Old Guy

So, thank goodness it's Friday. It was a very long work day. By the time I had finished it was sundown.

Merrill Field is nearby and I stopped by to see an old friend.

This is a Russian Antonov AN-2 Biplane, nicknamed "Kukuruznik". It was the largest single-engine biplane ever produced. It was extraordinary good at slow-flight and STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing). This made it supremely suited for short, unimproved fields.

The owner's plan was to use it to carry cargo to bush (remote rural) villages in Alaska. The FAA would not grant it an Air Worthiness Certificate and it has been mostly grounded since its arrival from Russia.

Sadly, it is sundown for this Old Guy.

If you look closely at the highest resolution of the Google Map you can see him there.

Merrill Field, Anchorage, Alaska