The plane that can fly backwards

The verge ^ | 1 Aug 2015 | BBC Future

[DUMBGRUNT]

"The reason the An-2 still flies is that there is really no other aircraft like it," says aviation writer Bernie Leighton, who has flown in an An-2 in Belarus. "If you need an aircraft that can carry 10 soldiers, people or goats, that can take off from anywhere and land anywhere — it is either that or a helicopter.

[DUMBGRUNT]

A guy has to have fun! This aircraft should be fun!

[gaijin]

Later

[Oldexpat]

I was bombed by one of these offshore NVA. Fortunately they missed the ship but we didn’t see it coming.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Saw one about 10-12 years ago. It is one big biplane an if you want to go slow, it’s the plane for you.

[Trapper6012]

Thanks for the post! I was in central Russia in 2004 with a buddy. We went by a small airport and saw an AN-2 just coming in to be hangared. A local parachute club owned it. We are both private pilots and want to see this plane up close and had the taxi driver take us in to the tie down. We ended up paying about 50 bucks each to fly around the airport area with the pilot of course in the left seat. Was an amazing experience and generally hoot. It does turn like a 1960s peter-built

[beethovenfan]

It can carry goats! What a boon for lovesick Muzzies!

[JRandomFreeper]

Love that aircraft. I wish there was a better documentary about it.

/johnny

[FredZarguna]

Once again, the Russians stole old American technology, but just couldn't quite make it work.

Here's a commemorative stamp of the plane on which this is based from May, 1918.

[glabbe]

The American made, Maule M4, is a STOL (short take off and landing) aircraft that has a minimum control speed of 28 mph. It is a 4 seat aircraft that can be purchased used for under $50,000. Why go with an aircraft made in Russia when there is one available that is made in America?

[DUMBGRUNT]

Sounds like a fun time in Mother Russia!

[glabbe]

Specs on the Maule M4 can be found at http://www.mauleflight.com/faq/M4.html

[uglybiker]

Flies backwards....

You sure this isn't a French design?

[DUMBGRUNT]

On occasion planes pulling banners over Soldier Field (Chicago) will appear to not be moving.

The speed through the air mass; another story.

[Yosemitest]

With 5 "Remote Tours" in South Korea, I can tell you that the AN-2 is a very serious threat.
About the only metal in the aircraft is the engine and the radio.
So other than engine noise, this this is naturally "stealthy".
Designed to fly low and slow, it's designed to drop troops without parachutes in water or in hay stacks, and with both North and South Korea's terrain being very mountainous, getting below radar is possible.
The water camouflage with the light blue and grey is the most difficult to see, with all the haze and Mongolian dust in the air in Korea.

The AN-2 poses a real threat.

Antonov An-2 - Apple Valley Airport ( 2:15 )

[JRandomFreeper]

History.

/johnny

[BenLurkin]

One of these?

[JoeProBono]

[HerrBlucher]

It doesn’t fly backwards, it flies very slow and if you put it into a headwind that is faster than the airspeed then it will go backwards over the ground. But you are going to need at least a 25 mph headwind.

[BwanaNdege]

If you just want to play around, look at this: Wild West Aircraft SuperSTOL landing short [Just Aircraft SuperSTOL]

[Musketeer]

Thank you for a clarification of a misleading headline I can understand.