North Koreas most capable aircraft - the AN2???

[StreetScooby 5]

Just finished reading this article regarding North Korea's airforce capabilities:

The North Korean Solution

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Perhaps the most dangerous aircraft are 300 AN-2 single engine bi-plane transports.

Couldn't help but think of you guys...

We are all engines of karma

[skydiver30960 0]

Each AN-2 is capable of delivering ten soldiers, each soldier equipped with a tie-dyed rig, flashy jumpsuit, a GoPro strapped to their helmet, and a Chinese-knockoff iPod filled with dubstep and trance music. Their greatest threat to ground troops comes on landing, when these "mad skillz shock troops" frequently endanger the ground troops during their "swoop" style landings.

Surely, allied forces quake in fear.

Elvisio "at least it climbs slow so you can listen to the whole playlist" Rodriguez

[rickjump1 0]

http://forum.milavia.net/warbirds/helicopter-shoots-down-a-north-vietnamese-an-2-bi-plane/ The AN-2 was vulnerable to Air America helicopters.

Do your part for global warming: ban beans and hold all popcorn farts.

[ryoder 1,590]

rickjump1

http://forum.milavia.net/warbirds/helicopter-shoots-down-a-north-vietnamese-an-2-bi-plane/ The AN-2 was vulnerable to Air America helicopters.

That was a hell of a story!

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[rickjump1 0]

ryoder

***http://forum.milavia.net/warbirds/helicopter-shoots-down-a-north-vietnamese-an-2-bi-plane/ The AN-2 was vulnerable to Air America helicopters.

That was a hell of a story! One version had them shooting down two that night, and both wreckages had bullet holes. A lot of wild shit was happening back then. Check this out. http://www.veteran.com/content/soviet-made-nva-2-bi-plane-shot-down-air-america-during-fall-ls-85-laos

Do your part for global warming: ban beans and hold all popcorn farts.

[MikeJD 0]

ryoder

***http://forum.milavia.net/warbirds/helicopter-shoots-down-a-north-vietnamese-an-2-bi-plane/ The AN-2 was vulnerable to Air America helicopters.

That was a hell of a story!

Strange assertion that 'This has to be the only combat use of biplanes since the 1930's', though. I can think of several examples from the early 1940's and I wouldn't be surprised if there are more recent ones.

[StreetScooby 5]

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Elvisio "at least it climbs slow so you can listen to the whole playlist" Rodriguez

LOL!

We are all engines of karma

[StreetScooby 5]

Great story!
Thanks for sharing it.

We are all engines of karma

[rickjump1 0]

MikeJD

******http://forum.milavia.net/warbirds/helicopter-shoots-down-a-north-vietnamese-an-2-bi-plane/ The AN-2 was vulnerable to Air America helicopters.

That was a hell of a story!

Strange assertion that 'This has to be the only combat use of biplanes since the 1930's', though. I can think of several examples from the early 1940's and I wouldn't be surprised if there are more recent ones.Maybe "bed check charlie" ; if they ever shot him down. On second thought I forgot that there were indeed biplanes used in WWII that were shot down.

Do your part for global warming: ban beans and hold all popcorn farts.

[mr2mk1g 10]

Yup, we Brits still fielded the Swordfish torpedo bomber (biplane obviously) right through to 45. Because of the biplane configuration it could be launched from aircraft carriers without needing to steam into the wind and could even be launched off merchies so was ideal as an ASW platform in the middle of the North Atlantic. The Gladiator also saw action across most theaters in the early war. The Fins and the Sovs I think probably saw the last biplane only actions but that would have been in the 40's also.

I swear I recall biplanes being employed during the Balkan conflicts to drop bombs. That would put their last combat usage in the 90's at least.

[MikeJD 0]

mr2mk1g

Yup, we Brits still fielded the Swordfish torpedo bomber (biplane obviously) right through to 45.

Exactly - and pretty famously so, in the attack on the Italian navy at Taranto - the first ever ship-to-ship battle (it says here) using aircraft only rather than guns, so a pretty significant and pioneering action.