OREANDA-NEWS. On 18 August 2008 was announced, that from July 31 to August 3, 2008 in Poland, at Kętrzyn Wilamowo airdrome, the 12th European meeting of amateurs of AN-2 took place. Twenty three crews from seven countries flew by their AN-2s of different modifications intended for solution of various tasks. In demonstrative flights and on the ground they showed the high qualities of their winged favourites.

Yurii V.Kurlin, a honoured test-pilot, the Hero of the Soviet Union, represented ANTONOV ASTC in the competent international jury, which judged the AN-2s flown for the meeting by 11 criteria including flight characteristics, comfort level, functionality of spectial equipment, quality of work organization of a crew, age of the aicraft and a range of its flight to the place of the meeting conducting.

The first prize was received by a crew of Polish AN-2 developed at Kaunas aviation repair plant for serving the expeditions. The judges highly appreciated this version of the airplane, whose main peculiarity is the high comfort which it is capable to create for peoples who are far from civilization. It is equipped with berths, soft comfortable seats, a conditioner capable to work both in flight and on the ground, a microwave oven, a fridge, a lavatory and a shower with water reserve of 150 l, convenient, folding stairs.

One of the main features is a set of equipment for conducting meetings. Using it, 4-5 persons can make themselve comfortable near the aircraft at negotiation table and to discuss necessary questions. A generator with power of 1000 Wt mounted at the aircraft is used for lighting in the evening.

Participants of the meeting confirmed again that in spite of considerable age – more that 60 years from the date of its first flight – AN-2 remains beloved as before and serves people reliably.

For the enquiry:

The AN-2 light biplane – is the first airplane of the big family of ANTONOV aircraft. It performed its first flight on August 31, 1947. It is in serial production for almost 60 years. During this period six plants in three countries build almost 17000 such airplanes.

Operation of AN-2 started simultaneously in several spheres of national economy of the USSR and in the armed forces. Most of all this airplane was used while performing aviation chemical works in agriculture and forestry. In order to help hunters it was used for reconnaissance of animals and birds. AN-2s helped to perform aerial photography to define speeds and directions of rivers’ stream, to trasport people, animals, mail, different cargoes. These airplanes were used for aviation monitoring of gas and oil pipe lines, electricity networks and in liquidation of consequences of man-caused catastrophes. AN-2s were intensively used while Baikal-Amur high-way building. AN-2s transported sick persons, doctors and medicines, fighted with insects-carriers of infectional diseases. These aircraft were used for training of flight personnel and paradropping as well as for gliders towing. Hudreds of thousand of sportsmen and future pilots jumped first with parashutes namely from this machine. It is even difficult to count the exact number of tasks solved with AN-2s.

Today more than 6000 AN-2s are being operated in different countries. Technical condition of many of them allows to affirm: this unique machine will celebrate its centenary in the air.