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Heads tend to turn involuntarily towards this antiquated looking aircraft as its distinctive 'chicken-plucker-chicken-plucker' sound-track flatly refuses to be ignored. And so we welcome the Russian Polikarpov PO-2 biplane into stage centre here at Classic Fighters Airshow!
The odd-ball audio comes from an unusually configured M-11 radial engine of just five cylinders, seemingly too small to haul this ungainly machine into the air and making it look like an escapee from the skies above the trenches of WW-I. But this aircraft, its apparent antiquity aside, was actually a combatant in World War Two!
Despite massive production in the Soviet Union and post-war Poland (possibly greater numbers than any other aircraft in history), this surviving PO-2 is one of just 20 in existence and the only example flying in the Southern Hemisphere.
Designed in 1928 as a primary trainer, it was forgiving and easy to fly, becoming the mainstay of the Soviet Union’s flying clubs, which sprang up around the country during the 1930s.
The PO-2’s greatest claim to fame however, is its use in WW2, when it was flown by the all-female 588th Night Bomber Regiment. Totally outclassed against the Luftwaffe's Bf109s and Focke Wulf 190s, the women flew their ancient looking biplanes at night, when they could use the cover of darkness, throttle back and glide in to drop their bombs before they could be detected. The Germans named them Nachthexen or Night Witches. If caught in daylight, they made the most of the PO-2’s manoeuvrability and ability to fly at a slow speed at which the German fighters would stall. All the work in the regiment was carried out by women, whether as pilots, navigators, engineers or armourers and their overall success earned them the elite title of a Guards unit. An impressive 23 personnel were awarded Hero Of the Soviet Union, all while operating this deceptively humble biplane.
Image: Po-2 Photo by Gavin Conroy
Stephen and Chrystal Witte’s Polikarpov Po-2 was rebuilt from a wreck in Russia by a team of professional aviation specialists using old plans, drawings and books as references. After arrival in New Zealand, additional upgrade work was carried out by AeroTech in Auckland, including the application of its distinctive camouflage colours. The aircraft made its public debut at Classic Fighters 2023, and we look forward to seeing it fly again at the show in 2025. Sadly, despite the vast numbers built, just a dozen examples remain airworthy as far as we can ascertain.
About Marlborough Lines Classic Fighters Omaka: The airshow is the main fundraising event for the Omaka Aviation Heritage Museum, located in Blenheim, Marlborough NZ.
