Not meant to be or do I want this to be political. Just seems like a cool plane. 
Not meant to be or do I want this to be political. Just seems like a cool plane.
article wrote: Aside from its remarkable short take-off and landing, it can basically fly backwards.
AN-2s are awesome. And our attack choppers would decimate them.
Wikipedia says the stall speed is 30mph, on a sufficiently windy day it should indeed be able to hover and fly backwards.
Man, one of those would make an epic "Flying Farmer" routine
the An-2 is a very neat plane. typical in soviet design, build, and ease of maintenance. Anybody with any knowledge of tools could probably keep one running.
To say they are virtually invisible to radar is quite a stretch. They are fabric covered wings, but their structure is metal, the wings are braced with metal wires and they do have what amounts to a very large radar reflector attached to the engine.
It might be a minor challenge to an F16 if it's dodging between trees, but as noted, very easy meat to an attack helicopter (which are about twice as fast).
I'm worried about a lot of things.
I'm not super worried about crop dusters from Asia threatening my way of life.
Starting an AN-2.....
In reply to Huckleberry:
aircooled wrote: what amounts to a very large radar reflector attached to the engine.
This. The radar return from that engine is the equivalent of the broad side of a barn, and across a large forward sector, too. That plane will sneak up on no one.
Doc Brown wrote: Starting an AN-2.....
Clearly using some sort of spun up flywheel to turn over the motor.
I believe this is the plane that someone once told me has a pump attached to the fuel system that will pump fuel into the crankcase. It's used to dilute the oil in the engine for very cold weather starts.
The An-2 uses an inertia starter, so you are not far off.
mad_machine wrote: the An-2 is a very neat plane. typical in soviet design, build, and ease of maintenance. Anybody with any knowledge of tools could probably keep one running.
Soviet engineering: Strong, like bull - Smart, like tractor.
Oil dilution was common on WW2 aircraft. The anticipated low temperature determined how many seconds to hold the dilute switch.
the AN-2 was also a very safe plane. With no stated Stall Speed(it loses altitude below 35mph) if the engine dies in flight during an instruments only flight, the manual states to pull back on the stick and keep her level, the forward airfoils (increasing lift) will snap out at around 50mph and at 35, it will simply lose altitude and drift towards the ground at about the speed of a parachute
Beer Baron wrote:mad_machine wrote: the An-2 is a very neat plane. typical in soviet design, build, and ease of maintenance. Anybody with any knowledge of tools could probably keep one running.Soviet engineering: Strong, like bull - Smart, like tractor.
Russian woman, strong, like bull, 'keek' like bull, too!
Doc Brown wrote: Starting an AN-2.....
1:45 is where the hyperdrive fails?
A lot of the later big piston powered aircraft engines used inertia starters, gear reduction spinning a small flywheel extremely fast. They don't require a huge battery/motor and can be cranked by hand if need be.
yup, hand cranked inertia starter combined with a magneto and you never need worry about a dead battery
Kids and you're fancy starters.
While not as cool and it can't fly backwards, one of my wife's family friends designed this. It is a basically silent airplane used during Vietnam. Afterwards, I think the FBI also used it. Sadly he's passed away now. Very interesting guy.
I hope Snoopy is able to climb onto his dog house and defend us from this horrible threat.
In reply to racerdave600:
That thing is pretty rare and unknown, even in aviation communities.
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