The wonderful AN2 a classic example of the best of Russian /Ukraine design , the aviation world's AK47. My son lives in Czechia and there is an airfield near him which sports about ten residents. The parachute club has a great AN 2 which on sunny days can be heard droning away like a constant background noise and it struggles up to xxxx feet. And, as claimed can fly backwards as I have seen it on two occasions on windy days as it seems to hang completely still up at xxxx feet until you realize it is actually going backwards. i know nothing of parachuting/sky diving but being able to go so slowly and have a huge access door and struts and other stuff to hold onto it must be pretty good.
And talking of Antonovs I heard that distinctive dull drone of Russian turbo props this evening and with FR 24s help and some clear sky an A26 was droning over fFrome, destination unknown, but headinf SSW, origin Birminghham. I am sure they are not as common as their four engined brothers and the sound wasnt so loud but it still made nice change from the strgngely musical A400s thatwe get daily. , Amazing, the Antonov model first flown 53 years ago