Antonov ASTC : In 2017 the AN−2 biplane, the first ANTONOV aircraft, will celebrate the 70th anniversary

In 2017 ANTONOV Company will celebrate the 70 anniversary of maiden flight of the world well−known biplane AN−2, which is the first in the family of all the ANTONOV airplanes. Oleg Antonov said: «АN−2 is my greatest success». All these years many characteristics of this aircraft remain unsurpassed.

Many versions of the AN−2 performed wide spectrum of various tasks. They were actively used in agricultural works and geological surveyance operations, applied to carry people, animals as well as various cargoes. Thousands of pilots were trained at these airplanes. They often performed paradropping missions. The AN−2 became a really successful multipurpose aircraft. It is difficult to calculate the total number of its missions and, of course, impossible to tell about them in details. This airplane was an irreplaceable assistant in development of many sectors of the national economy. AN−2s flew to different destinations, including places inaccessible for other transports.

One more record of the AN−2, which is the world biggest biplane, is its many−year series production. More than 1700 such airplanes were manufactured.

To celebrate this glorious toiler's anniversary, ANTONOV Company intends to conduct several actions during 2017.

Transport, passenger, multipurpose ANTONOV aircraft, the AN−2's successors, inherited its best features. The world biggest AN−225 transport became a real star of informational space in 2016. According to Flightradar24 service, which provides actual data about aircraft flights, hundred thousands people followed the Mriya's routes. Flights from Czech to Australia, visited by the AN−225 for the first time, and from Brazil to Chile, where the aircraft carried a monocargo weighting 182 t, became the most popular events.

At the end of 2016, attention of the aviation community was directed to appearance of a new AN−132 transport aircraft. On December 20, AN−132D, the first prototype of this aircraft was presented to public. It was designed and constructed during a year and a half only. It was a significant result of hard and effective work of dozens of leading enterprises of the world aircraft industry.

The year of the AN−2's jubilee will become a 'year of programs' for ANTONOV Company. The enterprise will work on development of its current projects including AN−148/AN−158 family, AN−178 and AN−132 transports.