Blackbush to Popham in the An2

[DogTailRed2]

[DaveB]

I need to get my glasses changed. I read the title as Blackbush problem for the An2

Nice shots mate
ATB
DaveB

[dodger]

Fine shots there,

That An2 is a great model is'nt it.

Roger.

[DogTailRed2]

It's a great model and sounds very realistic.
I did have to tweak the brake configs slightly as I couldn't turn her very well with CH pedals (and yes the tail wheel lock was off!).
I also get some strange popping sounds on startup.
Flying is very easy.

[Garry Russell]

Ah...the good ole An-2.

I have a story here...famous in Latvia and Sweden but can find nothing about it this side

My partner is Latvian and her late husband, also Latvian, flew these for the Soviet Air Force

He decided to defect and did so in his An-2.

After careful planning and full tanks he took off From Latvia bound for Sweden.

When he got to the Latvian coast, to avoid suspicion he flew up to and around a manned, armed, Russian border post.

He circled around it waving...they were not suspicious and just waved back.

He eventually got to Sweden without proper means of navigation for such a long overwater stretch landing on a farmers field almost on vapour.

Big story that side of the curtain at the time

The Russians came over to Sweden saying "Please can we have our plane back" (you see they do speak English when we're not listening)

There was a bit of a sad ending though.

He didn't go back to Latvia until his mother persuaded the Russians he was mentally ill to protect him as she was a nurse. This got him into a hospital instead of prison which ended up worse as they put him in a ward for the criminally insane and that, sadly, ruined his health

[dodger]

Hi DTR2,

I purchased this An2 tonite and had a quick flight but i will have to read the Manual though i think to fly it properly [something i rarely do!]

I have had the freeware An2's over the years but this one from Sibwings looks and feels a cracker,

Garry,

Yes mate, a sad story.

Roger.

[DogTailRed2]

There was a program on TV a while back, I think it may have been Dan Snow in Battlefields or something like that.
While he was narrating in the background were rows, and rows, and rows of what appeared to be Polish AN2's. I think one of them flew.
Anyone else remember this?

[Garry Russell]

13,000 of the 18,000 soviet bloc built An-2 were built by WZL in Poland ending in a few built up from spares in about 2001. It is still in production in China

So, I guess there will be a lot around for a while yet

I recently went to Latvia and there are a few here and there , some on closed airfield where they remained after the Russians left.

They built small strips all over the place to operate these from mainly for spraying fields.

I was looking for one of these strips, trying to follow a map and convinced I should be in the right place when I realised I was driving down the main runway.

All tarmac and now a sort of part of the road system...complete with weeds.

[Nigel H-J]

Interesting story Garry but as you said - a very sad ending.

Somewhere on Youtube there is footage of an AN2 flying low just above a road in Russia with a bit of gesticulation from the cockpit to drivers below. Must still be there although it was a couple of years ago when I last viewed it.

Regards
Nigel.