The Po-2, or U-2, is the personal plane of Valery Pavlovich Chkalov, presented to him by the Soviet government after the flight from Moscow through Franz Josef Land to Udd Island. The famous pilot also used it for private purposes –— for visits to his hometown of Vasilyovo (now known as Chkalovsk), and in fulfilling his duties as a people’s deputy when visiting the most remote areas of his constituency.

In 1926, the Air Force Administration assigned set aircraft builders with the task to create an inexpensive cheap and reliable plane for the initial training of pilots in aviation schools. And a year later, on the 10th anniversary of the revolution, under the guidance of designer Nikolay Nikolayevich Polikarpov, a prototype training aircraft appeared. However, the first test flights showed that it lacked the required functionality.

Another option was developed — the Po-2. In January 1928, the aircraft was delivered for testing. For its maiden flight, the plane was lifted into the air by the honored pilot Mikhail Mikhailovich Gromov, who gave a high appraisal of the aircraft.

The airworthiness of the aircraft fully met the requirements for a training machine. The Po-2 was simple and easy to operate. The rudder, which was very large compared to the rudder of other aircraft of the time, prevented a spin; the wings of the biplane also had a relatively large area. An aircraft with a failed engine could easily glide; finally, it was able to take off and land at the smallest airfields.

The design of the aircraft was very straightforward, as well. A pine slat frame with tensile wire struts was covered in canvas. The frame nodes were made of soft steel.

For many years, these aircraft were the only training planes in flight schools and flying clubs of Osoaviakhim. Tens of thousands of cadets underwent initial training on them in the pre-war period and during the war years. From the first days of the Great Patriotic War, Po-2s were widely used as liaison or headquarters planes, air ambulances and, most importantly, night bombers. In the latter case, the aircraft could take up to 350 kilograms of bombs and ammunition for a machine gun. The air regiments armed with these aircraft delivered bombing strikes on the front line and near rear of the enemy.

The Po-2 aircraft was also widely used in the national economy: it pollinated plants, fed crops, sowed seeds, and sprayed gardens. There was a three-seat transport version of the Po-2. In total, several thousand of these machines in various modifications were made.