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Antonov AN2 Biplane History
The Antonov AN2 Russian (Soviet)
biplane was introduced in
1947 as a massive slow-flying agricultural and utility single engine
biplane. By 2002, when production of the AN2
biplane finally ended, in excess of 18,000 had been produced. Originally designed for the Soviet Ministry of Forestry, the Antonov
AN2 biplane featured a totally enclosed cockpit and was of all metal
construction. It had the capacity to carry up to 12 passengers, take
off in as little as 170m and land in 215m. Notably, the Antonov AN2
features a pneumatic system which operates the aircraft's braking
system and also facilitates quick tyre inflation at any location. A
fuel pump is also built into the fuselage, so that the
Antonov AN2 can be re-fuelled from fuel drums without the requirement
for any additional
external equipment.
Antonov AN2 Biplane Crash Survivability
Should this biplane suffer a failure in it's 1,000 hp
supercharged 9-cylinder Shvetsov ASh-62 radial engine, the pilot is
advised, in the aircraft's handbook, to fully pull back the stick,
it will then literally fall out of the sky vertically
at a speed of approximately 30mph. The airframe has been designed to
absorb this impact sufficiently to enable a reasonable chance of
survival for both crew and passengers.
Antonov AN2 in Military Use
The rugged design and excellent
STOL (short take off and landing) capability of the this
biplane led to the Soviet armed
forces acquiring a significant number of that model,
primarily for dropping small numbers of parachutists. During
the cold war, NATO forces allocated the aircraft the code name "Colt".
Antonov AN2 Losses
Due to the large number of these aircraft that have been produced, and the numerous decades of
service, there have been hundreds of crashes. However, fatalities average
out at less than one person per aircraft totally lost. Many of the
deaths have been a result of the location where the aircraft came down,
i.e. over water, rather than impact damage.
Various scale
models, model kits and plans of this aircraft have been available
in the market place.
Antonov AN2 Biplane Specifications:
Antonov AN2 Crew: Pilot only, or pilot and
co-pilot
Antonov AN2 Capacity: 12 passengers
Antonov AN2 Length: 12.4 m (40 ft 8 in)
Antonov AN2 Wingspan: 18.2 m (59 ft 8 in) Height:
4.1 m (13 ft)
Antonov AN2 Maximum weight: 5,500 kg (12,000 lb)
Antonov AN2 Maximum load: 2,140 kg
Antonov AN2 Engine: Single 1,000 hp (750 kW) Shvetsov ASh-62R 9-cylinder
supercharged radial engine
Antonov AN2 Maximum speed: 258 km/h
Antonov AN2 Cruise speed: 190 km/h (100 knots, 120 mph)
Antonov AN2 Stall speed: ~50 km/h (26 knots, 30 mph)
Antonov AN2 Range: 845 km (456 nm, 525 mi)
Antonov AN2 Service ceiling: 4,500 m (14,750 ft)
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