Get ready to be stopped in your tracks at the International Sanicole Airshow static display, because one aircraft simply refuses to blend in: the legendary Antonov An-2
First flown in 1947, this Ukrainian-designed icon is the world’s largest single-engine biplane. Built in astonishing numbers, more than 18,000 strong, the An-2 served everywhere from military units to civilian operators across the globe. Its party trick? Taking off and landing almost anywhere. Short fields, rough strips, unpaved runways, even the middle of nowhere. If there was a job to do in a remote or unforgiving place, the An-2 was already warming up.
Over the decades, this rugged workhorse carried passengers, paratroopers, and cargo with equal ease, earning a reputation for toughness and reliability that few aircraft can match. Production continued all the way until 2001, and remarkably, some An-2s are still flying today.
On September 12 and 13, the An-2 on static display at Sanicole proudly wears its former Polish military colour scheme. Step closer, take it all in, and meet a true aviation survivor in Hechtel-Eksel. This is history you can walk right up to.
