The Antonov An-2 was a small utility aircraft employed by the Soviet military during the Cold War years. Its first prototype flew for the first time in 1947, entering service in 1948. Although it had originally been designed for the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, it was massively employed by the Soviet Air Force, with more than 5,000 An-2 air planes being manufactured by the Antonov State-run factory. It was also built in East Germany and China. There was also a sea plane version of it; the An-2V. It was very versatile as it was used for transport, parachute training, navigation, and ambulance service.
Technical Characteristics
The An-2 was a single-engine, biplane aircraft, which was built with an all-metal fuselage. Its straight wings were metal-framed, but it was covered with fabric aft of the front spar as was the tail surfaces. It was powered by a Shvetsov-ASh-621-R 1,000-HP engine, fitted with four-blade propeller. This versatile aircraft had a crew of two men and it could carry up to 14 armed paratroopers. It could carry about a 1 and 1/2 tons of freight.
Specifications
Wing Span: 18.19 m (59 ft 8 in)
Wing Area: 71.51 m² (769.8 sq ft)
Length: 12.4 m (40 ft, 8 in)
Height: 4.19 m (13 ft, 9 in)
Maximum Speed: 252.67 km/h (157 mph)
Range: 901 km (560 miles)
Below, side view photo of the Antonov An-2 in service with the Hungarian government.
Front profile of the An-2 from the blue-print design.
