Antonov AN-2 – Aircraft starting after 17 years out of service

Still Alive And Kicking

Who would have known that an aircraft on display for almost twenty years could still start up its engine?

This particular Antonov An-2 has been on display for seventeen years at the Technikmuseum Speyer. It was constructed in the 1960s and sold to the museum in 1994, where it has stayed ever since. 

Though it spends its whole year on static display, the crews at Technikmuseum would usually start its engine a few times a day during their annual Brazzeltag event.

An-2s were first used as military aircraft during the Korean War. They could take off/land in small or improvised airstrips and were used to drop supplies for troops or barrel bombs on enemies in combat. 

This An-2’s only been retired for two decades. Who knows, maybe it’s still airworthy today?