Editing Antonov An-2 (section)

==Design and development==
===Origins===
The Antonov An-2 was designed to meet a 1940s Soviet Ministry of Forestry requirement to replace the smaller [[Polikarpov Po-2]], which was used in large numbers in both agricultural and utility roles. Antonov designed a large single bay [[biplane]] of all-metal construction, with an enclosed cockpit and a cabin with seats for twelve passengers. The first prototype, designated '''SKh-1''', powered by a [[Shvetsov ASh-21]] radial engine, flew on 31 August 1947 from [[Yeltsovka Airport]] in [[Novosibirsk Oblast]], Russia<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20180323045229/http://www.antonov.com/aircraft/antonov-gliders-and-airplanes/an-2 ANTONOV gliders and airplanes. AN-2.]</ref>. The second prototype was fitted with a more powerful [[Shvetsov ASh-62]] engine, which allowed the aircraft's payload to be increased from {{cvt|1,300|to|2,140|kg}}, and in this form saw production.<ref name="Guns-ton Russian p20">Gunston 1995, p. 20.</ref>

[[File:An-2 OK-HFL EDST 02.jpg|thumb|On the static display of "Oldtimer Fliegertreffen" Hahnweide 2011]]
Initial production was at State Factory 473 in [[Kyiv|Kiev]], [[Ukrainian SSR]], where the majority of up to 5,000 units had been produced by 1960. Later Soviet production (after 1965, of model An-2M especially) was at State Factory 464 at Dolgoprudniy, [[Russian SFSR]]. After 1960, most An-2s were constructed at Poland's [[PZL Mielec|WSK]] factory in [[Mielec]]. It is believed that over 13,000 were built in Poland before manufacturing ended in 1991.<ref name="auto1">{{in lang|pl}} {{ill|Grzegorz Hołdanowicz|pl}}: ''Polskie M28 uszczelnią Wietnam'' in: Raport-WTO nr.12/2003, p.23</ref>

Until 2001, limited production was undertaken using remaining stocks of spares, including a small batch of four aircraft that were produced for Vietnam.<ref name="auto1"/> [[China]] also builds the An-2 under licence as the '''Shijiazhuang Y-5'''.<ref name = "An-2"/> It has been erroneously reported that there was East German production of the An-2; while An-2s often underwent extensive refurbishment in East German facilities, no new aircraft were built there.{{Citation needed|date=February 2018}}

The An-2 is commonly used as a light utility transport, parachute drop aircraft, [[Aerial application|agricultural work]] and other tasks suited to a large slow biplane. Its slow flight and good short field performance make it suited for short, unimproved fields, and some specialized variants have also been built for cold weather and other extreme environments. The ''[[Guinness World Records|Guinness Book of World Records]]'' states that the 45-year production run for the An-2 was for a time the longest for any aircraft and challenged the over two decade-long run of the 1920s [[Polikarpov Po-2]] it replaced. The An-2's record has since been exceeded.<ref name = "An-2"/>

===Further development===
[[File:antonov.an-2.ha-mkf.arp.jpg|thumb|Closeup of a private An-2TP]]

During the early 1980s, Antonov experimented with an An-2 powered by a {{cvt|1450|hp|order=flip}} Glushenkov [[turboprop]] engine. Aircraft with this engine had a longer, streamlined nose. It received the designation [[Antonov An-3|An-3]].<ref name = "An-2"/>

During 2013, Antonov announced that it had flown a new An-2 version, the ''An-2-100'', with a three-blade reversible propeller and a {{cvt|1500|shp|order=flip}} [[Motor Sich]] MS-14 turboprop running on [[kerosene]] rather than Avgas, which is no longer produced in CIS countries.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |author-last=Gethin |author-first=Howard |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/antonov-flies-turboprop-powered-an-2-100-389083 |title=Antonov flies turboprop-powered An-2-100 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130808074438/http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/antonov-flies-turboprop-powered-an-2-100-389083/ |archive-date=8 August 2013 |website=[[Flight Global]] |date=5 August 2013}}</ref> That same year, the company stated that it had received orders for upgrading hundreds in [[Azerbaijan]], [[Cuba]] and [[Russia]] to the An-2-100 version.<ref name="усовершенствованные кукурузники">{{cite news | url=http://korrespondent.net/business/companies/1579862-rossiya-zakazala-u-antonova-usovershenstvovannye-kukuruzniki |trans-title=Russia Orders Improved Agricultural Aircraft from Antonov| script-title=ru:Россия заказала у Антонова усовершенствованные кукурузники | work=[[Korrespondent]] | date=11 July 2013 | access-date=4 September 2013 | language=ru | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130814112252/http://korrespondent.net/business/companies/1579862-rossiya-zakazala-u-antonova-usovershenstvovannye-kukuruzniki | archive-date=14 August 2013 | url-status=live | df=dmy-all }}</ref>

The Siberian Research Institute of Aviation (SIBNIA) test flew a modified An-2 with winglets and a carbon fibre wing structure. It was equipped with a turboprop engine with a five bladed propeller. According to Russian aviation company [[Sukhoi]], this aircraft was a demonstrator for an An-2 replacement announced on 10 June 2015. The carbonfibre composite materials, including wing panels, spars and ribs were produced by the Novosibirsk Aviation Plant. Sukhoi says the design change increased its speed by 50%.<ref>{{cite web |last=Trimble |first=Stephen  |date=10 June 2015 |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/modernised-an-2-demonstrator-completes-first-flight-413382/ |title=Modernised An-2 demonstrator completes first flight |work=[[Flight International]] |access-date=2015-06-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150613034759/http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/modernised-an-2-demonstrator-completes-first-flight-413382/ |archive-date=2015-06-13 |url-status=live }}</ref>