KerbalX

An Unlikely Icon of Aviation

After WWII, Soviet planners recognized the need for a light transport aircraft that could survey and allow operations in the vast hinterlands of their various states, so the Antonov design bureau was tasked with creating just the aircraft for the job. First entering service in 1948, the resultant design looked out of place in an era rapidly becoming dominated by jets: a large all-metal braced-wing biplane with an air-cooled radial engine.

This first observation belies the brilliance of the design - it was exactly the plane for the job, and nothing more. Just a rugged, reliable, forgiving aircraft with an acceptable payload. But that sells the An-2 short as well - thanks to its simple design, it was a perfect platform for a large variety of tasks: crop dusting, frontier air transport, light cargo, forestry surveying, and probably quite a lot more. Wherever a meek, reliable aircraft was needed - the An-2 was there to serve. And it still is - there are still An-2s serving in their intended roles today, well over 70 years since they first flew.

Details

• Type: SPH
• Class: ship
• Part Count: 642
• Pure Stock
• KSP: 1.10.0

This craft will be featured in an (eventually) upcoming Flights of Fancy video alongside its would-be successor, but I decided that I needed to release something