Description
The Polikarpov U-2 or Po-2 served as a general-purpose Soviet biplane, nicknamed Kukuruznik ("maize duster"), NATO reporting name of “Mule”. The reliable, uncomplicated and forgiving aircraft served as a trainer and crop-duster. It is the second most produced aircraft, and the most produced biplane, in the history of aviation.
The prototype of the U-2 first flew on 24 June 1927 piloted by M.M. Gromov. Aircraft from the pre-production series were tested at the end of 1928 and serial production started in 1929. Production in the Soviet Union ended in 1953, but license-built CSS-13 were still produced in Poland until 1959.
North Korean forces used the Po-2 in a similar role in the Korean War. A significant number of Po-2s were fielded by the Korean People’s Air Force, inflicting serious damage during night raids on Allied bases. UN forces named the Po-2’s nighttime appearance Bedcheck Charlie and had great difficulty in shooting it down — even though night fighters had radar as standard equipment in the 1950s, the wood-and-fabric-construction of the Po-2 gave only a minimal radar echo, making it hard for an opposing fighter pilot to acquire his target. On 16 June 1953, a USMC AD-4 from VMC-1 piloted by Major George H. Linnemeier and CWO Vernon S. Kramer shot down a Soviet-built Polikarpov Po-2 biplane, the only documented Skyraider air victory of the war.
Its low cost and easy maintenance led to a production run of over 40,000. Manufacturing of the Po-2 in the USSR ceased in 1949, but until 1959 a number were assembled in Aeroflot repair workshops.
