Amodel 1/144 An-2 Colt Kit First Look

By Michael Benolkin

First Look

The Antonov An-2 was a utility aircraft designed after World War 2 as a replacement to the Polikarpov Po-2. In its standard configuration, the An-2 could handle a wide range of tasks from crop dusting to cargo hauling. Its biplane wing and 1000 horsepower radial engine could get cargo or passengers in and out of very short unimproved fields. According to the statistics, the Soviet Union had produced over 5,000 aircraft by 1960 before production was shifted over to Poland. The WSK factory produced another 13,000+ aircraft before production ended in 1991.

The An-2 was produced over 45 years, the longest production run of any aircraft until recently beat by the C-130 Hercules. Like the C-130, the An-2 was a versatile workhorse and there was even a turbo-prop variant produced as the An-3.

Because the An-2 could carry large loads over a 500 mile range and could get in and out of remote areas, the aircraft was also well-suited for clandestine missions by military forces that wanted to be able to sneak in under the radar at speeds that are indistinguishable from civil air traffic. In Aeroflot service, the An-2 provided commuter service into areas where few other fixed-wing aircraft could operate. Like many other similar aircraft, in winter time, the wheels are simply replaced with skis and flights continue.

Here is a sweet little kit from Amodel - the An-2 in 1/144 scale. the kit is simply laid out for easy assembly, at least with the styrene parts. Molded in white styrene, the kit is presented on three parts trees, plus one clear tree and one small fret of photo-etched parts.

There is a minimal flight deck in the cockpit though not much detail is wasted in there given that you won't see much through the windows. The window parts are clear, but in this scale, you can't achieve scale thickness even with vac parts, so the styrene cabin enclosure will make this Colt buildable.

The photo-etched parts include the interplane struts to interconnect the upper and lower wings as well as the tail struts and main landing gear braces. While these parts won't be much of an issue, the 26 aileron hinges that go on the undersides of the upper and lower wings will definitely test your eyesight and dexterity.

Markings are provided for seven versions:

• An-2, SP-WPR, Polish Relief Flight during Ethiopian relief flights
• An-2, SP-FEE, 'Cobra Air', Poland, 2009
• An-2, RA-40341, Russia
• An-2, OK-GIB, Czechoslovakia
• An-2, UR-17769, Veteran Airlines, Crimea
• An-2, N22AN, Aerospace Enterprises, USA
• An-2, DM-SKN, Deutsche Lufthansa, East Germany

There is a nice variety of subjects in this kit. The Cobra Air example on the box cover is a nice example!

This is a nice little kit that will build into a unique subject with a little patience and skill.

My sincere thanks to HobbyTerra for this review sample!