Antonov Year-2

The Year-2 is a plane Biplan general-purpose single-engined aircraft designed by the office manufacturer Antonov. It made its first flight the August 31st 1947 and was produced more than 18.000 specimens in the USSR, Poland, China and Colombia. Asserting the title of larger biplane single-engined aircraft in the world, this not very elegant but robust, economic apparatus and of easy maintenance flew under almost all the skies of planet and in the most varied roles: Transport of passengers, cargo liner or of agricultural work, transport of parachutists, medical transport, fire control, Seaplane, photographic, weather exploration… Of many specimens is today still in-flight status and accomplishes flights of tourism at the time of air meetings.

He was baptized Colt in coding NATO.

Origin

In 1940 Oleg K Antonov worked already with the idea of an agricultural apparatus of work, but of course the context of the moment did not lend itself to it. Its research department (OKB) hardly made up it took again this project and, after having studied several possible configurations, chose the formula biplane. By ministerial directive the future apparatus was to receive an engine Chvétsov ASh-21, but taking into account the tonnage of the apparatus considered, more powerful ASh-61IR (1000 ch) seemed better adapted. Baptized SKhA-1 , the prototype accomplished its first flight the August 31st, 1947 with a ASh-21 engine, controlled by P.N.Volodin. The two engines were interchangeable and the tests, which continued until July 1948, showed that with the Chvétsov ASh 61IR the apparatus could meet many needs and this engine was thus finally retained.

Description

The Year-2 is a biplane with unequal wings. The aerofoil has a cloth-lined metal structure, the last series having a metal coating in front of the main girder. The wing gap is maintained by monomats with widened soles, the whole being stiffened by a double cross staying. The higher plan, which receives the 6 fuel tanks for a full capacity of 1200 liters (900kg) is equipped on all the scale with automatic slits with leading edge. Those are combined with shutters with slit occupying the totality of the trailing edge of the lower plan and half of the trailing edge of the higher plan, which also receives the ailerons. These high-lift devices make it possible the Year-2 to take off or land on 150 to 180 m, therefore on grounds. All mobile surfaces are ordered by cables, but one notes an electric trim with the left aileron. The fuselage is built primarily out of aluminum alloy (Duralumin) D-16T. One finds with before a radial engine actuating a four-bladed propeller AV-2 with variable step. The cockpit which makes him continuation two-seater, is equipped in a standard way in dual control and a PSV, the apparatus which can be controlled by only one man only in the absence of passengers on board. The access to the fuselage is done by a door located on the left, behind of the wing (1,53*1,46m), included in a broader door cargo liner on many versions. The Year-2 rests on a fixed traditional train, the principal train including/understanding two independent deadened units normally equipped with wheels with tires low pressure and brakes with pneumatic control. This train can receive skis also equipped with brakes with order.

Versions

Antonov Year-2

Year-2F: photographic Apparatus of recognition and artillery observation of night. The fuselage tail section was appreciably redrawn, largely glazed, with an empennage bidérive and a machine-gun UBT or a gun NS-23. The protorype stole in April 1949 to the hands of A.E.Pashkevich, but no ordering of series will follow, the tests being completed in February 1950.
Year-2L: Apparatus of fire control, the delaying products being carried in tanks out of glass fiber located under the wings and the fuselage.
Year-2LV: ( L esnoj V odnij, forest seaplane). Apparatus of fire control, equipped with floats like the Year-2V, these floats being equipped with scoops allowing to embark 630 liters of water per float. This version was brought into service in 1969.
Year-2M: Small series produced after 1960 in the USSR by conversion of older apparatuses. It is dune version about work agricultural of which the cockpit has the air conditioning. The fuselage is slightly lengthened with a drift redrawn, more angular, the repositioned landing gear, the capacity of carrying increased to 1960 liters and the system of pulverization modified to improve the effectiveness of it. Certified for operations in the single-seater, this alternative with accomplished its first flight on May 20th, 1964 and, once the tank of products withdrawn, the plane is usable in the light cargo liner.
Year-2P: ( P assazhirskij, passenger). Basic model, being able to transport up to 12 passengers or 1240 kg of freight. * Year-2P: ( P rotivopozharnij) New version of fight against the fires derived from the Year-2V in 1964, the floats being able to embark 1240 liters of water.
Year-2T: First version produced in series, utility transport aircraft equipped with a door cargo liner (1.39*1.55m) serving a useful cabin of volume 4.10*1.60*1.80m for a payload of 1500 to 2000 kg.
Year-2SKh: agricultural Version of work of the Year-2P with shock absorbers of the principal train with lengthened race. the equipment of pulverization initially included/understood a tank of 1.400 liters in cabin and a tube under the fuselage making it possible to cover a band of ground from 18 to 22 m broad. In 1975 this system was replaced by equipment RTSh-1 (3 tubes) allowing to cover a width of 34 with 36m. Thereafter a tube running on all the scale of the lower plan, with multiple tubes. Pulled by a small propeller, the pump makes it possible to pulverize 18 liters of product a second on a tape of 30 Mr.
Year-2V: ( V odnij, seaplane) Version seaplane in the catamaran of the Year-2T, also indicated Year-4. The maximum mass on the takeoff of 5.250 kg is unchanged, but the propeller is an AV 2R with reversible step. The floats (6m3 and 220 kg each one) are fixed at the fuselage by 6 chechmates and a flexible staying. (Waterborne gold Hydroplanetwin-float model with shorter propeller blades, " V" stands for Vodnij (Waterborne gold Hydroplanes). These floats can be installed on all the versions of the Year-2 by 4 people in 20 hours.
Year-2VA: Water bomber
Year-2ZA: ( Z ondirovanie has tmosfery, taking away atmospheric). Apparatus of weather research to high-altitude, also indicated Year-6 and recognizable with the presence of an additional station glazed in front of the drift, used in particular to supervise the icing of the wing. The engine ASh- 621R is equipped with a visible comptessor TK on the right of the cap-engine, in order to maintain the engine output up to 10.000 m, the spinner is removed to improve cooling of the engine and the ailerons of origin are replaced by ailerons without slit.

Nachang Y-5

A license of production was granted to the China, the first Yunshuji-5 (Transport aircraft 5) outgoing of the Chinese chains of Nanchang in December 1957. The production was then transferred at Shijiazhuang Aircraft Industry Co Ltd.

Y-5A : Transport of troops.
Y-5B : agricultural Apparatus of work.
Y-5C : Seaplane.
Y-5N : general-purpose Apparatus.

PZL-Mielec Year-2

In 1960 the production of the biplane Antonov Year-2 was transferred in Poland, the bearing licensing agreement initial on two versions only, Year-2T of transport and An- 2R de work agricultural. The first apparatus built in Poland left factory the October 23rd, 1960. Many versions, destinies in particular with the export, appeared thereafter, whose designations do not recut necessarily Soviet designations, of or sometimes a certain confusion. The Polish production exceeded the 11.950 specimens, including 10.440 intended for only the the USSR.

Geofiz Year-2: Aircraft equipped for research geophysics.
Year-2LW:
Year-2M: Version seaplane of (PZL) the Year-2T, is equivalent of the Soviet Year-2V.
Year-2P: Version of transport similar to the Year-2P produced in the USSR but with a sound-proofing of improved cabin and a new propeller.
Year-2PK: Version of transport VIP for 5 passengers only.
Year-2PR: Apparatus used like relai of television.
Year-2P-Photo : Especially arranged for the photogrammetric statements.
Year 2R: This version of agricultural work which appeared in 1964 one of the two initial versions, is produced with 7777 specimens. The cockpit is tight, the empennage is increased and the apparatus can receive in a glass fiber hopper 1960 liters or 1350 kg of fertilizer.
Year-2S: medical Transport, 6 stretchers and 2 medical assistants.
Year-2T: utility Transport. Initial version produced in Poland as from 1960 with (PZL) the Year 2R. Va quickly to decline itself in TD and TP.

Year-2TD: ( T ransportno- D esanrnij) Transport of parachutists, the cabin being equipped with folding seats for 12 men.
Year-2TP: ( T ransportno- P assazhirskij) Version of passengers transport and cargo liner derived from the Year-2TD.

PZL-Mielec Year-3

It is into 1972 that in Poland the development began from a turboprop version from the Year-2, after the failure of WSK-PZL Mielec M-15 Belphegor, apparatus agricultural with reaction which will not appear robust enough for the work conditions imposed on the agricultural planes. It is only into 1979 that began serious work on this apparatus, whose prototype has took the air in 1984 with a turbopropeller Glushenkov TVD-10B. December 12th, 1985 with Podkievskoe, Ukraine, Vladimir Lysenko carried the record of altitude subclass C-1f (maximum mass on takeoff lain between 6000 and 9000kg), Groupe 2 (turbopropellers) with load of 1000kg and 2000kg with 6100m. With a selling price estimated at 500.000 U$ (whose $200 000 for turbopropeller TVD-20 or of a TVD-1500SKh) in 2.000, this conversion should interest according to its prompters some 2000 apparatuses in Europe and Latin America, but the firm Polyot Enterprise d' Omsk had many problems to obtain certification.

Users

: The Year-2 was called within the troops of NVA in German Democratic republic Anna , Aunt Anna or Kastendrachen . See the external bonds for its use.
Afghanistan: Used of 1979 to 1988. At least a specimen lost in military operations.
Albania: 13 Y-5 of Chinese origin were delivered to Albania into 1963/64 and were poured with the 1e flotilla of the 4050e Regiment of the popular Army with Tirana. 10 specimens were still in service in 1986, and an unspecified number in 1999.
Angola: One counted 10 apparatuses in service in the army in 1986.
:
:
Bulgaria:
China: In 2003, Y-5 always equipped the first flying school with Harbin and the training centres of parachutists.
Colombia: In 1989, the company AICSA assembled 2 Year-2 starting from kits provided by Pezetel.
: Use of Y-5
Croatia: Based with Zagreb - Pleso, 27e ETZ (Eskadrila Transportnih Zrakoplova) always had into 2005 (PZL) Year-2.
Cuba: In 1986, one still counted about thirty Year-2 in service in cuban revolutionary aviation distributed between the 15° Regimiento de Transporte, 151° Escuadrón de Transporte based in Cienfuegos, 25° Regimiento de Transporte, 251° Escuadrón de Transporte based to Havana and 252° Escuadrón de Transporte based in San Antonio of los Baños, and 35° Regimiento de Transportede Transporte, 351° Escuadrón de Transporte based to Santiago of Cuba.
:
Estonia: Evacuating the base of Ämari on May 15th, 1997, the Russian forces gave up with Estonians 2 Year-2.
France: A batch of double Flemish bonds was bought in the years 1960 for the clubs of parachuting.
:
Great Britain:
Hungary:
Iraq:
Laos:
Latvia: Used by the 3rd flotilla of transport of Lielvarde in 2005.
Lithuania: 12th (Zokniai) and 22e (Pajuostis) escadrilles flew over Year-2 in 2005.
: In September 2003, the 101e flotilla of aviation used one Year-2 (Z3-DCR/VAM-150) coming from the flying-club of Kumanov to the profit of the 501e special unit parachutist in Petrovec.
Mali:
Moldavie: 2 Year-2 used in 2003 by the army and stationed with Chisinau and Marculesti.
Mongolia:
Nicaragua:
:
Netherlands:
Poland: The Year-2 was always used by the Polish air force into 2005 within the 2 ELTL (Bydgoszcz), 3 ELTL (Wroclaw-Strachowice), 13 ELTr (Krakow-Balice) and 3 ELT (Poznan-krzesiny)
Romania: On ten apparatuses divided into 1976 between two regiments, one counted 8 more Year-2 in service in 1982, assigned mainly to the drive and the training of the parachutists.
Sudan:
Slovakia:
Tadjikistan:
:
: The 1st Regiment of Air transport of Ostrava-Mosnov had into 1990 15 Year-2.
Tunisia:
:
Turkey:
Ukraine:
/Russie: 10.440 apparatuses delivered by the Poland, as well for civil use as military.
Venezuela:
: In 2002, the 918 Hong ha Trung Doan based in Gia Lam still had 4 (PZL) Year-2.
:

Sources

Re-examined German language: Re-examined Flieger, Militärverlag DER GDR, éd.5/1979 p. 220 and 12/88 p. 381
V.B.Shavrov, History of the aeronautical engineering in US

External bonds

Antonov Year-2 {{of}}
Site of the Flotilla of Year-2

Random links: