Picture of the day

[Dark Alley Dan]

That just seems really...optimistic.

The Antonov AN-2 is a general-purpose light hauler, designed to operate far from support off dirt, grass, snow, or water. The first one flew in 1947, and the last one left the assembly line in 2001. It's the Russian equivalent of the DC-3, a plane so overengineered that only gravity and corrosion can kill it.

Operators included FIFTY different countries, including Afghanistan,

Poland,

Lithuania,

Serbia,

and China via a license-built copy.

They're an awesome bush plane. I wish we had a bunch here. And like a certain Mexican beer virus, it continues to mutate. This from Wikipedia:

The Siberian Research Institute of Aviation (SIBNIA) has test flown a highly modified Antonov An-2 with carbon fibre winglet-like braces and carbon fibre wing structures. It was equipped with a five-bladed turboprop engine, most probably the Honeywell TPE331 already installed on a modernized version of the An-2 that entered service in 2014. According to Russian aviation company Sukhoi, this aircraft was built to demonstrate the aerodynamic and structural changes that were planned for an eventual An-2 replacement announced on 10 June 2015. The autoclave-cured carbonfibre composite materials – including wing panels, spars and ribs – were produced by the Novosibirsk Aviation Plant. Sukhoi says the design change improved the speed of the An-2 by 50%, and testing also has shown the minimum flying speed of the aircraft is "close to zero".

And apparently it's magic:

The An-2 has no stall speed, a fact which is quoted in the operating handbook. A note from the pilot's handbook reads: "If the engine quits in instrument conditions or at night, the pilot should pull the control column full aft and keep the wings level. The leading-edge slats will snap out at about 64 km/h (40 mph) and when the airplane slows to a forward speed of about 40 km/h (25 mph), the airplane will sink at about a parachute descent rate until the aircraft hits the ground."[4] As such, pilots of the An-2 have stated that they are capable of flying the aircraft in full control at 48 km/h (30 mph) (as a contrast, a modern Cessna four-seater light aircraft has a stall speed of around 80 km/h (50 mph)). This slow stall speed makes it possible for the aircraft to fly backwards relative to the ground (if the aircraft is pointed into a headwind of roughly 56 km/h (35 mph), it will travel backwards at 8.0 km/h (5 mph) whilst under full control).

 

[Ganderite]

 

[diopter]

Rhetorical:
Can anyone find information about bailing out of WWII Japanese aircraft?

 

[55recce]

We have an AN2 sitting outside the BC Aviation museum located at the Victoria International Airport if anyone wants to take a look. It was involved in the recovery of Glacier Girl the P38 that was recovered from 200 feet below the ice in Greenland and restored to flying condition.

 

[anoxia]

I've jumped out of an AN-2 a couple of times in Varadero Cuba. The skydiving company there used them as their jump plane. Jump run is always the same regardless of the winds, down the strip. Land on your beach at your hotel, pack up and grab a drink. Rinse repeat the next day.

 

[anoxia]

I would take a buried 80 series bomb or equivalent bulk explosives. The crater gives it away.

 

[Sharps '74]

There is no escape hatch per se. Through the bomb bay we go.

Good grief!

Did airgunners ever practice a jump or was it "learn as you go'' while your aircraft falls out of the sky? I wonder how many were unable to access an exit when it mattered?

 

[donor]

Afaik there was a whole bunch of AN-2 in Canada in mid 1990-early 2000s.They were all classified as "experimental" and therefore unfit for commercial use.

I was told authorities in both US and Canada refused to certify (not sure if proper term) them because of some technicalities with papers.


On other hand here is one of the stranger planes build in larger numbers by North American,builders of P-51,NA-64 Yale etc.

NA O-47A.Strange as it was it had very useful life of a trainer,target tow and sub spotter in early stages of war for Atlantic.I think I've seen it in some war films from mid 1940s .

 

[johnny rotten]

All the B26 pics I've seen over the years have the B26 with throttles basically firewalled and flying at treetop height
Not really doing level, slow, regular bombing stuff... even those planes were tough as hell to get out of alive
I think the crew of a 26 might lose an engine or half a wing, then have enough time to say "huh" before the plane rolled or corkscrewed into the treeline
Would make for a fun aircraft to crew until things went sideways

 

[Grizzly Adams]

That just seems really...optimistic.

The Antonov AN-2 is a general-purpose light hauler, designed to operate far from support off dirt, grass, snow, or water. The first one flew in 1947, and the last one left the assembly line in 2001. It's the Russian equivalent of the DC-3, a plane so overengineered that only gravity and corrosion can kill it.



They're an awesome bush plane. I wish we had a bunch here. And like a certain Mexican beer virus, it continues to mutate. This from Wikipedia:



And apparently it's magic:

You can still fly in one in Cuba, if you're just a little bit suicidal


Grizz

 

[7ECA]

The Antonov AN-2 is a general-purpose light hauler, designed to operate far from support off dirt, grass, snow, or water. The first one flew in 1947, and the last one left the assembly line in 2001. It's the Russian equivalent of the DC-3, a plane so overengineered that only gravity and corrosion can kill it.

The AN-2 is an amazing aeroplane, it's a shame Transport Canada and the FAA have been such bastards over the years with their refusal to certify the aircraft.

As for the Russian, er, Soviet equivalent of the DC-3 all I can say is nyet comrade. Lisunov Li-2 is Soviet DC-3, metric DC-3...

Apparently HA-LIX is the last airworthy Li-2, out of something like 5,000 built.

 

[tiriaq]

Watched some AN-2s when they passed through Frobisher Bay, en route to the US from Europe. Ex-Czech aircraft. Really interesting to watch them landing and taking off. They seemed to go from flying to rolling and vice versa without changing speed. Just grumbling along. Really slow.

 

[x westie]

Apparently bailing out of a B 24 Liberator was not easy , only 1 hatch I believe, the B17 was a better chance , also the B17 could sustain more battle damage

 

[Ganderite]

The AN-2 is an amazing aeroplane, it's a shame Transport Canada and the FAA have been such bastards over the years with their refusal to certify the aircraft.

As for the Russian, er, Soviet equivalent of the DC-3 all I can say is nyet comrade. Lisunov Li-2 is Soviet DC-3, metric DC-3...

Apparently HA-LIX is the last airworthy Li-2, out of something like 5,000 built.

I have always thought of the AN2 as an overgrown Beaver - not a DC3.

 

[Ganderite]

Apparently bailing out of a B 24 Liberator was not easy , only 1 hatch I believe, the B17 was a better chance , also the B17 could sustain more battle damage

 

[7ECA]

Probably more like the Single Swine (Otter).

 

[Ganderite]

Probably more like the Single Swine (Otter).

In size, yes. But the STOL of the AN2 is more Beaver-like.

 

[Grizzly Adams]

The AN-2 is an amazing aeroplane, it's a shame Transport Canada and the FAA have been such bastards over the years with their refusal to certify the aircraft.

As for the Russian, er, Soviet equivalent of the DC-3 all I can say is nyet comrade. Lisunov Li-2 is Soviet DC-3, metric DC-3...

Apparently HA-LIX is the last airworthy Li-2, out of something like 5,000 built.

Can you say, Reverse Engineering ?

Grizz

 

[Falcorn]

^^ Lisunov Li-2 was a licensed copy, not a product of reverse engineering. Tu-4 aka B-29, was indeed reverse engineered.

 

[shredder]

Can you say, Reverse Engineering ?

Grizz

Just like the Tupolev TU-4........

(reverse engineered from a B-29 that landed in Vladivostok in 1944 after a run over Japan)