The Polikarpov Po-2 (also U-2, for its initial
''uchebnyy'', 'training', role as a
flight instruction
Flight training is a course of study used when learning to pilot an aircraft. The overall purpose of primary and intermediate flight training is the acquisition and honing of basic airmanship skills.
Flight training can be conducted under a str ...
aircraft) served as an all-weather multirole
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...
, nicknamed ''Kukuruznik'' (russian: Кукурузник,
[Gunston 1995, p. 292.] NATO reporting name "Mule".) The reliable, uncomplicated design of the Po-2 design made it an ideal
trainer aircraft
A trainer is a class of aircraft designed specifically to facilitate flight training of pilots and aircrews. The use of a dedicated trainer aircraft with additional safety features—such as tandem flight controls, forgiving flight characteristi ...
, as well as doubling as a low-cost
ground attack
In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement ...
,
aerial reconnaissance
Aerial reconnaissance is reconnaissance for a military or strategic purpose that is conducted using reconnaissance aircraft. The role of reconnaissance can fulfil a variety of requirements including artillery spotting, the collection of ima ...
,
psychological warfare
Psychological warfare (PSYWAR), or the basic aspects of modern psychological operations (PsyOp), have been known by many other names or terms, including Military Information Support Operations (MISO), Psy Ops, political warfare, "Hearts and Mi ...
and
liaison aircraft
A liaison aircraft (also called an army cooperation aircraft) is a small, usually unarmed aircraft primarily used by military forces for artillery observation or transporting commanders and messages. The concept developed before World War II and ...
during war, proving to be one of the most versatile light combat types to be built in the Soviet Union.
[Angelucci and Matricardi 1978, p. 214.] As of 1978 it remained in production for a longer period of time than any other Soviet-era aircraft.
Production figures for Polikarpov U-2 and Po-2 bombers and trainers combined are between 20,000 and 30,000
["Soviet Polikarpov U-2 bomber, trainer; Polikarpov Po-2 bomber, trainer."]
''wwiivehicles.com.'' Retrieved: 30 November 2012. with production ending as early as 1952.
[ Precise figures are hard to obtain since low-rate production by small repair shops and air clubs likely continued until 1959.
]
Design and development
The aircraft was designed by Nikolai Polikarpov
Nikolai Nikolaevich Polikarpov (russian: Никола́й Никола́евич Полика́рпов; – 30 July 1944) was a Soviet aeronautical engineer and aircraft designer, known as the "King of Fighters". He designed the I-15 series of ...
to replace the U-1 trainer (a copy of the British Avro 504
The Avro 504 was a First World War biplane aircraft made by the Avro aircraft company and under licence by others. Production during the war totalled 8,970 and continued for almost 20 years, making it the most-produced aircraft of any kind tha ...
), which was known as ''Avrushka'' to the Soviets.
The prototype of the U-2, powered by a 74 kW (99 hp) Shvetsov M-11
The Shvetsov M-11 is a five-cylinder air-cooled radial aircraft engine produced in the Soviet Union between 1923 and 1952.Gunston 1989, p.158.
Design and development
The Shvetsov M-11 was designed under a 1923 competition in the Soviet Union for ...
air-cooled five-cylinder radial engine, first flew on 7 January 1928 piloted by M.M. Gromov. Aircraft from the preproduction series were tested at the end of 1928 and serial production started in 1929 in Factory number 23 in Leningrad. Its name was changed to Po-2 in 1944, after Polikarpov's death, according to the then-new Soviet naming system, usually using the first two letters of the designer's family name, or the Soviet government-established design bureau
OKB is a transliteration of the Russian initials of "" – , meaning 'experiment and design bureau'. During the Soviet era, OKBs were closed institutions working on design and prototyping of advanced technology, usually for military applications. ...
that created it. Production in the Soviet Union ended in 1953, but license-built CSS-13s were still produced in Poland until 1959.
Operational history
World War II
From the beginning, the U-2 became the basic Soviet civil and military trainer aircraft, mass-produced in a "Red Flyer" factory near Moscow. It was also used for transport, and as a military liaison aircraft
A liaison aircraft (also called an army cooperation aircraft) is a small, usually unarmed aircraft primarily used by military forces for artillery observation or transporting commanders and messages. The concept developed before World War II and ...
, due to its STOL
A short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft is a conventional fixed-wing aircraft that has short runway requirements for takeoff and landing. Many STOL-designed aircraft also feature various arrangements for use on airstrips with harsh conditio ...
capabilities. Also from the beginning it was produced as an agricultural aircraft variant, which earned it its nickname ''Kukuruznik'' (corn man). Although entirely outclassed by contemporary aircraft, the ''Kukuruznik'' served extensively on the Eastern Front in World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, primarily as a liaison, medevac
Medical evacuation, often shortened to medevac or medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to wounded being evacuated from a battlefield, to injured patients being evacuated from the scene of a ...
and general-supply aircraft. It was especially useful for supplying Soviet partisans
Soviet partisans were members of resistance movements that fought a guerrilla war against Axis forces during World War II in the Soviet Union, the previously Soviet-occupied territories of interwar Poland in 1941–45 and eastern Finland. The ...
behind the German front line. Manufacturing of the Po-2 in the USSR ceased in 1949, but until 1959 a number were assembled in Aeroflot repair workshops.
The first trials of arming the aircraft with bombs took place in 1941.
During the defence of Odessa in September 1941, the U-2 was used as a reconnaissance
In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities.
Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...
aircraft and as a light, short-range, bomber. The bombs, dropped from a civil aircraft piloted by Pyotr Bevz, were the first to fall on enemy artillery
Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...
positions.[Gordon 2008, p. 285.] From 1942 it was adapted as a light night ground attack aircraft.
Nikolay Polikarpov supported the project, and under his leadership, the U-2VS (''voyskovaya seriya'' - Military series) was created. This was a light night bomber, fitted with bomb carriers beneath the lower wing, to carry 50 or 100 kg (110 or 220 lbs) bombs up to a total weight of 350 kg (771 lb) and armed with ShKAS
The ShKAS (Shpitalny-Komaritski Aviatsionny Skorostrelny, Shpitalny-Komaritski rapid fire for aircraft; Russian: ШКАС - Шпитального-Комарицкого Авиационный Скорострельный) is a 7.62 mm calibre ...
or DA machine guns in the observer's cockpit
A cockpit or flight deck is the area, usually near the front of an aircraft or spacecraft, from which a Pilot in command, pilot controls the aircraft.
The cockpit of an aircraft contains flight instruments on an instrument panel, and the ...
.
The U-2 became known as the aircraft used by the 588th Night Bomber Regiment, composed of an all-woman pilot and ground crew complement. The unit was notorious for daring low-altitude night raids on German rear-area positions. Veteran pilots Yekaterina Ryabova and Nadezhda Popova on one occasion flew eighteen missions in a single night. The women pilots observed that the enemy suffered a further degree of demoralization simply due to their antagonists being female. As such, the pilots earned the nickname "Night Witches" (German ''Nachthexen'', Russian ''Ночные Ведьмы''/Nočnye Ved’my). The unit earned numerous Hero of the Soviet Union
The title Hero of the Soviet Union (russian: Герой Советского Союза, translit=Geroy Sovietskogo Soyuza) was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for ...
citations and dozens of Order of the Red Banner
The Order of the Red Banner (russian: Орден Красного Знамени, Orden Krasnogo Znameni) was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of th ...
medals; most surviving pilots had flown nearly 1,000 combat missions by the end of the war and took part in the Battle of Berlin
The Battle of Berlin, designated as the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union, and also known as the Fall of Berlin, was one of the last major offensives of the European theatre of World War II.
After the Vistula– ...
.
The material effects of these missions may be regarded as minor, but the psychological effect on German troops was noticeable. They typically attacked by surprise in the middle of the night, denying German troops sleep and keeping them on their guard, contributing to the already high stress of combat on the Eastern front. The usual tactic involved flying only a few meters above the ground, climbing for the final approach, throttling back the engine and making a gliding
Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to remain airborne. The word ''soaring'' is al ...
bomb
A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the Exothermic process, exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-t ...
ing run, leaving the targeted troops with only the eerie whistling of the wind in the wings' bracing-wires as an indication of the impending attack. Luftwaffe fighters found it extremely hard to shoot down the ''Kukuruznik'' because of two main factors: the pilots flew at treetop level where they were hard to see or engage and the stall speed
In fluid dynamics, a stall is a reduction in the lift coefficient generated by a foil as angle of attack increases.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', p. 486. Aviation Supplies & Academics, 1997. This occurs when the ...
of both the Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a German World War II fighter aircraft that was, along with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the backbone of the Luftwaffe's fighter force. The Bf 109 first saw operational service in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War an ...
and the Focke-Wulf Fw 190
The Focke-Wulf Fw 190, nicknamed ''Würger'' (" Shrike") is a German single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank at Focke-Wulf in the late 1930s and widely used during World War II. Along with its well-known counterpart, ...
was similar to the U-2s maximum speed, making it difficult for the fighters to keep a Po-2 in weapons range for an adequate period of time. The success of the Soviet night harassment units inspired the Luftwaffe to set up similar ''Störkampfstaffel'' "harassment combat squadrons" on the Eastern Front using their own obsolete 1930s-era, open cockpit biplanes (most often the Gotha Go 145
The Gotha Go 145 is a German World War II-era biplane of wood and fabric construction used by ''Luftwaffe'' training units. Although obsolete by the start of World War II, the Go 145 remained in operational service until the end of the War in Eu ...
and Arado Ar 66
The Arado Ar 66 was a German single-engined, two-seat training biplane, developed in 1933. It was also used for night ground-attack missions on the Eastern Front. It was engineer Walter Rethel's last design in collaboration with Arado, before ...
biplanes) and parasol monoplane aircraft, eventually building up to larger ''Nachtschlachtgruppe'' (night attack group) units of a few squadrons each.
The Polish Air Force
The Polish Air Force ( pl, Siły Powietrzne, , Air Forces) is the aerial warfare branch of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially known as ''Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej'' (). In 2014 it consisted of roughly 16,425 mil ...
used these slow and manoeuvrable aircraft for air reconnaissance and COIN
A coin is a small, flat (usually depending on the country or value), round piece of metal or plastic used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order t ...
operations against UPA detachments in mountainous area of Bieszczady. Pilots and navigators were dispatched to look for concentrations of UPA forces and if needed, engage them with machine guns and grenades. On several occasions, the UPA managed to bring down some of the Po-2s, but never captured or operated them.
The U-2's 5-cylinder engine had an unusual exhaust manifold arrangement that gave the engine a peculiar rattling or popping sound which made the airplane easily identifiable even at night. German soldier Claus Neuber listed in his war diary six different German nicknames for the plane, the most common of which were ''Nähmaschine'' (sewing machine) or ''Kaffeemühle,'' (coffee mill), both due to the distinctive engine sound. Neuber added that some German troops derisively called it the "Runway Crow" or "Fog Crow." He also cited the nicknames "Iron Gustav," for the belly armor the plane carried to protect it from ground fire, and "The Duty NCO" because the plane almost always came at night at the same time.[Neuber 2021, p. 25] The fabric and wood construction of the airplane made it extremely vulnerable to catching fire when hit by tracer rounds, resulting in a Russian nickname of ''Kerosinka,'' or kerosene lantern.[Grossman 2007, p. 133.] Finnish troops called it ''Hermosaha'' (Nerve saw).
Korean War
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...
n forces used the Po-2 in a similar role during the Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
. A significant number of Po-2s were fielded by the Korean People's Air Force
The Korean People's Army Air and Anti-Air Force (KPAAF; ; Hanja: 朝鮮人民軍 航空 및 反航空軍 ) is the unified military aviation force of North Korea. It is the second largest branch of the Korean People's Army comprising an estimated ...
, inflicting serious damage during night raids on United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
bases. During one such attack, a lone Po-2 attacked Pyongyang airfield in northwestern Korea. Concentrating on the 8th Fighter-Bomber Group's parking ramp, the Po-2 dropped a string of fragmentation bombs squarely across the group's lineup of P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in April 1940 by a team headed by James ...
s. Eleven Mustangs were damaged, three so badly that they were destroyed when Pyongyang was abandoned several days later.
On 17 June 1951, at 01:30 hours, Suwon Air Base
Suwon Air Base is a Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) base near Suwon city.
Units
The base is home to the ROKAF's 10th Fighter Wing (제10전투비행단), comprising:
*101st Fighter Squadron flying KF-5E/KF-5F/F-5F
*153rd Fighter Squadron f ...
was bombed by two Po-2s. Each biplane dropped a pair of fragmentation bombs. One scored a hit on the 802nd Engineer Aviation Battalion's motor pool, damaging some equipment. Two bombs burst on the flightline of the 335th Fighter Interceptor Squadron. One F-86A Sabre
The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing Sov ...
(FU-334 / 49-1334) was struck on the wing and began burning. The fire took hold, gutting the aircraft. Prompt action by personnel who moved aircraft away from the burning Sabre prevented further loss. Eight other Sabres were damaged in the brief attack, four seriously. One F-86 pilot was among the wounded. The North Koreans subsequently credited Lt. La Woon Yung with this damaging attack.
UN forces named the Po-2's nighttime appearance ''Bedcheck Charlie'' and had great difficulty in shooting it down – even though night fighter
A night fighter (also known as all-weather fighter or all-weather interceptor for a period of time after the Second World War) is a fighter aircraft adapted for use at night or in other times of bad visibility. Night fighters began to be used i ...
s had radar
Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, w ...
as standard equipment in the 1950s. The wood-and-fabric material of the Po-2 had only a small radar cross-section, making it hard for an opposing fighter pilot to acquire his target. As Korean war U.S. veteran Leo Fournier remarked about "Bedcheck Charlie" in his memoirs: "... no one could get at him. He just flew too low and too slow." On 16 June 1953, a USMC
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through co ...
AD-4 from VMC-1 piloted by Major
Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
George H. Linnemeier and CWO Vernon S. Kramer shot down a Soviet-built Polikarpov Po-2 biplane, the only documented Skyraider air victory of the war. The Po-2 is also the only biplane credited with a documented jet-kill, as one Lockheed F-94 Starfire
The Lockheed F-94 Starfire was a first-generation jet powered all-weather, day/night interceptor of the United States Air Force. A twin-seat craft, it was developed from the Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star trainer in the late 1940s. It reached ope ...
was lost while slowing down to – below its stall speed – during an intercept in order to engage the low flying Po-2.
Variants
* U-2: Basic model, built in large numbers as a two-seat primary trainer. It was also built in many different versions, both as civil and military aircraft. The U-2 variants also included a light transport, utility, reconnaissance and training aircraft. Power plant was the M-11 radial piston engine of 75 kW (100 hp). Later models were also equipped with uprated M-11 engines of 111 kW (150 hp). Some aircraft were fitted with a rear closed cabin, other were fitted with sledges or floats.
* U-2A: Two-seat agricultural crop dusting aircraft, powered by an 86 kW (115 hp) M-11K radial piston engine. Later redesignated Po-2A after 1944.
* U-2AO: Two-seat agricultural aircraft.
* U-2AP: Agricultural aircraft
An agricultural aircraft is an aircraft that has been built or converted for agricultural use – usually aerial application of pesticides (crop dusting) or fertilizer (aerial topdressing); in these roles they are referred to as "crop duster ...
, with a rear cab replaced with a container for 200–250 kg (441-551 lb) of chemicals. 1,235 were built in 1930–1940.
* U-2G: This experimental aircraft had all the controls linked to the control column. One aircraft only.
* U-2KL: Two aircraft fitted with a bulged canopy over the rear cabin.
* U-2LSh: Two-seat ground-attack, close-support aircraft. The aircraft were armed with one 7.62 mm (0.30 in) ShKAS machine-gun in the rear cockpit. It could also carry up to 120 kg (265 lb) of bombs and(or?) four RS-82
RS-82 and RS-132 (Reaktivny Snaryad; Russian: Реактивный Снаряд; rocket-powered projectile) were unguided rockets used by Soviet military during World War II.
Development
Design work on RS-82 and RS-132 rockets began in the late 19 ...
rockets. Also known as the U-2VOM-1.
* U-2LPL: Experimental prone-pilot research aircraft.
* U-2M: This floatplane version was fitted with a large central float and two small stabilizing floats. Not built in large numbers. Also known as the MU-2.
* U-2P: Floatplane
A floatplane is a type of seaplane with one or more slender floats mounted under the fuselage to provide buoyancy. By contrast, a flying boat uses its fuselage for buoyancy. Either type of seaplane may also have landing gear suitable for land, ...
version, built only in limited numbers, in several variants with different designations.
* U-2S: Air ambulance
Air medical services is a comprehensive term covering the use of air transportation, aeroplane or helicopter, to move patients to and from healthcare facilities and accident scenes. Personnel provide comprehensive prehospital and emergency and cri ...
version, built from 1934. It could take a physician and an injured on a stretcher
A stretcher, gurney, litter, or pram is an apparatus used for moving patients who require medical care. A basic type (cot or litter) must be carried by two or more people. A wheeled stretcher (known as a gurney, trolley, bed or cart) is often ...
on a rear fuselage, under a cover. Variant U-2S-1 from 1939 had a raised fuselage top upon the stretcher. From 1941 there were also used two containers for stretchers, that could be fitted over lower wings or two containers for two seating injured each, fitted under lower wings.
* U-2SS: Air ambulance aircraft.
* U-2ShS: Staff liaison version, built from 1943. It had a wider fuselage and a closed 4-place rear cab.
* U-2SP: Civil transport version, could carry two passengers in open individual cabs, built from 1933. Other roles included aerial survey, and aerial photography. A total of 861 were built between 1934 and 1939.
* U-2SPL: This limousine version was fitted with rear cabin for two passengers.
* U-2UT: Two-seat training aircraft, powered by an 86 kW (115 hp) M-11D radial piston engine. Built in limited numbers.
* U-2LNB: Somewhat like the earlier -LSh version, a Soviet Air Force two-seat night attack version, built from 1942. Armed with one 7.62 mm (0.30 in) ShKAS for rear defense, plus up to 250 kg of bombs under the wings for land support. Earlier aircraft were converted to improvised bombers from 1941.
* U-2VS : Two-seat training and utility aircraft. Later redesignated Po-2VS after 1944.
* U-2NAK: Two-seat night artillery observation, reconnaissance aircraft. Built from 1943.
* U-3: Improved flying training model, fitted a 149 kW (200 hp) seven cylinder M-48 radial engine.
* U-4: Cleaned-up version with slimmer fuselage; not built in large numbers.
*- (Total U-2 manufacture: 33,000)
*Po-2: Postwar basic trainer variant.
*Po-2A: Postwar agricultural variant.
*Po-2GN: "Voice from the sky" propaganda aircraft, fitted with a loud speaker.
*Po-2L : Limousine version with an enclosed passenger cabin.
*Po-2P : Postwar floatplane version; built in small numbers.
*Po-2S: Postwar air ambulance variant, with a closed rear cab.
*Po-2S-1: Postwar ambulance version, similar to the pre-war U-2S.
*Po-2S-2: Postwar ambulance version, powered by a M-11D radial piston engine.
*Po-2S-3: Postwar ambulance version, which had two underwing containers, each one was designed to transport one stretcher patient. Also known as the Po-2SKF.
*Po-2ShS: Staff communications aircraft, fitted with an enclosed cabin for the pilot and two or three passengers.
*Po-2SP: Postwar aerial photography, geographic survey aircraft.
*Po-2W: Yugoslav modification powered by license-built Walter Minor 6-III
The Walter Minor is a family of four- and six-cylinder inverted inline air-cooled engines, developed under auspices of ing. Šimůnek and used on light aircraft. First produced in 1929, the Minor engines' family has an advanced design for the pe ...
engine. 62 modified by Utva
Utva Aviation Industry (commonly known as UTVA) is a Serbian manufacturer of general aviation aircraft, subsidiary of Yugoimport SDPR, headquartered in Pančevo.
History
Utva was founded on 5 June 1937 in Zemun, since 1940 located in Pančev ...
1958–59.
*RV-23: This floatplane version of the U-2 was built in 1937. It was used in a number of seaplane altitude record attempts. The RV-23 was powered by a 529 kW (710 hp) Wright R-1820
The Wright R-1820 Cyclone 9 is an American radial engine developed by Curtiss-Wright, widely used on aircraft in the 1930s through 1950s. It was produced under license in France as the Hispano-Suiza 9V or Hispano-Wright 9V, and in the Soviet Uni ...
-F3 Cyclone radial piston engine.
* CSS-13: Polish licence version, built in Poland in WSK-Okęcie and WSK-Mielec after World War II (about 500 built in 1948–1956).
* CSS S-13: Polish ambulance version with a closed rear cab and cockpit and Townend ring (53 built in WSK-Okęcie in 1954–1955, 38 converted to S-13).
* E-23: Research version, built in the Soviet Union in 1934, for research into inverted flight.
Operators
;
*Albanian Air Force
The Albanian Air Force ( sq, Forca Ajrore e Republikës së Shqipërisë - Air Force of the Republic of Albania) is the air force of Albania and one of the branches of the Albanian Armed Forces.
History
Early history
In 1914 the governmen ...
received 78 aircraft between 1950-1966 and operated them until 1985.["Historical Listings."]
''worldairforces.com''. Retrieved: 18 August 2010.
;
*Bulgarian Air Force
The Bulgarian Air Force ( bg, Военновъздушни сили, Voennovazdushni sili) is one of the three branches of the Military of Bulgaria, the other two being the Bulgarian Navy and Bulgarian land forces. Its mission is to guard and p ...
- 10 aircraft in 1949-1969
*Civilian aviation
;
*People's Liberation Army Air Force
The People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF; ), also known as the Chinese Air Force (中国空军) or the People's Air Force (人民空军), is an aerial service branch of the People's Liberation Army, the regular armed forces of the Peo ...
;
*Czechoslovakian Air Force
The Czechoslovak Air Force (''Československé letectvo'') or the Czechoslovak Army Air Force (''Československé vojenské letectvo'') was the air force branch of the Czechoslovak Army formed in October 1918. The armed forces of Czechoslovakia ce ...
designated as K-62
*Slov-Air
Slov-Air (also styled Slov Air or Slovair) was an airline from Czechoslovakia (Slovakia following the country's dissolution), which provided services for agriculture, civil engineering, helicopter emergency medical service and industry.
Histor ...
;
*Finnish Air Force
The Finnish Air Force (FAF or FiAF; fi, Ilmavoimat, , Air forces; sv, Flygvapnet, , Air weapon) is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. Its peacetime tasks are airspace surveillance, identification flights, and production of Finnis ...
;
*Free French Air Force
The Free French Air Forces (french: Forces Aériennes Françaises Libres, FAFL) were the air arm of the Free French Forces in the Second World War, created by Charles de Gaulle in 1940. The designation ceased to exist in 1943 when the Free Frenc ...
operated Po-2s in the '' Normandie-Niemen'' unit.
;
* Luftwaffe operated ''Beuteflugzeug'' captured aircraft.
;
* Barracked People's Police
*East German Air Force
The Air Forces of the National People's Army (german: Luftstreitkräfte der Nationalen Volksarmee; LSK) was the Air Force of East Germany. As with the , the , and the Border Troops, it was a military branch of the National People's Army (NVA).
...
* Sport and Technology Association
;
*Hungarian Air Force
The Hungarian Air Force ( hu, Magyar Légierő), is the air force branch of the Hungarian Defence Forces.
The task of the current Hungarian Air Force is primarily defensive purposes. The flying units of the air force are organised into a single ...
*The Hungarian Sport Bureau operated some aircraft before the 1956 Hungarian Revolution
The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 (23 October – 10 November 1956; hu, 1956-os forradalom), also known as the Hungarian Uprising, was a countrywide revolution against the government of the Hungarian People's Republic (1949–1989) and the Hunga ...
; Three confirmed were in Dunakeszi
Dunakeszi () is a city in Pest county, Budapest metropolitan area, Hungary. It is located to the north of Budapest on the left bank of the Danube.
Politics
The current mayor of Dunakeszi is Csaba Dióssi (Fidesz-KDNP).
The local Municipal Asse ...
, one confirmed in Kisapostag
Kisapostag is a village in Fejér county, Hungary. , it had a population of 1,414, living in 508 houses. About away is the nearby city of Dunaújváros. Kisapostag is near the M-6 highway and the Danube River, which is good for the water-tourism ...
.
;
*MIAT Mongolian Airlines
MIAT (Mongolyn Irgenii Agaaryn Teever (Монголын Иргэний Агаарын Тээвэр , Mongolian Civil Air Transport)) Mongolian Airlines, ; "Mongolian Civil Air Transport" is the national airline of Mongolia, headquartered in the ...
*Mongolian People's Army Air Force
The Mongolian People's Army ( Mongolian: ''Монголын Ардын Арми''), also known as the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Army ( Mongolian: ''Монгол Ардын Хувьсгалт Цэрэг'') or the Mongolian Red Army ( Mong ...
;
*Korean People's Air Force
The Korean People's Army Air and Anti-Air Force (KPAAF; ; Hanja: 朝鮮人民軍 航空 및 反航空軍 ) is the unified military aviation force of North Korea. It is the second largest branch of the Korean People's Army comprising an estimated ...
;
*Air Force of the Polish Army
The Air Force of the Polish Army ( pl, Lotnictwo Wojska Polskiego), unofficially known as the People's Polish Air Force was the name of the Soviet-controlled Polish Air Force in the USSR between 1943 and 1947 created alongside the Polish People ...
(after 1947 Polish Air Force
The Polish Air Force ( pl, Siły Powietrzne, , Air Forces) is the aerial warfare branch of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially known as ''Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej'' (). In 2014 it consisted of roughly 16,425 mil ...
)
*LOT Polish Airlines
LOT Polish Airlines, legally incorporated as Polskie Linie Lotnicze LOT S.A. (, ''flight''), is the flag carrier of Poland. Established in 1928, LOT was a founding member of IATA and remains one of the world's oldest airlines in operation. Wit ...
- Five Po-2 operated in 1945–1946, 20 CSS-13 for aerospraying in 1953–1956.
*Aeroklub Polski
Aeroklub Polski (AP; ''Polish Aero Club'') is the Polish central association of persons practising air sports or recreational flying. It was founded in 1921 and is a member of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. It has a headquarters in ...
*Polish Air Ambulance Service
Lotnicze Pogotowie Ratunkowe is an air ambulance service subordinate to the Minister of Health of Poland. The Independent Public Health Care Institution ''Aviation Rescue Service'' was established in 2000. Additionally, the Search and rescue se ...
* Polish Navy
;
*Romanian Air Force
The Romanian Air Force (RoAF) ( ro, Forțele Aeriene Române) is the air force branch of the Romanian Armed Forces. It has an air force headquarters, an operational command, five airbases and an air defense brigade. Reserve forces include one ai ...
received 45 aircraft in 1949
*Civilian aviation
;
*Soviet Air Force
The Soviet Air Forces ( rus, Военно-воздушные силы, r=Voyenno-vozdushnyye sily, VVS; literally "Military Air Forces") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces. The Air Forces ...
*Aeroflot
PJSC AeroflotRussian Airlines (russian: ПАО "Аэрофло́т — Росси́йские авиали́нии", ), commonly known as Aeroflot ( or ; russian: Аэрофлот, , ), is the flag carrier and the largest airline of Russia. The ...
*OSOAVIAKhIM
The Society for the Assistance of Defense, Aircraft and Chemical Construction (russian:
Общество содействия обороне, авиационному и химическому строительству, romanized as ''Obshche ...
*DOSAAF
DOSAAF (russian: ДОСААФ), full name ''Volunteer Society for Cooperation with the Army, Aviation, and Navy'' (russian: Добровольное общество содействия армии, авиации и флоту), was a parami ...
;
* Turkish Air League (''Turk Hava Kurumu'') received two U-2s which were given to Turkey as a gift from Russia in 1933 on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Turkish Republic.
;
*SFR Yugoslav Air Force
The Air Force and Air Defence ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, Ратно ваздухопловство и противваздушна одбрана, Ratno vazduhoplovstvo i protivvazdušna odbrana ; abbr. sh-Cyrl-Latn, label=none, separator=/, РВ и ПВ ...
- 120 aircraft in 1944–1959
**1st Transport Aviation Regiment
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record
A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, ...
(1944–1948)
** 1st Training Aviation Regiment (1945–1952)
** 2nd Training Aviation Regiment (1946–1948)
** 184th Light Night Bomber Aviation Regiment (1948–1952)
**Liaison Squadron of 1st Military district
Liaison means communication between two or more groups, or co-operation or working together.
Liaison or liaisons may refer to:
General usage
* Affair, an unfaithful sexual relationship
* Collaboration
* Co-operation
Arts and entertainment
* Li ...
(1952–1959)
** Liaison Squadron of 3rd Military district (1952–1959)
**Liaison Squadron of 5th Military district
Liaison means communication between two or more groups, or co-operation or working together.
Liaison or liaisons may refer to:
General usage
* Affair, an unfaithful sexual relationship
* Collaboration
* Co-operation
Arts and entertainment
* Li ...
(1952–1959)
** Liaison Squadron of 7th Military district (1952–1959)
**Liaison Squadron of 3rd Aviation Corps
The Liaison Squadron of 3rd Aviation Corps (''Serbo-Croatian: Eskadrila za vezu 3. vazduhoplovnog korpusa / Ескадрила за везу 3. ваздухопловног корпуса'') was an aviation squadron of the Yugoslav Air Force formed ...
(1950–1956)
*Letalski center Maribor
Letalski center Maribor short LCM (English: Aviation center Maribor) is the oldest and the biggest Slovenian general aviation aero club operating at international Maribor Airport operating with 11 aircraft and 11 gliders. Founded on December 20, ...
(Civil operator)
Surviving aircraft
;Croatia
* 9A-ISC - Po-2 S/N 27 airworthy at Split airport in Split, Croatia
;Czech Republic
* SP-BHA – CSS-13 on static display at the Prague Aviation Museum
Kbely Aviation Museum (''Letecké Muzeum Kbely'') is the largest aviation museum in the Czech Republic and one of the largest of its kind in Europe. It is located to the north-east of Prague, at the military airport Kbely.
Creation of the museum ...
in Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
. It was built in 1955 as the original CSS-13 prototype and flown to the museum in 1972 as a gift from Poland.
* 0076 – Po-2 airworthy at the Metoděj Vlach Air Museum in Mlada Boleslav. It was built in 1937 and given to Yugoslavia in 1945. It served with the Yugoslav Army and then the Koroški Aeroklub, before finally being acquired by the museum in May 2014. It is painted in its original Soviet military scheme.
;Hungary
* HA-PAO – Po-2 airworthy with the Goldtimer Foundation at Budaörs Airport
Budaörs Airport ( hu, Budaörsi Repülőtér), is an airport located in the 11th district of Budapest, Hungary and was named after the neighboring town Budaörs. Now serving general aviation, it was once Hungary's only international airport.
...
in Budapest, Central Hungary. It is on loan from the Hungarian Museum of Transportation.
* 0443 – CSS-13 on static display at the Airplane Museum of Szolnok
The Szolnoki Repülőmúzeum ("Airplane Museum of Szolnok") is a large museum displaying old military and civilian aircraft and aircraft engines in Szolnok, Hungary. It was located next to the "Lt. Ittebei Kiss József" Helicopter Base of the ...
in Szolnok, Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok.
;Poland
* 641-646 – Po-2LNB on static display at the Polish Aviation Museum
The Polish Aviation Museum ( pl, Muzeum Lotnictwa Polskiego w Krakowie) is a large museum of historic aircraft and aircraft engines in Kraków, Poland. It is located at the site of the no-longer functional Kraków-Rakowice-Czyżyny Air ...
in Kraków, Lesser Poland.
;Russia
* Po-2 airworthy at Samara, RA-1945G
* Po-2 airworthy at Gelendzhik, RA-0624G
* Po-2 airworthy at Novosibrsk, Mochishche (UNNM) RA-2508G
* Po-2 airworthy at Novosibrsk, Mochishche (UNNM) RA-1928G
* Po-2 airworthy at Moscow RA-0790G with the Federation of Amateur Aviators of Russia at Tushino Airfield in Tushino, Moscow.
;Serbia
* YAF 0089 – Po-2 on static display at the Belgrade Aviation Museum
The Aeronautical Museum Belgrade, formerly known as the Yugoslav Aeronautical Museum, is a museum located in Surčin, Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. Founded in 1957, the museum is located adjacent to Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport. The current ...
in Surčin, Belgrade.
;United Kingdom
* 0094 – Po-2 airworthy with the Shuttleworth Collection
The Shuttleworth Collection is a working aeronautical and automotive collection located at the Old Warden Aerodrome, Old Warden in Bedfordshire, England. It is the oldest in the world and one of the most prestigious, due to the variety of old a ...
in Old Warden, Bedfordshire. Its first post-restoration flight occurred on January 10, 2011.
;United States
* 0365 – Po-2 airworthy at Fantasy of Flight
Fantasy of Flight is an aviation museum in Polk City, Florida.
It opened in November 1995, to house Kermit Weeks' collection of aircraft that, until Hurricane Andrew damaged many in 1992, were housed at the Weeks Air Museum in Tamiami, Florida ...
in Polk City, Florida
Polk City is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,562 at the 2010 census. As of 2018, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 2,422. It is part of the Lakeland– Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistica ...
.
* 0717 – Po-2 airworthy at the Military Aviation Museum
The Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, Virginia, is home to one of the world's largest collections of warbirds in flying condition. It includes examples from Germany, France, Italy, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, from ...
in Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach is an independent city located on the southeastern coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 census. Although mostly suburban in character, it is the most populous city ...
.
* 641543 – Po-2 airworthy at the Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum
The Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the display and preservation of rare military aircraft, tanks and other military equipment. The plan is for the museum to reopen in 2023.
On rotation in t ...
in Everett, Washington
Everett is the county seat and largest city of Snohomish County, Washington, United States. It is north of Seattle and is one of the main cities in the metropolitan area and the Puget Sound region. Everett is the seventh-largest city in the ...
.
Specifications (U-2)
See also
References
Notes
Citations
Bibliography
* Angelucci, Enzo and Paolo Matricardi. ''World Aircraft: World War II, Volume II'' (Sampson Low Guides). Maidenhead, UK: Sampson Low, 1978. .
* Bargatinov, Valery. ''Wings of Russia'' (Russian). Moscow: Eksmo, 2005. .
*
* Dorr, Robert F. ''B-29 Superfortress units of the Korean War''. Botley, Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 2003. .
*.
* Gordon, Yefim. "Soviet Air Power in World War 2". Hersham-Surrey, UK: Midland Publishing, 2008. .
* Grossman, Vasily. ''A Writer at War: Vasily Grossman with the Red Army 1941-1945''. New York: Vintage Books, 2007 . .
* Gunston, Bill. ''The Osprey Encyclopedia of Russian Aircraft 1875–1995''. London: Osprey, 1995. .
* Keskinen, Kalevi et al. ''Suomen ilmavoimien historia 13 − Syöksypommittajat. (in Finnish)''Forssa, Finland: Tietoteos, 1989. .
* Myles, Bruce. ''Night Witches: The Amazing Story Of Russia's Women Pilots in World War II''. Chicago, Illinois: Academy Chicago Publishers, 1997. .
* Neuber, Claus. ''Marching From Defeat''. Barnsley, UK: Pen and Sword Military, 2021. .
* Ogden, Bob. ''Aviation Museums and Collections of Mainland Europe (2nd edition)''. Toonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians), 2009. .
* Szewczyk, Witold. ''Samolot wielozadaniowy Po-2 (TBiU #74)''. Warsaw, Poland: Wydawnictwo MON, 1981. .
* Velek, Martin. ''Polikarpov U-2/Po-2'' (bi-lingual Czech/English). Prague, Czech Republic: MBI, 2002.
External links
Vintage WW II Soviet wartime winter flying video of Po-2s
Po-2 Video
from MAKS-2007
Shuttleworth's restored Po-2 flight demo
Kermit Weeks' restored Po-2 flight video
{{Authority control
1920s Soviet and Russian military trainer aircraft
World War II Soviet reconnaissance aircraft
Single-engined tractor aircraft
Biplanes
Po-2
The Polikarpov Po-2 (also U-2, for its initial ''uchebnyy'', 'training', role as a flight instruction aircraft) served as an all-weather multirole Soviet biplane, nicknamed ''Kukuruznik'' (russian: Кукурузник,Gunston 1995, p. 292. NAT ...
Aircraft first flown in 1927
Glider tugs
World War II aircraft of Finland
1930s Soviet and Russian agricultural aircraft