Interesting news for anyone who likes the Antonov AN-2!

 

An example re-engined with with a US-made Honeywell Aerospace TPE-331 turboprop engine and a Hartzell five-blade propeller has finished initial testing in Russia.

 

The standard An-2 is powered by a Shvetsov ASh-62 nine-cylinder, air cooled, radial engine:

 

It has been reported that the aircraft had a shorter take-off run, and was steadier and easier to control with the new US turboprop engine and propeller. Its also mentioned that the TPE-331 turboprop offers similar power to the old ASh-62 radial engine but with less weight and drag, and also importantly it uses cheaper Kerosene fuel.

 

The idea is to attempt to reduce costs and improve the performance of the AN-2, which was introduced all the way back in 1947 and still widely used today! The An-2's stellar success has been due to its toughness, durability, extreme adaptability of its airframe and remarkable STOL performance with the ability to practically take off and land almost anywhere.

The An-2 has been used for anything you can imagine a plane being used for, including use as a: flying ambulance, crop-duster, passenger transport, parachute drop aircraft, scientific versions for atmospheric sampling, water-bombers for fighting forest-fires, float-equipped seaplane versions, lightly armed combat versions, etc... Incredibly there's even been an aerodynamic ground effect version!! - the Antonov An-2E WIG:

 

 

 

This is not the first attempt to re-engine the An-2 with a turboprop engine. There's also been the An-3 with a Glushenkov TVD-20-03 turboprop engine that was introduced in the 1980s:

 

However only small numbers of this type have been produced. Hopefully this new An-2 turboprop variant will enjoy greater success.

 

Here's a video showing the new Antonov An-2 Honeywell TPE-331 turboprop version during testing in Siberia:

 

Regional Aviation in Russia has fallen in a very steep decline since the fall of the USSR in 1991. Geographically Russia is a very big place (even after the break up of the USSR its still the largest country in the world) and there is a very serious need for a new generation of regional aircraft to service the remote communities throughout the country. Hopefully this new An-2 version will provide a viable alternative and help to address that need.

I know about An-3 but this is new for me. Surely it must be better than original in terms of efficiency, but it is certainly not prettier.

good news..hopefully it will help to extend the AN2's life even more...there wouldnt be many better bush planes then this one, when its done

 

lee

..........Surely it must be better than original in terms of efficiency, but it is certainly not prettier.

Yup - I like the the old look, with the big radial engine at the front, better as well. But still, she's not so bad looking with the new turboprop engine and if this ends up extending the An-2's life and helps it achieve even better performance then its worth it.

The AN-2 sure is one of the greatest bush plane on Earth, but the old radial engine looks better than the new one to me, too.