

Currently, the issue of replacing the engine on the An-3 aircraft with a more economical VK-150 °C turboprop engine is being considered.

At ANTK im. O.K. Antonov also developed versions of the transport and passenger aircraft An-ZTK, in the cabin of which folding and reclining seats for ten passengers are installed, the An-ZSKh - for cultivating agricultural land, the airborne transport and forest patrol An-ZP, capable of transporting up to 12 paratroopers, and AH-3VIP - for VIPs with an increased comfort cabin.

As a result of modernization, the commercial load of the An-3 compared to the An-2 increased by 1.2 times, the speed by 1.3, and the rate of climb by 1.8 times. The noise level in the cockpit has been reduced. The aircraft's performance has increased by 1.5 times at lower fuel costs.

The Aviation Register of the Interstate Aviation Committee issued a type certificate for the An-ZT aircraft on August 31, 2000, and on June 4 and November 22, 2001 - additions to it for the ski and agricultural variants, respectively.

An-2 aircraft with a residual service life of at least 50 percent are being converted into the An-3 variant in Omsk at the Polet production association. Despite the fact that the An-3 is delivered to the customer with newly assigned resources (20,000 flight hours), the production of the An-3 is not yet widespread. By the end of 2006, the company produced a little more than 20 machines of this type. One of the reasons for this is the restriction on the carriage of passengers (no more than 9 people) in accordance with the aircraft’s airworthiness certificate, which is disadvantageous for airlines, although in 1980 the aircraft was supposed to be produced in a 12-seat version.

As of January 1, 2004, Russian airlines operated 15 An-3 aircraft. The main buyers of the An-3 are currently the airlines of Sakha-Yakutia, Tuva, Avialesookhrana, Norilsk Airlines and Polar Airlines.

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

As aviation developed, aircraft designers were given a variety of goals - from creating military bombers and fighters to large passenger airliners. All this was implemented as the main directions of aviation.

However, there are a number of problems that cannot be solved by large aircraft. Takeoff and landing on unprepared runways, transportation of small cargo to undeveloped regions of the country, work in agriculture - such tasks require our own aviation.

The An-2 filled this niche, becoming a universal light aircraft. Development of the Far North, delivery of goods and passengers in Siberia, the Far East, Central Asia, military transportation - all this became possible thanks to this biplane.

The history of the An-2 light transport aircraft

Development of a light multi-role aircraft began in 1940. O.K. Antonov was tasked with replacing the outdated Po-2, using the German Fieseler Fi 156 Storch as a model. Due to the outbreak of war, work was suspended and resumed only in 1946.

The design of the new aircraft was initially based on the task of landing on any site. For this purpose, a biplane design was proposed, although many engineers were skeptical about it, considering it outdated for the mid-20th century.

The design and assembly of the An 2 took place in Novosibirsk, and in 1947 the first prototype took off. Having made a flight of 3 thousand km, he landed in the Moscow region, where during the tests he was introduced to N. Khrushchev, then still the head of the Ukrainian SSR. It was he who appreciated the potential of the new aircraft in agriculture and local air transportation.

After this, Antonov moved to Kyiv, where he began serial development. The first such aircraft took off in 1949. Its small size, low fuel consumption and versatility proved to be so popular that the An-2 is still in use today. For this, he was included in the Book of Records as the first aircraft to be mass-produced for more than 70 years.

Serial production of the An-2 was established not only in the USSR, but also abroad. In 1959, the drawings of the corn-planting aircraft were transferred to Poland, where the assembly of such aircraft continued until 2002. In total, almost 12 thousand units were produced.

In 1956-68, the An 2 corn mill was assembled in Nanchang, China under the name Fong Shu-2. From 1970 to the present, Chinese assembly has been carried out in Shijiazhuang. The production rate is 10-20 units per year, the new name is Yunshuzhi-5 (Y5).

In 2011, the issue of modernizing the An-2 was raised. Due to the lack of Russian manufacturers of engines for small aircraft, it was decided to purchase power plants from the American company Honeywell. However, even taking into account the localization of engines, such aircraft have not received widespread demand.

In 2013, Ukrainian engineers proposed a modification of the An-2-100. The key feature is the MS-14 turboprop engine, which runs on kerosene rather than gasoline. Such a modification increases the return on investment. According to this scheme, a number of An-2s are expected to be modernized in several countries of the post-Soviet space.

In 2017, based on the An-2, SibNIA designed an all-composite light aircraft TVS-2DTS “Baikal”. Tests were completed in the same year, and serial production is expected to begin in 2021 at the Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant. The first operator will be the Yakut company Polar Airlines.

Description of the aircraft design

The An-2 design includes the following elements:

• the basic design is a braced biplane with a four-bladed metal propeller;
• piston engine, air-cooled, power 1000 hp. With.;
• the landing gear is static, if necessary, can be replaced with skis, there is a tail wheel;
• fuel tanks are located in the upper wings;
• The cockpit has side bulges for better visibility.

The body and frame of the wings are made of aluminum, the wing covering is made of polyester fabric. Particular attention was paid to the design of the braking system, which allows landing on short landing strips. No special equipment is required for refueling; fuel can be filled from any container.

An 2 received its popular name “Corn Maker” by inheritance from Po-2 (U-2). The use of the new biplane in agriculture made it similar to its predecessor. However, such a name is not entirely correct due to the difference in models, although the common name “maize” is used in relation to all similar aircraft.

Specifications

In accordance with the flight manual dated 1984, the An 2 aircraft has the following technical characteristics:

• crew - 2 people;
• passenger capacity - 12 people;
• load capacity - 1500 kg;
• length - 12.4 m;
• wingspan - 8.425 and 5.795 m upper and lower, respectively;
• wing area - 71.52 sq. m;
• height - 5.35 m;
• cargo compartment, length-height-width - 4.1x1.8x1.6 m;
• empty weight of the aircraft - 3.4-3.69 tons;
• permissible take-off weight - 5.25-5.5 tons;
• fuel volume - 1240 l.

The power plant of the An-2 is represented by one star-shaped piston engine ASh-62IR. The propeller is AB-2, diameter 3.6 m.

Flight characteristics

The flight characteristics of the An-2 have the following indicators:

• permissible speed - up to 300 km/h;
• permissible speed when fully loaded - 236 km/h;
• cruising speed of An 2 when fully loaded is 180 km/h;
• flight range - 990 km;
• permissible height limit at full load - 4.2 km;
• take-off length - 225 m, when fully loaded - 235 m.

It is the short takeoff and landing distance, even at maximum load, that makes the An-2 universal for use in unprepared areas. It does not require specially equipped strips, just a small flat area.

Aircraft armament

The An-2 is not intended for active combat operations. However, due to its versatility, the aircraft saw service in most post-war conflicts around the world. From the Korean War of 1950-53 to the campaigns in Libya and Syria, the flight performance characteristics of the An 2 are in demand everywhere.

The aircraft's standard armament consists of 2 blocks of S-5M or S-5K unguided missiles, a total of 16 projectiles. The An-2 is also equipped with a BDZ-57Ku or BDZ-57KR beam holder, capable of carrying a bomb weighing up to 250 kg.

The An-2's active participation occurred during the Cold War. The aircraft was supplied to the allies of the USSR, which predetermined its participation in local conflicts. The advantage of such supplies is that they have no military implications. The aircraft could be supplied as civil aviation or for sanitary purposes. The armament was installed on it already on site.

The participation of the An-2 in armed conflicts is also explained by the proliferation of the aircraft after the collapse of the USSR. Until now, it is in service with most countries of the post-Soviet space, as well as the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia. Transport and landing modifications are also used.

At the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st centuries, the An 2 was also used in civil and local conflicts in Central Asia and South-Eastern Europe. There is information about the use of aircraft in combat operations in Africa, including the civil war in Libya.

Advantages and disadvantages of An-2

The main advantage of the An-2 is its flight performance and operational characteristics. The aircraft is unpretentious, versatile, simple and convenient for solving any problems.

These include:

• transportation of passengers and cargo on local airlines;
• agricultural work, for example chemical spraying;
• landing of amateur paratroopers;
• development of uninhabited territories, including the Far North.

Main list of benefits:

• good flight performance;
• short run during takeoff and landing;
• low requirement for special equipment for refueling.

Planning in case of fuel shortage is also an important aspect. The plane does not immediately go into a tailspin, but goes into parachute mode, which allows it to land without damage even in the absence of fuel. They also pay attention to the possibility of flight at low speeds - up to 40 km/h.

Identifying the shortcomings of this aircraft is a controversial issue. The use of a 70-year-old biplane design in modern conditions already indicates the absence of serious shortcomings. The main disadvantages are associated with capacity limitations and flight range. However, given the purpose of these aircraft, they are not considered critical.

Accidents with the An-2 are also highlighted separately. Over the years of operation, 622 cases have been recorded. At the end of 2017, a total of 781 people had died in these incidents. There is no pattern in the incidents: accidents happen for a variety of reasons - from equipment failure to pilot errors.

Modifications based on the An-2 aircraft

Over the long period of operation, the An-2 acquired numerous modifications. Each of them is designed to solve individual problems, bringing the aircraft’s performance characteristics to the appropriate indicators.

Modifications of the An-2 were developed not only in the USSR, but also in Poland and China. Foreign analogues to a certain extent repeat Soviet developments, so they are rarely considered separately.

AN-2V (AN-4)

An-2V is a device designed for landing on water surfaces, with the possibility of subsequent take-off. A distinctive feature is the float chassis.

AN-2T

The An-2T is a simple transport aircraft with a payload capacity of 1.5 tons. Taking into account the flight performance characteristics of the base model, this is not even a modification, but rather an adaptation of the aircraft for cargo transportation. There is no trim in the interior, and there are no folding passenger seats.

AN-2TP

An-2TP is a transport-passenger modification designed to carry 12 people. In Leipzig, the model was supplemented with distinctive features - the windows were made square, the interior was refinished, and the seats were replaced with softer and more comfortable ones.

AN-2TD

An-TD is a transport and landing aircraft. There is room for 12 parachutists and their cargo. There are devices for landing and dumping. It is used both in military operations and for amateur parachute jumps.

AN-2SH

An-2SKh is used in agriculture. It has devices for bulk and liquid chemicals, as well as equipment for spraying them over crops. If necessary, it can also be used to extinguish fires. It has analogues in Poland and China - An02R and Y5B, respectively.

AN-2M

An-2M is a single-seat aircraft designed for agricultural work. Distinctive features are the absence of a co-pilot, an enlarged vertical tail and an elongated fuselage. It was produced until 1971, and operated until 1987.

AN-2P

An-2P is a fire-fighting modification developed on the basis of the An-2B. The aircraft is capable of lifting up to 1240 liters of water into the air. It has a float landing gear that allows it to land on bodies of water.

AN-2LP

An-2LP is a firefighting aircraft designed to extinguish forest areas. Developed on the basis of the An-2V, it can land on bodies of water, which speeds up the collection of water.

AN-2L

An-2L is a forest fire modification designed for the dispersion of chemicals. The cargo is transported in glass containers under the wings and fuselage.

AN-2ZA

An-23A is an atmospheric sounding aircraft. It has a turbocharger, as well as a forward cabin in front of the keel for observation.

An-2V

An-2V is an aircraft with a float landing gear. Became the basis for several fire protection modifications. Used in civil aviation for cargo delivery.

AN-2NAK

An-2NAK is a non-serial twin-fin aircraft designed for photographic reconnaissance. The tail part is glazed. He was armed with a UBT machine gun or an NS-23 automatic cannon.

AN-2S

An-2S is an ambulance aircraft designed to transport the wounded or sick. Designed for six beds and two accompanying medical workers.

If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below the article. We or our visitors will be happy to answer them

Development of the An-2 aircraft began in 1946. This machine is famous for the fact that it took 60 years to make. This result became the condition due to which she was included in the Guinness Book of Records. Almost 17 thousand of these aircraft were built in the Soviet Union, China and Poland.

Serial production of the An-2 began in 1949. We can say that this aircraft quickly burst into various areas of the economy. It was used not only for passenger transportation, providing communication within and between regions. The aircraft also worked in the scientific field, was used in the armed forces, and in agriculture.

The An-2 is still in service today. So, according to experts, today almost 3.5 thousand of these aircraft are in full readiness. Moreover, we are talking about expanding its more advanced modification An-2MS.

Features of the passenger compartment

The purpose of creating the An-2 was not passenger transportation. This was one of the reasons that in terms of comfort it is inferior to all liners designed for such purposes. You can even emphasize that the plane has a very low level of comfort. Of course, for passengers who have no choice, this is not so scary, especially since quite often this small plane became the only vehicle capable of quickly delivering them from remote corners to the “mainland.”

In the cabin, passenger seats, of which there are 12, are arranged in two rows. At the same time, there is one seat on the left side, and two on the right side. The most inconvenient places were considered to be seats 2, 5, 8, 11, located near the aisle. But the seats located at the sides are also not very comfortable. Although there are windows here, and passengers can look at the pictures floating under the plane to pass the time, the rounded sides of the fuselage do not allow for a comfortable landing.

The two rear seats have significant disadvantages. They have a downward slope. The reason is that the plane on the ground rests on its tail. This is especially inconvenient for passengers with children. In addition, there is a toilet close to these places. If it is made according to the old scheme, that is, if it is not a bio-device, then odors can penetrate through the partition.

During takeoff and landing, passengers feel all the unevenness on the runway. The only thing that reduces the discomfort that arises from this is that the run on the GDP does not last long.

Another inconvenience. Although the plane has only one engine, the noise level in the cabin is quite high. This is explained by the lack of proper sound insulation in earlier aircraft and the location of the engine. If large aircraft have them in the tail or on the wings, then the An-2 has an engine in the nose. In this case, the exhaust pipes are located along the sides, almost without protruding beyond their boundaries. The sounds emitted by the exhaust gases are transmitted to the casing without interference.

There are even fewer amenities on the plane, which, being a cargo plane, was sometimes used for passenger transportation. This plane does not have real seats. There are only folding seats located along the sides. There are 13 seats in the cabin with this arrangement. An inconvenience here is also the increased noise level, since even without the internal lining that the passenger version has.

What future awaits the An-2

The successfully developed design of the aircraft, which allowed it to be produced for six decades without making particularly important changes, makes it possible to continue improvements. And this work continues. So, in 2013, the Antonov design association began developing the next modification of the aircraft. This series is becoming an anniversary one. She's the hundredth.

This modification of the An-2MS differs from all previous ones in appearance. A turboprop engine (USA) is installed on it. Now the nose of the plane does not look so massive. It has become streamlined. The new power plant has significantly reduced fuel consumption. Due to this, the flight range increased to 1.4 thousand kilometers, that is, by 60 percent.

Reduced fuel consumption, as well as the switch from expensive aviation gasoline to kerosene, also had a positive impact on the aircraft. The cost of transportation has decreased several times. This makes it possible to successfully compete with similar machines.

The use of a new engine had a positive effect on comfort. The previous power plant, a star-shaped piston engine, produced a noise comparable to a deafening roar, due to which passengers could communicate during the flight, almost turning to screaming.

Another positive factor was the diesel generator. This made it possible to do without the services of aircraft technicians at the start. Thus, autonomy was created. Now the plane is able to fly to places where there are no power sources and stay there for as long as necessary.

Among the positive qualities of the An-2 were always such as the ability to take off and land on unpaved airfields. Quite often they became simply large clearings, sufficient for a run and run. Such qualities remain in the new modification.

Characteristics

Length: 12.4 m.
Height: 5.35 m.
Upper wing span: 8.425 m.
Lower wing span: 5795 m.
Fuselage width: 1.6 m.
Cruising speed: 150 – 190 km/h.
Maximum speed: 300 km/h.
Flight range: 900 km.
Number of passenger seats: 12.
Crew: 2 hours

Conclusion

Although the An-2 can be called morally obsolete, since work on its improvement was carried out regularly, it remains in demand at the present time. Not only Russian airlines, but also airlines from China, Kazakhstan, and a number of other countries want to purchase this aircraft.

According to current estimates, Russian airlines require 540 – 560 updated An-2s. We are, of course, talking about the latest modification of the An-2MS. This aircraft still remains indispensable not only for geological surveys and the construction of any objects in hard-to-reach places, but also on local airlines.

Taxi cost calculation to the airport