The legendary An-2, which first took to the skies in 1947, continues to fly across Russia — from Yakutia to the Arctic regions. Despite the age of its design, there is still no full-fledged replacement for the aircraft, said aviation expert and Honored Pilot of Russia Vladimir Popov.
According to him, the aircraft is capable of landing where neither modern airliners nor some helicopters can go.
For nature and forest protection, it is the cheapest patrol escort. It serves geological parties, oil workers, gas workers, and air ambulance. In the North, it is still difficult to find a full-fledged replacement for it.
Dozens of An-2s remain in operation with carriers, Popov reminded. But there is a problem — an outdated engine and a shortage of components, as a significant portion of the aircraft were assembled abroad.
Recall that Russia is currently developing a new regional LMS-901 "Baikal" to replace the An-2. In 2026, it will not go into production.
Earlier, "Pervyy Tekhnicheskiy" in a large article compared the capabilities of the An-2 with the "Baikal". The Soviet aircraft turned out to be surprisingly versatile and unpretentious, although it raised questions about speed and fuel consumption.