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An-2

Antonov · Agricultural · Modern (1992–2009)

An-2 — Agricultural
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The Antonov An-2 (NATO reporting name Colt) is a single-engine biplane utility and agricultural aircraft — the only aircraft ever to remain in continuous mass production for more than 70 years. Antonov drew it up in 1946-1947 as a Soviet replacement for the Polikarpov Po-2, and the type entered Soviet Air Force service in August 1947. Production continued at the WSK Mielec plant in Poland into the 1990s, with about 18,000 airframes built across all lines — the most-produced single-engine biplane in history and one of the most-produced aircraft of any configuration.

Power comes from a Shvetsov ASh-62 nine-cylinder radial of 1,000 hp, swinging propellers under an enormous 60-ft wingspan. Fully loaded, the An-2 unsticks in 200 m and stops in 170 m, matching a modern bush plane for short-field work. Maximum payload is 4,400 lb — 12 passengers or 2,000 kg of cargo. Top speed runs 160 mph, cruise 115 mph, range 525 miles. The aircraft is famously slow: Vne sits at only 160 mph, and stall in landing configuration approaches 30 mph. Some sub-variants list no published stall speed at all, because with full flaps and full load the An-2 will simply parachute downward instead of breaking into a true stall.

An-2 service spans most of post-WWII civil and light military aviation. Soviet, Polish, Chinese (as the Shijiazhuang Y-5), Romanian, North Korean and roughly 30 other operators have flown the type on agricultural spraying, parachute training, light cargo, passenger commuter runs in Russia, Mongolia and Cuba, and combat support. The North Korean Air Force still flies about 200 An-2s for special-operations infiltration. Russian and Ukrainian work in the 2010s produced the An-2-100, re-engined with a Motor Sich MS-14 turboprop, though only a handful have been completed. In 2026 the An-2 remains in active commercial service across the former Soviet states, China and Mongolia.

For Kids — a shorter, friendlier version

The Antonov An-2 is one of the most-built airplanes of all time. About 18,000 An-2s have rolled out since 1947 — second only to the Cessna 172. The An-2 is a giant biplane with two big wings stacked one above the other. The design looks straight out of the 1930s, even though it first flew much later.

The An-2 is about 42 feet long — longer than a school bus. One huge ASh-62 radial engine (1,000 horsepower) drives a 4-blade propeller. Top speed is only 160 mph, but the An-2 can land in a tiny 540 feet — much shorter than most airplanes. The cabin carries 12 passengers or 4,400 pounds of cargo, and the plane sits on fixed landing gear with big tires for rough fields.

The An-2 was Russia's workhorse for 60 years. It hauled mail, supplies, paratroops, crop sprayers, firefighters and tourists. Soviet farmers especially loved it because it could spray crops cheaply and land on dirt fields. China also built about 727 An-2 copies, called the Y-5 — and they still build them in 2026.

The An-2 is still flying in 2026. In fact, the type holds the world record for the longest production run of any airplane (1947-2026 = 79 years!). Around 600 An-2s still fly worldwide, mostly in Russia, China and former Soviet countries. The basic design is so good and so cheap to build that no replacement has ever fully taken over. The An-2 may keep flying past 2050.

Fun Facts

  • About 18,000 An-2s have been built since 1947 — second only to the Cessna 172.
  • The An-2 is the world's most-built biplane ever.
  • Top speed only 160 mph, but it can land in a tiny 540 feet.
  • The An-2's production run is the longest of any airplane in history: 1947-2026, 79 years.
  • China built 727 copies called the Y-5 — they still build them in 2026.
  • About 600 An-2s still fly worldwide today, mostly in Russia and China.
  • One ASh-62 radial engine drives a 4-blade propeller — 1,000 horsepower.

Kids’ Questions

Why is the An-2 still being built?

The An-2's basic design has never been replaced because nothing does the job as cheaply and effectively. The An-2 lands in less than 540 feet on rough dirt fields, carries lots of cargo, and uses a simple piston engine that mechanics can fix almost anywhere. Modern airplanes with similar performance, like the Cessna Caravan or Pilatus PC-12, cost 10x more. China keeps building Y-5s for farm and rural-transport work because the simple design beats the expensive alternatives. The An-2 may eventually be retired by newer designs, but as of 2026, no airplane is cheaper and more versatile.

What's a biplane?

A biplane is an airplane with two wings stacked above each other. Early airplanes (1903-1930s) were mostly biplanes because the two-wing design was easier to make strong. By the 1930s, single-wing airplanes (monoplanes) took over — they're faster and use less fuel. The An-2 is unusual because it's a biplane built in 1947, decades after biplanes went out of style. Antonov picked the biplane layout because it gives more lift at slow speeds — perfect for short rough-field flying. Most modern biplanes are aerobatic stunt planes, crop sprayers, or restored historical aircraft.

Variants

An-2 (basic)
Original Soviet production 1947-1959 with the Shvetsov ASh-62IR engine. About 5,000 came off the Kiev line before production transferred to Poland.
Shijiazhuang Y-5 (Chinese licence)
Chinese licence build from 1957 onward. About 1,300+ delivered, with PRC production continuing into the 2020s for Chinese agricultural and parachute-training work.
WSK Mielec An-2 (Polish licence)
Polish licence build 1959-1991, totalling about 11,915 airframes — the most-produced An-2 sub-variant. Mielec exports went to most Soviet-bloc and Third-World users.
An-2-100 (modern Ukrainian re-engine)
Ukrainian re-engine programme using the Motor Sich MS-14 turboprop. About 5 built since 2014 as proof-of-concept; series production never followed.

Notable Operators

Soviet Air Forces / Aeroflot (historical)
The largest single user. Soviet civil and military aviation ran thousands of An-2s from 1947 to 1991 on agricultural, light transport and parachute-training duties.
North Korean Air Force (current)
The largest current military operator, with about 200 An-2s in service for special-operations infiltration. A small radar return and low-altitude flight profile suit North Korean covert-mission doctrine.
Civilian operators (~30 countries)
Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, China, Mongolia, Cuba, Vietnam, Cambodia and many former Soviet states keep An-2 fleets in commercial agricultural, freight and parachute-jump-school service.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why has the An-2 stayed in production for 70+ years?

It has no real competitor in its niche — a 12-passenger / 2-tonne cargo biplane that flies out of 200-m grass strips, takes rugged handling, asks little of mechanics, and runs a 9-cylinder radial on low-grade aviation fuel. Western alternatives like the Cessna Caravan and de Havilland Beaver are smaller, more fuel-efficient, and demand better runways. The An-2 fills a specific Soviet and former-Soviet operating niche that no Western design has been reworked to match.

Does the An-2 have a stall speed?

Sort of. In clean configuration the published stall sits near 30 mph, but with full flaps deployed pilots have logged sink at forward speeds as low as 5 mph without the aircraft fully stalling — it simply parachutes downward. Some An-2 manuals omit a stall speed for the landing configuration for exactly this reason.

How many An-2s were built?

About 18,000 across all lines: roughly 5,000 Soviet-built (1947-1959), 11,915 Polish-built at WSK Mielec (1959-1991), 1,300 Chinese-built as the Shijiazhuang Y-5 (1957-present), plus a handful of Ukrainian An-2-100 re-engines. That makes the An-2 the most-produced single-engine biplane in history.

Is the An-2 still flying?

Yes, and in numbers. About 200 An-2s remain in front-line North Korean military service, with thousands more in civilian agricultural, freight and parachute-training work across Russia, Ukraine, China, Mongolia and many former Soviet states. The An-2 is the most numerous WWII-era-design aircraft still in active service.

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