AN.2 Flying Boat,a Hypothetical or Real Design ?

[hesham]

In L'Aeronautica Italiana 8-1927,


here is a strange flying boat,they named it as AN.2,I don't know if it was a hypothetical design
or real one ?.

 

[riggerrob]

Looks more like a 1920s variation on a Dornier Wal flying boat.

AN2 designation usually applies to a utility biplane that was built by the thousands after WW2. Antonov 2s still dust crops, haul skydivers and provide short-haul service in many former communist countries. AN2 still competes with DHC-3 (single-engine) Otter and Cessna Caravan.
AN2s are still manufactured (under license) in China and there have been a couple of attempts to upgrade them with turboprop engines.

AN2V is a production version with twin aluminum floats bolted to a standard production airframe. There is even a water-bombing (forest-fire fighting) version that can refill its water tanks while skimming along the surface of a lake. Then it mixes in alkaline fire retardant chemicals similar to capitalist-built water bombers.

 

[hesham]

Thank you Riggerrob.

 

[cluttonfred]

This appears to be a design study for an Italian flying boat, certainly along the same lines as a Dornier Wal but I am not sure that it's a derivative. I don't see any manufacturer mentioned in the text, but then Italy has long operated with a system of independent designers who shop their designs around to various companies. I am inclined to think this is more than a theoretical and speculative project given the level of detail.

 

[hesham]

Hi,

this hypothetical concept was designed by Engineering Alberto Grandinetti as in
L'Aeronautica 11/1927.