.png){kind=small}
One, if not the most produced aircraft in history, this biplane was constantly produced from 1928 to 1953 and was built under license in Poland following World War II. Some sources state that up to 40,000 were made, although the exact number may never be known. Nikolai Polikarpov designed the U-2 (later Po-2), first flown in January 1928. Initially created as a primary civilian trainer, the aircraft was forgiving and easy to fly.
Powered by an air-cooled 100-HP M-11 engine, the biplane had a modest performance, having a cruising speed of 68 mph (109 km/h) and a top speed of just 93 mph (150 km/h). Its designer is said to have joked that a Po-2 could “fly up to a window and look over the sill to see if the enemy was inside.” However, the aircraft would soon become multi-role and found employment in the agricultural sector as a crop duster and light transport.
By 1932, a new military trainer variant, U-2VS, was designed. It could carry bombs on underwing pylons and featured a rear gunner. Following the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, many existing U-2s were converted to night bombers, which were made famous by the so-called ‘Night Witches.’
Image: Po-2 Photo by Gavin Conroy
Making its public debut at Yealands Classic Fighters 2023, Stephen and Chrystal Witte’s Polikarpov Po-2 has been in NZ for some time, having been rebuilt from a wreck in Russia by a team of professional aviation specialists using old plans, drawings and books as references. Sadly, despite the vast numbers built, little more than a dozen survive today, with this aircraft making just eight airworthy examples as far as we can ascertain. The team at Omaka at have been working with Stephen and Chrystal to help bring the plane here, allowing it to be seen at both Yealands Classic Fighters and placing it on rotational display at the Omaka AHC.
About Marlborough Lines Classic Fighters Omaka: The airshow is the main fundraising event for the Omaka Aviation Heritage Museum, located in Blenheim, Marlborough NZ.
