Even from far off, as much as a quarter mile or more, it’s clear the Antonov AN-2 is different.
Right off the bat its size separates it from the crowd. It’s enormous. So large in fact that it looks slightly cartoonish — in the best possible way, of course. The fuselage is round, tall, and wide. When viewed from one end or the other it looks more like a passageway than a flying machine.
Welcome to a tour of N882EZ, a traveler from far off lands that flew in to Lakeland, Florida, for the 2026 SUN ’n FUN Aerospace Expo. This was the first visit for this particular machine. For its owner it was a return engagement.
Douglas Fulton made a career flying helicopters in Alaska. At 73 years old he is now retired.
Tall, slender, wearing a T-shirt and jeans, he moves with the relaxed manner of a man who has seen it all and lived to tell the tale. He ambles along the soft grass that lies beside the taxiway he came in on moments earlier. His airplane gleams brightly in the sunshine behind him.
Rather than battling snow, low ceilings, and temperatures that challenge the bottom end of the thermometer, he is currently committed to traveling by air in style and comfort. His intended destinations include Florida, Hawaii, and Mexico.
Spending April in Florida’s sunshine where the mornings start in the cool 60s and afternoons top out in the low 80s, seemed like a pretty good idea, he shares. Fulton is a man who appears to have no particular place to be on any given day. The image suits him well.
The AN-2 isn’t an everyman sort of aircraft. Not because of its rarity. Between 1947 and the early 21st century, a world record production run of more than 70 years, more than 18,000 of them rolled off the factory floor. No, the challenge isn’t the numbers. It’s the location of the factory and the political environment the aircraft came to life in.
The AN-2 was built primarily in the Soviet Union, Poland, and China. The type is still in common use in Eastern Europe and Asia as an airliner, an agricultural aircraft, and a freight hauler.
Fulton purchased his pristine example in Poland after an extensive search for the nicest version he could find.
“It came from Poland last year,” he says. “I purchased it over there, disassembled it, shipped it to Philadelphia, and reassembled it there.”
It spent the winter months at a museum in Arkansas. With the warmth of spring upon us, it was time to fly.
“I picked it up last week,” Fulton says with an easy smile, “and here I am.”
The entry door of the beast is an actual door, large enough to fit a refrigerator through it. Fitted to the fuselage wall directly opposite the doorway is a couch. An actual custom-fitted couch. Not a spindly metal frame draped with a canvas seat and a world-weary cushion or two. This one would be right at home in an executive mansion. It’s covered in finely detailed leather or perhaps a highly impressive leather substitute that is indistinguishable from the real thing.
This is a theme for the AN-2. While other aircraft are designed around small and lightly built hatches many aircraft offer, the AN-2 is beefy. Robust. Capable of being almost anything the owner wishes it to be. Even a flying apartment. More on that in a minute.
The wings are mismatched with the lower set significantly shorter than the upper. The upper wings are not just larger. They are fitted with leading edge slats that can extend to lower the stall speed to unimaginably low airspeeds.
As for the specifics of the stall speed, Fulton says, “They don’t publish one.” A distinct sign the FAA wasn’t involved in the certification process of this machine.
All is not lost, however. Fulton expands on that limitation with a brief explanation: “They say if you get into inadvertent IMC, just pull the yoke back and kick the flaps in. You come down like a parachute.”
What about landing speed?
“I keep it at 50 to 55 miles per hour,” he says. “I have landed in the low 40s before, but it’s a little squirrely if you get a side gust or something.”
The AN-2 isn’t fast. It wasn’t designed to be. Where it really shines is in the significant payload it can carry. Depending on the model, that capability ranges from slightly more than a ton to roughly two and a half tons. Not bad for a personal transport.
For Fulton this magnificent beast of the midway isn’t just a ride to his next destination. It’s literally his home away from home.
“I’ve got a bed back there,” he says, pointing to the ample and roomy tail section.
This Polish-built miracle of engineering has literally been transformed into a flying studio apartment. It may seem a bit cramped to those of us who live in modern suburban homes. It works for Fulton though. Different strokes for different folks. For anyone who has ever lived in New York City or Tokyo, it might even be considered roomy.
Fulton’s mission is simple, but adventurous.
“I’m just going from air show to museum to yeah…just enjoying it.”
The “it” he speaks of appears to be not just the amazing airplane he flies, but life itself. This is a man who is comfortable in his own company. An affable man whose smile is as welcoming as his airplane is appealing.
There is a discernable affection for the airplane that becomes apparent in conversation. This is not his first AN-2 however. He bought his first one in 2000.
“The first one I lost, unfortunately, to an engine failure coming out of Bishop, California,” he says. “I put it down in the desert.”
Fulton was at the controls. Anyone who has ever experienced an engine failure in flight knows the anguish any pilot experiences at that moment. One that is amplified if the pilot is also the owner who is about to potentially lose a significant investment, as well as face real personal risk.
Fulton was fortunate not to be seriously injured by the experience. The aircraft was less fortunate. In the end it was sold off for parts, leaving Fulton the task of seeking a replacement. Thankfully, he did.
For part of the year Fulton and his AN-2 will continue their travels. But home calls most of us back for a visit now and then.
“When I find a place to park this for a while this summer, I’m going to head back to Alaska,” he says.
While the AN-2 is festooned with cameras added by the previous owner, Fulton has no great interest in using them.
“I don’t capture video,” he admits. “If you want to see what’s going on, just look out the window.”
He then laughs softly as he squints into the bright Florida sunshine.
Douglas Fulton and his AN-2 are living quite a life. Long may they fly.
Looks really nice and such a unique airplane to spend money on. What qualifies it as a studio apartment? Thanks
Having a living room, a bedroom, refrigerator, and spectacular views does it for me, Herb. All of which are mentioned in the article. What were you hoping to see in an apartment that flies?