Planespotter: An Aviation Mystery in Hanoi

Photo by Reid Yalom

Earlier this week, shutterbug Reid Yalom contacted Telstar Logistics to seek help identifying an unusual aircraft he photographed (shown above) during a recent trip to Hanoi, Vietnam.

Frankly, we were stumped. Yet several things about the aircraft's configuration seemed noteworthy: A single, nose-mounted engine, the biplane wing, and a large passenger cabin. Yalom suspected the plane might be French. "No idea," we replied, adding that "it might be Russian or Chinese."

Turns out, we were in the ballpark. Telstar Logistics Senior Taxonomist Fred Sharples quickly came though with information about the aircraft, positively identifying it as a Russian-designed Antonov AN-2.

Photo from Wikipedia Commons

Intended for use as an agricultural and forestry transport, the AN-2 was first flown in 1947. Tens of thousands of AN-2s were built before assembly lines shut down in 1991 -- a long production run exceeded only by the Lockheed C-130 Hercules.

We found this informative ode to the AN-2 at thingummybob.com:

Used as a troop carrier, paratrooper-dropper-offer, transport, passenger airliner, air ambulance, surveyor, spotter, agricultural sprayer/duster, the list goes on...The Vietnamese even tried (without much success) to use in the war, armed to the teeth, but I think it’s so large and flew so slowly that you could probably down it with a few well-aimed rocks thrown at the engine!

But what an ugly beauty! Stall speed is not mentioned anywhere, in fact you can put it down safely even without the engine at a very sedately 25 knots, with all the flaps and ailerons (yes, you can extend the ailerons as added flaps!!!) down, on both upper and lower wings, of course (the leading-edge slats are automatic...)!

Massive power, fantastic sound (er noise!), flies on its own in a straight line (but requires some ‘extra’ effort for anything other than a shallow turn) and aerodynamically as efficient as a brick shit-house underwater, you just have to love it! It will get you and all your kit into or out of anywhere on land or sea (yes, there is a floatplane and , of course, ski version) in any temperature with no bother (below 15,000 feet), no runway and no hurry. Seats up to twelve people in the passenger configuration, they even made them in a luxury VIP version. ‘Nuff said.

 

Photos from Wikipedia Commons

Comments

[the idiot]

Another interesting point of history: an AN-2 was shot down by a hand-fired AK-47 from an otherwise unarmed Air America UH-1 helicopter during the Vietnam war, in what some claim is the first and only combat helicopter shootdown of a biplane.

unverified source

[greg.org]

I want to party with the "some" who claim that. If you can please point me to the Helicopters vs Biplanes Historical Re-enactment Organization in my area...

[Telstar Logistics]

Apparently, a painting depicting the incident hangs on the wall of CIA headquarters in Virginia:

http://www.air-america.org/News/LS85_painting.shtml

[oldfool]

I have sat in the cockpit of one of these. The cabin is big. You can bring your upright piano and your water buffalo with you and still have room in the tail secton for a couple of crates of chickens. There is one located in SE Louisiana or at least there was a couple of years ago located on a private field.

[the idiot]

@greg.org: You might be able to party with them, but then they'd deny the party ever happened.