Antonov An-2
The Antonov An-2 ("kukuruznik"—corn crop duster; USAF/DoD reporting name Type 22, NATO reporting name Colt) is a Soviet mass-produced single-engine biplane utility/agricultural aircraft designed and manufactured by the Antonov Design Bureau beginning in 1947. Its durability, high lifting power, and ability to take off and land from poor runways have given it a long service life. The An-2 was produced up to 2001 and remains in service with military and civilian operators around the world.
| An-2 | |
|---|---|
| An-2 formerly used by the Soviet Union | |
| Role | Agricultural, utility aircraft and military transport aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Antonov |
| Designer | Oleg Antonov |
| First flight | 31 August 1947 |
| Status | Series production may still continue in China as the Shijiazhuang Y-5; engine refitting project began in 2013 |
| Primary users | Soviet Union (historical) North Korea China Cuba |
| Produced | 1947–2001 |
| Number built | 18,000+ |
| Variants | Antonov An-3 |
The An-2 was designed as a utility aircraft for use in forestry and agriculture, but the basic airframe is highly adaptable and numerous variants of the type have been developed; these include hopper-equipped versions for crop-dusting, scientific versions for atmospheric sampling, water-bombers for fighting forest-fires, flying ambulances, float-equipped seaplane versions and lightly armed combat versions for dropping paratroops.
The most common version is the An-2T 12-seater passenger aircraft. All versions (other than the An-3 and the An-2-100) are powered by a 750 kW (1,010 hp) nine-cylinder Shvetsov ASh-62 radial engine, which was developed from the Wright R-1820. The An-2 typically consumes 2.5 L/min (0.66 US gal/min; 0.55 imp gal/min).