It would appear the venerable An-2 Colt biplane, which has served Russian and various other east European militaries since 1947, will outlive its planned replacement. Various sources are reporting Russia will cancel the modest development of a nine-seat utility airplane, the LMS-901 Baikal, in favor of replacing the radial engine on the AN-2 with a 60-year-old Russian turboprop, the TVD-10B. Ballooning costs have pushed the selling price of the modern-looking Baikal (it is a taildragger, though) over $5 million, more than double its first estimate. That’s not the whole story, however.
According to Russian sources, the Baikal has aerodynamic issues that require a substantial redesign and it also doesn’t have an engine. It was designed to take a GE H8100 engine, but that’s no longer available because of sanctions resulting from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. A homegrown replacement is being developed but hasn’t flown yet.
