New modifications of AN 2. Russian Aviation
At the MAKS 2017 air show, among the high-profile premieres, an aircraft was somehow lost, which should give a second life to the legendary An-2. The Zvezda website explains why the TVS-2DTS is of enormous importance for our country and why Ukraine tried with all its might to prevent its creation. The An-2 made its first flight back in 1947. It would seem that the “corn maker” has long since flown its course, and in appearance today it resembles an alien from the past: there are practically no biplanes among the new aircraft. But appearances are deceiving. In terms of a number of characteristics, this machine still has no analogues, and small-scale production is still underway in China. Airplane from the Guinness book According to various estimates, more than 18 thousand of these aircraft were created during production, while Russia remains their main operator: about 2,100 An-2s are still in operation here (700 of them are flying). Airplanes are used for a variety of tasks, such as transporting passengers, cargo, both in DOSAAF, and for agricultural work. There are several An-2s in service with the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. Over 70 years, a huge number of modifications of the vehicle have been created - from passenger and fire-fighting ones to an interceptor aircraft for reconnaissance balloons, and in North Korea, unguided missiles were installed on the “maize” and turned it into an attack aircraft. The An-2 even entered the Guinness Book of Records as the only aircraft that has been in production for more than 60 years. As for the airframe design, there are no problems with it. This is an extremely successful design that can withstand many more decades, subject to proper maintenance and diagnostics. But the car also has problems that will have to be solved sooner or later. First of all, this concerns the engine. Firstly, the power plant has a much shorter lifespan than the airframe, and turboprop engines today are much more economical than piston engines. Secondly, if it is quite possible to carry out remotorization on an old airframe, then it makes no sense to start mass production of the An-2 in this form. In recent years, new materials have been created, and in particular composite materials, which can improve both the weight and speed characteristics of the machine. At the S. A. Chaplygin Siberian Aviation Research Institute, it was decided to carry out work in several stages: start with the remotorization of old An-2, and then gradually create a machine with an updated airframe. The work began back in 2011, and initially cooperation was established with the Antonov State Enterprise, but soon the Ukrainian enterprise declared its rights to the aircraft and refused to participate in the project. Ukrainian rules of the game At this moment, Antonov was actively working on its own remotorization of the An-2 under the name An-2-100 with a Ukrainian-made MS-14 engine and a Russian-made AV-17 propeller. There is nothing wrong with healthy competition, and there would be a place on the market for these two aircraft, especially since the Russian aircraft was supposed to be equipped with an imported engine due to the lack of a domestic one, and the supply of these power plants to a number of countries is prohibited. The cooperation could well be mutually beneficial for the reason that at the end of the 1980s Antonov had already created a version of the An-2 with a theater engine (An-3), which for various reasons did not go into mass production. However, the Antonov State Enterprise chose a different path. 
Although representatives of the Ukrainian enterprise did not formally stop collaborating on this project, any agreement on it dragged on for months, and there was no talk of any transfer of documentation. It was soon announced that the Antonov State Enterprise had exclusive rights to any work on this machine. It is worth noting that this is not the first time that a Soviet development suddenly became completely “Ukrainian”. Thus, the largest transport aircraft in the world, the Mriya, in Kyiv is persistently called an achievement of Ukrainian industry, although the entire USSR worked for it. As for the An-2, the absurdity of the situation lies in the fact that Oleg Antonov developed this aircraft while he was the head of SibNIA.
“There was a period in my life when I had to work simultaneously at both the Design Bureau and SibNIA. Just at this time we were creating our first-born, the An-2 aircraft. And here the community of our organizations played a very big positive role,” said the legendary designer in an interview.It is difficult to imagine what Antonov would have experienced if he had learned about the current situation around the aircraft that he created primarily for regional routes, for his people.
In an interview in 2013, at that time the President and General Designer of the Antonov State Enterprise, Dmitry Kiva, spoke about the situation around Kukuruznik: “The Siberians came to us, I met with them, explained what needed to be done according to the rules. After all, you can’t just go and replace the engine. It will also be necessary to carry out a series of tests, since there are some issues, for example, alignment, stability, controllability - all of them need to be resolved. They listened, left - and there was silence. Apparently they don’t understand how to do all this. But they want to be developers (laughs). Yes, in general, please do it, we don’t have any special ambitions... Although, on the other hand, the An-2 is the first plane of Oleg Konstantinovich Antonov. And I, as his student, should not allow his first-born, “An-2″, they called it by some other name.”In order to ban work on this project, the Ukrainian side would have to go to court, which was not done. Probably because Antonov’s lawyers are well aware of the futility of the litigation: according to the documentation, the developer of the aircraft was the Ministry of Aviation Industry of the USSR, and not the Antonov Design Bureau, its legal successor is in Russia, and it is he who has the right to decide who will remotorize the aircraft. Moreover, despite all the difficulties, the Siberians were able to solve all the problems, and the new An-2MS was presented at MAKS-2013, along with the Ukrainian An-2-100. From gasoline to kerosene The main goal of creating the An-2MS is the transition from aviation gasoline B-91 and its analogues to aviation kerosene TS-1. According to the developers, thanks to this, the cost of a flight hour was reduced by about 20 thousand rubles. In addition, the flight range has been almost doubled (1300 km), the minimum speed has been reduced by 30%, and as a result, the runway has been reduced by three times, the service ceiling has been increased, which allows flights outside the zone of atmospheric turbulence. Reworking one aircraft will cost the operator, depending on the condition of the aircraft, 300,000-900,000 USD, and this is incomparably lower costs compared to purchasing a new aircraft.
As for the Ukrainian modernization of the An-2, the aircraft also turned out to be quite successful, but the chaos that began at Antonov after the change in the country’s leadership inevitably influenced this project. In 2013, it was stated that Cuba and Azerbaijan were interested in the aircraft, but no information has been received on these projects since then. In April of this year, it was reported that a specially prepared version of this aircraft made a record flight with a weight of 3202 kg, but something then it is unlikely to be able to change this record, and here’s why. Despite all the innovations, both the An-2MS and the An-2-100 are, albeit with a new engine, still the same An-2. And if Antonov has not yet progressed further than this modernization, then in Novosibirsk, on the basis of the “Kukuruznik”, they created an all-composite aircraft, which has stepped far forward in its characteristics. 
Innovative corn grower The new Russian aircraft, as the former general director of Antonov feared, was named TVS-2DTS, because the abbreviation An was registered with the Ukrainian state enterprise Antonov. This machine retained all the best that was in the An-2, while its characteristics increased by an order of magnitude thanks to the new airframe made of composite materials. 
“An-2 can carry a maximum of 1,500 kg of cargo, our plane - three tons. The cruising speed of the old “corn truck” is 180-190 km/h, the new one is 290-300 km/h. We have achieved this speed now, but after modifications to the propeller, most likely it will be 330-340 km/h. An-2 can fly without refueling only a distance of 1,200 km, but our aircraft has a flight range of more than 4,000 km,” said Vladimr Barsuk, director of SibNIA.The cost of the aircraft is estimated at 2.5-3 million dollars. As for foreign competitors, they are practically absent: one of the largest manufacturers of light aircraft, Cessna, does not have machines of the same size, and the American agricultural aircraft AT-802 (“air tractor”) is a single-seat agricultural and firefighting aircraft, and not a multifunctional one, like TVS-2DTS.
Connection with civilization To promote any product on the market, a brand is extremely important, and the An-2 brand has proven itself very well over 70 years. In addition, it was on this machine that almost all civil aviation pilots began to fly in the USSR - first in the co-pilot's seat, then as a crew commander. And the fact that pilots will not have to retrain for a new aircraft is extremely important. The new “maize” not only has great prospects, it is capable of changing the logistics of transport and passenger transportation: nothing like this is currently operated by any airline in Russia. It is worth noting that the aircraft is actually capable of operating from platforms designed for the Mi-8, and this makes it a direct competitor to this helicopter, since it can only transport 1,500 kg of cargo over a range of 500 km. It may also be of interest to the military as an ultra-light transport vehicle that is capable of throwing cargo to places where there are no long enough runways for the Il-112 and there is no point in using a helicopter. We must also remember that more than 60% of the territory of Russia is in the Far East , Siberia and the Far North, where about 12 million people live in 28 thousand settlements. In these territories, most often there are no roads, and for most of the year, people's only connection with the world is through aviation. That is why great attention was paid to the development of this direction in the USSR. And that is why TVS-2DTS and the remotorization of the An-2 are so important for our country. 
Novosibirsk aircraft designers presented a modernized "corn"
On the eve of the MAKS International Aviation and Space Salon, the modernized An-2 aircraft was tested in Novosibirsk.
The legendary “corn farm” has been transformed both inside and out. Now he is able to fly to Moscow without refueling.
Faster, higher...
— We can say that this is a new aircraft that will replace the existing and already outdated An-2. We only used the fuselage of an old aircraft,” said test pilot, director of the Chaplygin Siberian Aviation Research Institute, Vladimir Barsuk.
He himself lifted the biplane into the air before a serious test drive at MAX, because the car will take part in demonstration performances.
The An-2's interior has indeed undergone dramatic changes: the navigation system, lighting equipment, and avionics have been replaced. Also, Novosibirsk designers have developed an all-composite wing using new technologies, which has no analogues.
“All this will allow the aircraft to fly in difficult weather conditions and carry almost twice as much cargo. Its cruising speed will be about 320 - 330 kilometers per hour, which is almost twice as much as before,” noted Vladimir Barsuk.
The biplane is capable of rising to a height of seven thousand meters, that is, almost twice as high as its predecessor. The duration of the flight without refueling has also increased, so the pilots plan to get to Moscow without stops, significantly saving time.
The press tour to SibNIA was organized by the United Russia party. As the designers say, despite all the know-how, the continuity of the machine has been completely preserved - the new An-2 is easy to maintain and is capable of landing on almost any more or less flat surface. The Novosibirsk aircraft is well suited for cargo and passenger transportation in remote regions of the country with poor transport accessibility.
“It can also be used as a patrol, geological exploration, airborne transport, forest fire, and agricultural aircraft,” said SibNIA.
Get on the conveyor belt
Today, 90 percent of Russia's small aircraft fleet consists of obsolete An-2s. Therefore, all hopes are for the Novosibirsk version of the new “maize”. According to Vladimir Barsuk, by 2018 it will be possible to talk about serial production of a biplane: so far, according to preliminary estimates, we are talking about 300 - 500 machines per year.
— Now we are determining flight characteristics, flight range, fuel consumption. By MAKS, we must already prepare clearly confirmed flight performance characteristics of the aircraft for the operating companies in order to hold meetings with them within the cabin and determine preliminary demand. As a scientific institute, we are obliged to the aviation industry to present an aircraft project with well-developed design solutions and confirmed characteristics,” said Vladimir Barsuk.
Traditionally, during the aerospace salon in Zhukovsky, which this year will be held from August 25 to 30, the so-called presidential show will take place, during which the latest and best achievements of the industry are shown to the head of state. SibNIA did not rule out being included in the VIP screening. But the main task is not to distinguish yourself in front of the President, but to interest potential customers.
BY THE WAY
Since 1994, SibNIA has been a participant in the “Winged Memory of Victory” project, a national collection of flying aircraft from the Great Patriotic War. As part of it, more than fifteen wartime aircraft were restored in the city. One of them is the Mig-3 fighter, which took to the skies this year during the Victory Day celebrations.
REFERENCE
An-2 is a Soviet light multi-purpose aircraft. It is used as an agricultural, sports, passenger, and transport vehicle and is in service with the air forces of a number of countries. Many of them have been flying for more than 40 years, some of them have flight time of up to 20 thousand hours. It is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the only aircraft in the world that has been in production for over 60 years.
On June 11, a prototype of the aircraft, which is intended to replace the legendary An-2, took off for the first time in Novosibirsk. The new biplane will retain the main ability of the An-2 - to land and take off almost anywhere. The new modification of the aircraft will be presented at the International Aviation and Space Salon in Moscow in August 2015. The biplane is planned to be used in agriculture for chemical work in the fields, cargo and passenger transportation.
“Kukuruznik” TVS-2DT Photo: Press service of the Sukhoi company
Which aircraft will replace the outdated An-2?
As noted in the press service of the Novosibirsk branch of the Sukhoi company of the Novosibirsk Aviation Plant named after Chkalov, in the design of the new aircraft, panels, spars and wing frame elements will be made of carbon fiber. The new design, as the developers expect, will make the aircraft one and a half times faster.
The new aircraft based on the An-2 is currently referred to by the abbreviation TVS-2DT. The new aircraft has twice the payload capacity, three times the flight range, and 50% higher cruising speed. The maximum speed of the biplane is 330 km/h (the speed of the “Kukuruznik” is about 200 km/h). The new aircraft will be able to carry 3 tons of cargo at a speed of 300 km/h over a range of about 2.5 thousand km.
“Unlike a classic biplane wing, there are no braces at all, which will increase the cruising and maximum flight speed by one and a half times. The minimum speed, close to zero, was achieved already in the first flight,” the Sukhoi press service said.
Like the An-2, the new biplane will have a short takeoff and landing distance of 50-70 meters.
The development of a new generation of light multi-purpose aircraft is being carried out by specialists from SibNIA named after. S.A. Chaplygin. According to the developers, testing of the aircraft will last from six months to two years. If testing is successful, serial production of the aircraft could begin in 2017.
How much will it cost to produce a new aircraft?
The cost of the new aircraft, according to estimates by the Siberian Aviation Research Institute named after. Chaplygin will be in the region of 1.5-2 million dollars, depending on avionics and equipment. As the developers note, before starting mass production, it is necessary to solve the problem with the engine. Russia does not have its own engine. Therefore, there are two options here - either create a new Russian one, and always use kerosene (this is cheaper and more accessible), or install an imported one. It is impossible to create a new engine in the two years it will take for the new “maize” to fly. Therefore, at the first stage, in any case, you will have to use a foreign-made engine.
Since 2010, modern turboprop engines from the American company Honeywell have been installed on the biplane instead of the old piston engine.
What is An-2?
An-2 (according to NATO codification: Colt - “Foal”, colloquially - “Kukuruznik”, “Annushka”) is a Soviet light multi-purpose aircraft. It is a piston single-engine biplane. One of the most popular Soviet aircraft, created in Novosibirsk. It was widely used not only on local routes, but also, for example, in agriculture during chemical work in the fields. The An-2 was convenient because it could land on unprepared ground areas. The An-2 was produced in the USSR, Poland and continues to be produced in China. In total, about 20 thousand of these biplanes were built. As an aircraft that has been in production for more than 60 years, the An-2 is included in the Guinness Book of Records.
The An-2 made its first flight on August 31, 1947 from the airfield of the aircraft plant named after. Chkalov in Novosibirsk. Subsequently, the aircraft was mass-produced at plant No. 437 in Kyiv (Kiev State Aviation Plant "AVIANT" - now part of the Ukrainian State Aircraft Concern "Antonov").
Production of the An-2 continued until 1963, and during this period 3,164 copies of various modifications were produced. A specialized agricultural version of the An-2M was also produced at plant No. 464 in the city of Dolgoprudny, Moscow region (now the Dolgoprudny Research and Production Enterprise - a manufacturer of weapons for air defense systems).
The largest number of AN-2 biplanes was produced in Poland. Since 1958, it was given the rights to produce this aircraft. At the WSK PZL-Mielec plant in the Polish city of Mielec, production continued until the end of 1992, and individual small series were produced until January 2002. In total, 11,915 copies of the AN-2 aircraft were produced in Poland, of which 10,440 were delivered to the USSR (and further to the CIS after the collapse of the USSR).
The aircraft was designed as a replacement for the universal An-2 aircraft, Antonov's legendary aircraft, which was included in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest-produced aircraft in the world, the production of which was resumed again in China, with a Russian analogue with many significantly better characteristics.
TR-301 aircraft:
At approximately the same speeds, payload, interior dimensions as the An-2 TR-301 aircraft:
- lighter than the An-2 by 500 kg,
- load capacity 1500 kg,
- engine, propeller, materials made in Russia;
- consumes AI-95 motor gasoline,
- fuel consumption is 40% lower than An-2,
- one pilot,
- the cost of the aircraft is up to 120 thousand dollars, which is significantly cheaper than foreign analogues costing 1.5-2 million dollars,
And accordingly, the payback period of the aircraft is no more than 2-3 years compared to 10-15 years for foreign analogues.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE TR-301 DESIGN
The TR-301 aircraft is a multi-purpose high-wing aircraft with an ASh-62IR engine and an AV-2 propeller, designed to perform aerial work depending on its purpose:- Transportation of passengers
- Aviation chemical works
- Forest aviation works
- Transport and communication works
- Search and rescue and emergency rescue work, etc.
The aircraft can transport various cargoes, as well as enterprise workers.
Powerful wing mechanization allows the aircraft to be operated at unequipped airfields and small areas and ensures stable gliding at high angles of attack.
The aircraft is equipped with modern radio equipment for communication with ground stations and is provided with instruments for flights in simple and difficult conditions.
The fuselage is a semi-monocoque type, all-metal construction and covered with aluminum materials. 
The single-seat cockpit is enclosed by a spacious glass canopy with good visibility in all directions.
Behind the pilot's cabin there is a cargo cabin and with minor modifications it can be used for other purposes.
Both cabins have supply and exhaust ventilation, as well as warm air heating.
Total cabin volume for cargo 12 m 3.
Its dimensions (4.1x 1.7x 1.8 m) allow you to transport large loads.
On the left side there is a cargo door of the cabin measuring 1.0 x 1.5 m,
The cabin floor for cargo is assembled from plywood sheets glued between two outer sheets of duralumin and covered with cork chips.
The floor panels are removable and are designed for a concentrated load of 600 kg/m2.
The wing monoplane and tail unit consist of a metal frame covered with fabric covering. The wing span of an aircraft has a constant profile.
The wing is equipped with slotted ailerons that have axial aerodynamic and weight compensation.
A trimmer is installed on the left aileron.
The ailerons deflect differentially. The control of the ailerons is related to the control of the flaps by the hovering mechanisms.
Automatic slats are installed along the entire span of the upper wing.
To reduce the landing speed and shorten the take-off distance, slotted flaps with axial aerodynamic compensation are installed on the wing. The flaps are controlled electrically.
The tail has a symmetrical profile at the root and at the tip. The elevator and rudder have axial aerodynamic and weight compensation and trimmers. The aircraft's non-retractable pyramid-type landing gear consists of a shock-absorbing strut, front and rear struts and semi-balloon type wheels with a double-sided pneumatic brake.
The brakes are controlled by a trigger mounted on the steering wheel.
Orienting rear wheel of semi-balloon type, not retractable in flight, connected to a shock-absorbing strut.
The aircraft is controlled single-handedly.
The control wiring is mixed: cable and rigid.
The ASh-62IR engine installed on the aircraft is enclosed in the cowlings. Engine cooling is air.
The oil is cooled in an oil-air cooler located at the bottom of the hood.
The TR-301 aircraft is equipped with a four-bladed automatic propeller of the direct design AV-2.
The engine oil system consists of a tank with a capacity of 125 l, located on the frame behind the engine, radiator, pipelines and fittings.
The engine fuel supply system consists of six tanks located in the wing, pipelines, units and fittings.
Total fuel tank capacity 1200 l.
The engine and gas taps are controlled mechanically.
The aircraft's electrical system is powered by a generator driven by the engine.
Standard steel pipes, sheet aluminum, casting and stamping are widely used in aircraft construction.
The main materials and semi-finished products used to build the aircraft are:
steel pipes, sheet duralumin, extruded profiles from duralumin, alloy steels, castings and stampings from aluminum alloys, stampings from alloy and carbon steels, aircraft fabric, leather, rubber.
AIRCRAFT GEOMETRICAL DATA GENERAL DATA
| Aircraft flight line length | 12735mm |
| Height of the aircraft in parked position | 4130mm |
| WING | |
| Wingspan | 18176mm |
| Wing area including fuselage, ailerons, flaps and slats | 43.536 m2 |
| Wing chord | 2.45 m |
| MAR length | 2264 |
| Wing extension | 7,7 |
| Wing profile | P11C 14% |
| Angle of transverse V wing | 3° |
| Wing stopping angle relative to the fuselage axis | 3° |
| AILERONS | |
| Aileron area | 5.9 m2 |
| Aileron axial compensation | 21,7% |
| Aileron length (single) | 4.7 m |
| Aileron chord | 0.65 m |
| Trimmer area | 0.141 m2 |
| WING FLAPS | |
| Flap area | 4.09 m2 |
| Axial flap compensation | 23% |
| Flap span (single) | 3.415 m |
| Flap chord | 0.6 m |
| SLATS | |
| Slat area | 4.39 m2 |
| Slat chord | 0.36 m |
| Slat span | 3.85 m |
| FUSELAGE | |
| Fuselage length | 10.12 m |
| Center wing span | 2.68m |
| Fuselage extension | 5,04 |
| Cargo compartment length | 4.1 m |
| Cargo compartment width | 1.8 m |
| Cargo compartment height | 1.7 m |
