The Achinsk Aircraft Repair Plant has begun modernizing more An-2 aircraft. One of them was produced in 1985; the 'corn-duster' worked for a long time in cargo transportation and agricultural aviation, and for the last 15 years, it has been in storage.
Sergey Goryunov, an engineer for technical operation, explained that the aircraft is completely disassembled, and the wing box is also disconnected.
The fuselage is separate, the wings are separate, the engine is separate. All of this is serviced, repaired, the fabric covering is completely removed and re-stretched. Then it is all assembled, painted, the aircraft is rolled out, and prepared for a control and test flight.
The decision to bring the An-2 back to life was made because many biplanes with sufficient strength reserves are idle. At the same time, the new 'Baikals' cannot be brought to perfection — but flying is still necessary. Recently, almost two dozen biplanes have been returned to service in Achinsk.
There is a need for them. Precisely for them. Because of the delivery of goods, people, personnel, something in winter conditions. It has a very powerful chassis. This is important for a short take-off and landing aircraft. That is, there is no alternative.
According to various estimates, there are about 700 An-2s in Russia whose airworthiness can be restored.
While new aircraft, including the 'Baikal', are undergoing refinement and certification, the Soviet 'corn-duster' remains the only solution for maintaining transport accessibility in a number of regions.
Read more on the topic:
Never miss our newsAdd this site to your preferred sources to see us more oftenAdd on Google
