SibNIA An-2-based mods (TVS-2AM, TVS-2MS, TVS-2DT, TVS-2DTS)

[Silencer1]

There were certain attempts to extend live of Antonov An-2 biplane.
Now, in Novosibirsk it's all-composite prototype flies


Google translation of the page:
http://www.sukhoi.org/news/company/?id=5711



06/10/2015
The prototype light multipurpose aircraft made its first flight from the airport of Novosibirsk branch of the company "Sukhoi"


Moscow, June 10. Today, at the airport Eltsovka of subsidiary "Sukhoi" - Novosibirsk Aviation Plant named by V.P. Chkalov (NAE), made the first flight of a prototype light multipurpose aircraft, designed and built in the Siberian Research Institute of Aviation named by S.A. Chaplygin. The flight was successful. The plane was piloted by SibNIA chief executive officer - test pilot Vladimir Barsuk.


In the manufacture of large composite-glueing tooling for carbon fiber aircraft parts NAE helped. Details of polymeric composite materials (PCM), which is used in the manufacture of an autoclave SibNIA experts plan to produce composite manufacturing Novosibirsk aircraft plant.


The aircraft structure implemented advanced technology of modern aircraft. The panels of the wing spars and ribs biplane circuit made of carbon fiber. Two new biplane wing made from the composite joined in "bookcase" smooth transition. Unlike the classic biplane wing completely absent brace that will allow a 50% increase in maximum and cruising speed. The minimum airspeed of close to zero has been reached in the first flight. In the short term - the completion of the design and manufacture of fuselage from polymeric composite materials.

Development and construction of prototype aircraft for local airlines to replace the An-2, conducted by a team of SibNIA Aviation Development Programme of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation.

 

[GTX]

Outstanding! There's life in the old girl still.


Any idea re the engine?

 

[Moose]

At the risk of being pedantic, it has composite wings but the fuselage is still constructed from metal. In fact it seems as if this program is a straight re-winging of existing SinNIA aircraft.

Wonder how Antonov responds.

Any idea re the engine?

SinNIA has been refitting their Colts with the Honeywell TPE331, probably what this prototype is using.

 

[shedofdread]

Oh that's wonderful!


I remember, a few years ago, seeing one come over the hedge seemingly at walking pace (quite a breezy day...), touch down and barely roll forward. Lovely old thing.

 

[robunos]

At the risk of being pedantic, it has composite wings but the fuselage is still constructed from metal. In fact it seems as if this program is a straight re-winging of existing SinNIA aircraft.

Wonder how Antonov responds.

Any idea re the engine?

SinNIA has been refitting their Colts with the Honeywell TPE331, probably what this prototype is using.

Certainly looks like a TPE331, judging by the shape of the air intake, and the single exhaust.
The new wing configuration is almost a box-wing,(just love those funky upturned wingtips) wonder why they the kept the overhanging upper wing tips? Better aileron control, particularly at low speeds?
This aircraft does indeed, have a metal fuselage, however from the post above :-

" In the short term - the completion of the design and manufacture of fuselage from polymeric composite materials."


cheers,
Robin.

 

[robunos]

Outstanding! There's life in the old girl still.

What next? composite DC-3s? (Boeing 703??)...graphite-epoxy Tiger Moths? ;D


cheers,
Robin.

 

[kaiserbill]

Outstanding! There's life in the old girl still.

What next? composite DC-3s? (Boeing 703??)...graphite-epoxy Tiger Moths? ;D






cheers,
Robin.

I suppose one could think of the various DC-3 turbine upgrade programmes as along these lines.

I've seen it mentioned somewhere that this is actually part of the programme to develop an AN-2 successor, but I wonder if it is now being offered for retrofit to existing An-2's. Translating stuff leads to all sorts of misconceptions.
It makes sense though, as apart from small areas with metal, the AN-2 wings are fabric covered, which is easily damaged, and the new material allows the braces to go, as the article mentions.

 

[Silencer1]

I'm translated the first story by myself, using the Google as addition - I did my best.


Anyway, some mistakes could occur - the initial Russian text contains certain "not-so-obvious" statements.
What's mean "zero speed"? Aircraft hovers in the air?
No designation mentioned - strange, isn't it?
And not a word about wing extensive flaps' system!


This aircraft is an obvious development from the earlier, TPE-powered An-2 biplane (TVS-2MS), and it's high-wing version (TVS-2DT).


Biplane has been described in English on official page of SibNIIA http://sibnia.com/press-center/news/detail.php?ID=71


Monoplane (on Russian) - http://www.take-off.ru/news/134-news02014/896-tvs-2dt-na-kerosine-i-odnom-kryle
According to article on December 2014 14 An-2 airframes has been re-engined by Honeywell TPE331-12UAN turboprops and certain of them is in service already.


SibNIIA site also contain an extensive page about their plans of An-2 development:
http://sibnia.ru/an-2/


I'm sorry to unable at this moment translate all the available text, so if someone interested - let me knew.


I hope, that news about An-2 advanced version would be available soon in international aviation magazines.

 

[Stargazer]

Question: Antonov being a Ukrainian design bureau, what can we make of the fact that a Russian company markets its upgraded version at a time of deep political turmoil between the two countries? Is it dishonest appropriation? Continuation of a deal begun at a time when the situation was not so bad? Just curious.

 

[GTX]

Given the An-2 was originally designed etc during the days of the USSR isn't it a moot point.

 

[Moose]

Oh I don't know, I imagine if Antonov started reproducing Tu-95s without the Putin Seal of Approval there would be merry hell raised about it.

 

[Stargazer]

Given the An-2 was originally designed etc during the days of the USSR isn't it a moot point.

The point is: who owns the design rights? Have they become public domain?? I should think not. Hence my question. Plus they continue to call it an An-2, not a Sukhoi or SibNIA designation.

 

[Avimimus]

I don't see the issue:
- If it is a matter of patent law rather than intellectual property. Are any specific patents violated?
- The An-2 is pretty ubiquitous across Eastern Europe, so after market parts and upgrades are produced in more than one spot. If it is an upgrade kit, then the originator might not need to be paid.
- If they are making a new wing and fuselage and engine and cockpit then it is a new design.

So, the real question: Is the trademark violated? Do Russia and the Ukraine take such an extreme position on trademark law as recent U.S. court rulings have? Does anyone care that much?

At a more symbolic level: Would it be silly to try to avoid using the Antonov name for an upgrade kit? Would it be insulting, petty and disingenuous to not give Antonov some credit for this class of biplane?

 

[Stargazer]

I don't see the issue

Didn't say there was one. I merely said I was curious.

 

[yasotay]

Reminds me of the UH-1. There are so many places rebuilding them and putting new parts on them that they can hardly make a claim to be Bell other than everyone knows they are.

It is good to see such a practical aircraft design have a second lease on life.

 

[kaiserbill]

Oh I don't know, I imagine if Antonov started reproducing Tu-95s without the Putin Seal of Approval there would be merry hell raised about it.

Can we keep personal political speculative opinions out of here please, and reserve that for The Bar.
This site is of a far higher quality than others out there for such reasons.


Silencer, you did a good job. Being a bilingual person myself, I was merely saying that sometimes things don't interpret very well at all between languages.
As such, the original articles, even when translated, don't throw much light on whether this will be an upgrade or new build.
It seems to me, reading between the lines, that there is a project being worked on to replace the An-2, and this "prototype" of an existing airframe with a complete wing replacement seems to be part of that programme, but with the benefit of being able to be retrofitted to existing An-2's.
Sources out there indicate over 18000 An-2's were built, so one would imagine that if the upgrade was cheap enough, there would be a market worth pursuing.


I guess time will tell.

 

[Silencer1]

Uprgrading An-2 is a long-long story.


The first realized attempt was An-3 - and without too much success. In my humble opinions, designers offers to customers (already owning An-2) upgrade, that they just don't need. Lack of suitable engines, then lack of ability to produce the suitable one, etc.
AN-3 maiden flight was in 1980!


On Antonov' company web-page there was huge page about current version of An-3 http://www.antonov.com/aircraft/transport-aircraft/an-3t/an-3t-photo (English text)


There was also another re-engined prototype of An-2 - An-2-100 with Ukrainian MS-14 turboprop

So, there were certain attempts - from very simple to the very advanced to revive Antonov An-2.
Although, looks like most of them don't pay too much attention of the current owners requirements - so, winner would be the one, who offered best proposal!


By the way, SibNIIA design, IMHO, looks like attempt to build completely new (and hope, good aircraft) step-by-step eliminating all An-2 parts.
Perhaps, this team wants to build a all-new good turboprop, staying close to successful, although obsolete biplane?


I wish a good luck to all such attempts!


P.S. Kaiserbill, thanks for the kind words!

 

[Hood]

The SibNIIA composite An-2 programme is still progressing, it seems the fully-composite structure prototype has now flown.

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/fully-composite-rework-of-an-2-biplane-debuts-at-mak-439486/

 

[fightingirish]

The first flight of the experimental TVS-2DTS took place on July 10th, 2017.

 

[sienar]

Now if they could just add a boundary layer control system ;D

 

[Avimimus]

Now if they could just add a boundary layer control system ;D

Too much maintenance cost for a bush plane alas.

My desire would've been to see this with retractable landing gear! It would give it a slightly more modern appearance But I guess weight was deemed more important than drag?

It is pretty neat to think that a biplane passenger transport might hit production 70 years after the Antonov 2 started production! To think how many claimed it was an out-dated design then!

 

[GRach]

An-2 with two engines
Project
1:12 scale model

 

[GRach]

Project 2
Scale 1:12

 

[riggerrob]

Given the An-2 was originally designed etc during the days of the USSR isn't it a moot point.

The point is: who owns the design rights? Have they become public domain?? I should think not. Hence my question. Plus they continue to call it an An-2, not a Sukhoi or SibNIA designation.

Dear stagazer,
I can only answer your question from the perspective of American Federal Air Regulations perspective. Canadian Air Regulations are almost photo-copies of FARs.
The original manufacturer - in this case Antonov - still owns the Type Certificate and Production Certificate.
They may try to discourage after-market modifiers to prevent law suits coming back to haunt them. Trust me, I have 9 years experience with Canadian personal injury lawyers.!
An after-market company must apply for a Supplementary Type Certificate and prove that their product is an improvement on the original's performance. Sometimes STCs only make
maintenance easier.
The other option is FAA Parts Manufacturing Authority. PMA allows after-market companies to build replacement parts to original specifications or higher specifications. For example, numerous DHC-2 Beaver PMA replacement steel parts are available with better corrosion-inhibiting paints.

 

[riggerrob]

If they hope to sell significant numbers of new airframes, Siberians will need to configure doors and cabin interior to accommodate LD3 baggage containers. Over-night courier companies (DHL, Fedex, etc.) are shifting to LD3 containers because they be loaded quicker with less man-power.
The latest Firecatcher F-45 and Cessna 408 Skycourier are both configured to carry a trio of LD3 containers.
Skycourier looks like a fat DHC-6 Twin Otter, while F-45 looks like a fat Cessna 208 Caravan.

 

[Cy-27]

An interesting demonstration of a modified SIBNIA TVS-2MS turboprop was presented at MAKS-2021. This was aircraft 48986 demonstrating short take offs with eight small aircrews on the lower wing.

The short-take off and landing was aided by the additional propellers on the wing that enable increased lift allowing for a short take-off. The aircraft would able to carry a payload of a ton over a distance of a thousand kilometers.

Developed under the institute’s Project Partizan to allow a hybrid powered aircraft to take off from a platform measuring 50 by 50 meters. This future development would be a hybrid six airscrew aircraft which was presented during the show in computer impression form.

Source:
https://www.defenseworld.net/news/3...aft_to_be_Presented_at_MAKS_2021#.YPgn_OhKjIU
MAKS-2021 YouTube Channel ...

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meLv-Rzr7Yk
(demo near the end of display)

 

[alberchico]

I have to wonder, if the SIBNIA TVS-2MS design had incorporated a simpler all metal airframe from the start, could that have saved the program ? It seems amazing that right up until the very end when the aircraft was slated to go into production they were oblivious to the effects that extreme arctic temperatures could have on an all composite fuselage. This article gave a good summary of the program before it was cancelled. One major problem with the aircraft is that even if it had gone into production, it would have been too expensive for most Russian regional airlines.

21st Century biplane - Royal Aeronautical Society

First flown in 1947, the ubiquitous Antonov An-2 utility biplane is set to get a new lease of life with a carbon-fibre, turboprop, glass-cockpit redesign. EUGENE GERDEN reports on the TVS-2DTS biplane.

www.aerosociety.com

 

[Mr.T]

Project Partizan eStol , a variant with new boxy fuselage and 8 electric motors to blow air over the lower wing for take of and landing. At this point only thing that might be left from An-2 is parts of the landing gear

This time around, it seems they got funding for this to serve as a transport drone .


It seems mixed metal and composite construction

Watch ssstwitter.com_1708181447612 | Streamable

Watch "ssstwitter.com_1708181447612" on Streamable.

streamable.com

 

[riggerrob]

Project Partizan eStol , a variant with new boxy fuselage and 8 electric motors to blow air over the lower wing for take of and landing. At this point only thing that might be left from An-2 is parts of the landing gear

This time around, it seems they got funding for this to serve as a transport drone .


It seems mixed metal and composite construction

Watch ssstwitter.com_1708181447612 | Streamable

Watch "ssstwitter.com_1708181447612" on Streamable.

streamable.com

Amusing how they used cutting-edge, next-level, quantum-leap technology to re-design lower wing tips, but just square-cut the upper wing tips.

At a bare minimum, we expected something like the tapered and curved wing tips on the Ultimate Wing conversion to DHC-2 Beaver.