The Antonov An-2, the world's most produced biplane and longest-manufactured aircraft in history, revolutionized agricultural aviation and utility transport across the Soviet sphere. First flown on August 31, 1947, it was a single-engine biplane powered by a 1,000-horsepower radial engine that could carry 12 passengers or 4,720 pounds of cargo. Spanning over 54 years of continuous production, more than 18,000 examples rolled off assembly lines in the Soviet Union, Poland, and China. The aircraft was manufactured by the Antonov Design Bureau under chief designer Oleg K. Antonov.
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