The team at Microsoft Flight Simulator announced the release of their Antonov An-2 rendition via the Xbox YouTube channel. The An-2 marks the fifth aircraft in their ‘Famous Flyers’ series and follows after their successful Antonov An-225 release. The ‘Famous Flyers’ series seeks to preserve the history and legacy of legendary aircraft that shaped the history of aviation.
The Antonov An-2 is a Soviet mass-produced single-engine biplane manufactured by Antonov. Initially designed as an agricultural aircraft, the An-2 quickly gained a reputation for its durability and impressive STOL capabilities. As a result, An-2 saw service in all sorts of operations, from passenger and cargo missions in all terrain to military service in armed conflicts, such as the Korean and Vietnam Wars. The An-2 was produced into over 18,000 exemplars and remains in operation today.
This An-2 rendition features a fully modelled flight deck and interior. The flight deck includes accurately replicated gauges and clickable switches, most of which work as intended on the real aircraft. The interior cabin features a red theme, with metal tip-up seats and circular portholes.
Additionally, the developers have included four different variants of the aircraft. The four variants will come with 4K liveries. This includes:
- A terrestrial variant, fitted with steam gauges and wheeled landing gears.
- Another terrestrial version, also featuring wheeled landing gears, but retrofitted with a Garmin GPS system
- An amphibious variant, fitted with floaters and steam gauges
- A ski variant, fitted with skis and steam gauges
Whether you want to land on asphalt, water or snow, the An-2 is a highly versatile aircraft that will cater to most simmers’ needs.
The Antonov An-2 by Microsoft is available on all platforms in the Flight Simulator Marketplace for $14.99 (approx. €13,90). If you want to learn about Microsoft’s previous release in their ‘Famous Flyers’ series, read George’s article on the Antonov-225.
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