Polikarpov Po-2

The Polikarpov Po-2 or UT-2 is a Biplan for the drive and the agricultural work, produced in the USSR, of 1928 until the years 1950. Simple to produce and maintain, it was assembled by it nearly forty thousand specimens, in flight, it is shown highly reliable and forgives the majority of the pilot errors. Although exceeded, well before the Second world war, it nevertheless was used like planes of harassing of night and for light transport, during all the conflict, then in Korea. Because of its employment like agricultural plane, Soviet called it Кукурузник (Kukuruznik), term derived from кукуруза (kukuruza which indicates the Maïs).

History

The prototype of this plane flew for the first time in January 1928. Of a simple and rustic design, it used an engine of 99 horses, the Shvetsov M-11 with five star cylinders. It was consequently used in a massive way as well in the civilian, as in the Red Army . At the time of the Second world war, one found a use with the combat for this plane, however not very powerful. It served to badger on the ground the troops as the Wehrmacht, during attack in middle of the night. The tactics employed, consisted in approaching the German positions at low altitude, then to cut the engine and to carry out a master key of bombardment in planed flight. Although these attacks were not very fatal, it had an important psychological effect, disturbing many times the sleep of the units of Wehrmacht. One of the regiments which was distinguished, in this kind of mission, the 558e regiment of bombardment of night, was only made up of female pilots and mechanics. Some of enters finished the war with more than thousand missions of this type to their credit, including sometimes eighteen in only one night, and number of them, were decorated with the title of Héros of the Soviet Union, the Germans, called them Nachthexen (witches of the night). At the time of the War of Korea, Po-2 used in the same way, was called by the troops of the United Nations, Bedcheck Charlie . During the two conflicts, the small biplane appeared an adversary paradoxically hard to cut down, because its maximum speed was quite lower than that of Décrochage of the hunters, which tried to intercept it, and by the fact that it flew at very low altitude, sometimes a few meters only. In Korea, in spite of the use of Radar S, the plane remained hard to reach because of its small size and of its timber construction which gave only one very weak signature radar.

Alternatives

U-2P version equipped with floats, produced in small quantity.
U-2S version ambulance, with two Stretcher S, placed either inside or on the lower wings.
U-2ShS version of connection of staff.
U-2SP version of transport after war, two to four passengers.
U-2VS version militarized of light attack.
U-2NAK version of artillery guidance.
CS version built under license in Poland, after war.
CS version ambulance built under license in Poland, after war.
E-23 experimental version of 1934, for research on the inverted flight.

External bonds

Polikarpov U2 Po2 of the Normandy-Niémen group

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