Antonov An-2

1947 utility aircraft family by Antonov

AI overview

The Antonov An-2 is a Soviet utility aircraft first built in 1947 that was designed to perform a wide range of practical tasks like transport, agriculture, and rescue operations. It became one of the most widely used and long-lived aircraft designs in history, remaining in production and service across many countries for decades due to its reliability and versatility.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

Type: Agricultural , utility aircraft and military transport aircraft
Manufacturer: Antonov
Designer: Oleg Antonov
Status: In limited service
Primary users: Soviet Air Forces (historical) Russian Aerospace Forces Korean People's Army Air Force Ukrainian Air Force
Number built: 18,000+
Manufactured: 1947–2001
First flight: 31 August 1947
Developed into: Antonov An-3 , SibNIA TVS-2DTS

via Wikipedia infobox

Article

The Antonov An-2 (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, 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.

The An-2 was designed as a utility aircraft for forestry and agriculture, but the basic airframe is adaptable and numerous variants have been developed. These include hopper-equipped crop-dusters, scientific versions for atmospheric sampling, water-bombers for fighting forest fires, air ambulances, seaplanes, and versions for dropping paratroopers.