An-26
An-26 of the Romanian Air Force
Role	Transport aircraft
National origin	Soviet Union (Ukraine)
Design group	Antonov
First flight	21 May 1969[1]
Status	Operational
Primary user	Soviet Air Force
Number built	1,403
Developed from	Antonov An-24
Variants	Antonov An-32

The Antonov An-26 (NATO reporting name: Curl) is a twin-engined turboprop military transport aircraft, designed and produced in the USSR from 12 March 1968.^[1]

Development[link]

After successful operations of the An-24T tactical transport in austere locations, interest in a version with a retractable cargo ramp increased. Initial studies for the retractable ramp were carried out as part of the projected An-40 medium transport. When given the go-ahead for the An-26 in March 1968 the Antonov OKB adapted the ramp design of the An-40 to the An-24 fuselage, thus was born the An-26. Particular attention was given to the military mission and the majority of early An-26 production was delivered to the VT-A.^[1]

Using the majority of the An-24 airframe, with its high-set cantilevered wings, twin turboprops and stalky main undercarriage, the An-26 included military equipment, such as tip-up paratroop canvas seats, overhead traveling hoist, bulged observation windows and parachute static line attachment cables. The An-26 made its public debut at the 27th Paris Air Show at Le Bourget where the second prototype, CCCP-26184 (c/n00202), was shown in the static aircraft park.

The An-26 is also manufactured without a license agreement^[1] in China by Xian Aircraft Factory as the Y-14, later changed to be included in the Xian Y7 series.^[1]

Variants[link]

An-26

"Curl-A" : Twin-engine tactical transport aircraft.^[1]

An-26-100

Convertible passenger/cargo aircraft modified from 'An-26' aircraft at the Kiev plant from 1999.^[1]

An-26 Nel'mo

(meaning unknown) An arctic surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft retrofitted with the Nel'mo equipment.^[1]

An-26 Pogoda

(Weather) Another aircraft for weather control duties, similar to the 'An-26 Tsiklon ', with a simplified equipment test lab.^[1]

An-26 Polyot

(Flight) A single aircraft retrofitted with the purpose of research of unified air traffic control and monitoring system throughout the USSR, with a comprehensive navigation test lab including precision compasses and Doppler speed/shift sensors.^[1]

An-26 Sfera

(Sphere) A single production aircraft built as laboratory for atmospheric research.^[1]

An-26 Shtabnoy

(Shtab: or Headquarters) some 'An-26's delivered to the Soviet and DDR air forces for use as staff transports/mobile command posts.^[1]

An-26 Vita

(Life) A single mobile operating room, surgery and intensive care unit ('25 Blue', c/n5406), for the Ukrainian Air Force.^[1]

An-26A

A one-off assault transport prototype with higher performance due to removal of some military equipment.^[1]

An-26ASLK

(Avtomatizeerovannaya Sistema Lyotnovo Kontrolya – automated flight control and monitoring system) : A modern flight control and monitoring system equipped with automatic calibration and navigation system. Recognizable by the distinctive pod low on the forward fuselage side.^[1]

An-26B

A civil cargo version equipped with roller gangs which can be swung up against the cabin walls when not in use. It was also equipped with two ZMDB Progress (Ivchyenko) Al-24VT turboprop power plants to deliver higher thrust.^[1]

An-26B

'Mobile Hospital' : The prototype 'An-26B' retrofitted as a mobile civilian emergency hospital.^[1]

An-26B Tsiklon

(Cyclone) A weather research/control and cloud-seeding aircraft for the Central Aerologic Laboratory. This aircraft was used for rain induction and protection using cloud-seeding chemicals dropped from slab sided pods hung from pylons.^[1]

An-26B-100

Convertible passenger/cargo aircraft modified from 'An-26B' aircraft at the Kiev plant from 1999.^[1]

An-26BL

Alternative designation for the 'An-26L'.^[1]

An-26BRL

Alternative designation of the 'An-26RL' Arctic surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft.^[1]

An-26D

(Dal'niy – long-range) An extended range version with extra fuel in wing tanks and additional external tanks attached to the airframe of the fuselage. One aircraft ('21 Yellow', c/n 13806) was retrofitted and delivered, but no further orders were forthcoming.^[1]

An-26K Kaira

(Great Auk) A single An-26 aircraft converted to a Kaira test airframe for the development of airborne LASER guided systems.^[1]

An-26K Kaplya

(Drop [of liquid]) After completion of the LASER designator trials the 'An-26K Kaira' was retrofitted to search or optically guided weapons as the navigation systems. During a night test flight at low-level, in March 1989, the An-26K Kaplya suffered a massive bird strike, which consequently destroyed the windshield and injured the pilot, who involuntarily downed the aircraft into the Azov Sea.^[1]

An-26KPA

(Kontrol'no-Poverochnaya Apparatura – Testing and calibration equipment) : A navigation aids inspecting aircraft with comprehensive navigation equipment and calibration equipment.^[1]

An-26L

A single 'An-26', (14 Orange, c/n 00607), used at Sperenberg air base near Berlin, for airfield and NAVAID calibration.^[1]

An-26LL-PLO

(Letayuschaya Laboratoriya – Protivolodochnoy Oborony – ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) testbed) : A single 'An-26A' aircraft, (c/n 0901), retrofitted and modified to accommodate range of sophisticated laboratory for surveillance systems, detecting and tracking stealthy nuclear submarines.^[1]

An-26LP

Fire-fighting version, for delivery of field equipment and para-dropping fire-fighters in lieu of water-bombing (any more info?).^[1]

An-26M Spasatel

(rescue worker) Flying hospital with an emergency surgery facility and consultation conference room.^[1]

An-26P

(Protivopozharnyy – fire-fighting) : Aircraft fire engine fighter, retrofitted with water lifting vessels in pods either side of the lower fuselage.^[1]

An-26P Prozhektor

(Projector or Searchlight) A single conversion of an An-26 as a guided missile system airframe.^[1]

An-26REP

(RadioElektronnoye Protivodeystviye – ECM (Electronic Counter-Measures) [aircraft]) : Electronic Counter-Measures aircraft fitted with active jammers in cylindrical pods on either side of the lower fuselage sides, as well as chaff and I/R flares for self-defense.^[1]

An-26RL

(Razvedchik Ledovyy – An arctic surveillance, reconnaissance and monitoring) : An arctic surveillance, reconnaissance and monitoring aircraft used to monitor the icebergs and ice formations at arctic circle fitted with SLAR (Sideways Looking Airborne Radar) in long pods on either side of the lower fuselage, extra fuel in a cargo hold fuel tank, provision for surveyors and radar operators.^[1]

An-26RR

Alternative unit designation of the 'An-26RT' ELINT(ELectronic INTelligence) aircraft.^[1]

An-26RT

"Curl-B": (First use of the designation) A basic designation for a series of ELINT aircraft fitted with a wide range of electro-magnetic surveillance equipment. At least one aircraft, (tactical code '152'), retrofitted with the Tarahn (Ramming Attack) ELINT suite for use in Afghanistan.^[1]

An-26RT

(ReTranslyator – Interpreter -Translator): (Substitute of designation) Battlefield communications relay aircraft, fitted with powerful Inzheer (Fig) radio relay system, for connecting forward units to headquarters units.^[1]

An-26RTR

Alternative unit designation of the 'An-26RT' ELINT aircraft.^[1]

An-26S

(Salon – [VIP] Lounge) : A new VIP Lounge aircraft for the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense delivered about 1997.^[1]

An-26Sh

(Shturmanskiy – Navigator) : Navigator trainer for the VVS, 36 built at Kiev.^[1]

An-50

A proposed jet powered variant of the An-26.

Non-USSR /-Ukrainian versions[link]

An-26M

DDR (Deutsche Demokratische Republik – German Democratic Republic) Air Force NAVAID calibration and flight monitoring, retrofitted from An-26 c/n11402, and transferred to the post-unification Luftwaffe as 52+09.^[1]

An-26SM

DDR ELINT aircraft, retrofitted from An-26 c/n14208.^[1]

An-26ST

DDR special duties aircraft.^[1]

An-26T

DDR unofficial designation for 'An-26's' operated by Transportfliegerstaffel 24 (transport squadron 24).^[1]

An-26Z-1

Czechoslovakian ELINT conversion of c/n12904 for ELINT duties.^[1]

Xian Y-7H

Military transport version. Chinese production version.^[1]

Xian Y-14

Initial designation of the 'AN-26' copy, later changed to 'Y-7H' (Hao – cargo).^[1]

Operators[link]

Military operators[link]

Military An-26 operators.

Ukrainian An-26

Slovak Air Force An-26 at Farnborough Airshow, 2008

An-26 of the Polish Air Force (Operated before 2009, now retired)

An-26 of the Czech Air Force

Source: Aerospace Source Book 2007^[2]

 Afghanistan

• Afghan Air Force – All remaining aircraft retired June 2011.

 Angola

• National Air Force of Angola – 12

 Bangladesh

• Bangladesh Air Force – none; retired

 Belarus

• Belorussian Air Force – 6

 Benin

• Benin Air Force – none; retired

 Bulgaria

• Bulgarian Air Force – 3

 Cambodia

• Royal Cambodian Air Force

 Cape Verde

• Cape Verde Army – 3

 Chad

• Chad Air Force – 1

 China

• 23 Xian Y-7; 4 Xian Y-7-100; includes all types of Y-7 aircraft
  • People's Liberation Army Air Force
  • People's Liberation Army Navy

 Republic of the Congo

• Congolese Air Force – 1

 Cuba

• Cuban Air Force – operated 17, currently 3^[3]

 Czech Republic

• Czech Air Force – operated 4, currently none

 Czechoslovakia

• Czechoslovakian Air Force – none; retired

 Democratic Republic of the Congo

• Democratic Republic of the Congo Air Force – 1

 East Germany

• East German Air Force – none; retired

 Ethiopia

• Ethiopian Air Force – 1

 Germany

• Luftwaffe – none; retired

 Guinea-Bissau

• Guinea-Bissau Air Force – none; retired

 Hungary

• Hungarian Air Force – 5, to be replaced 2012–2015.

 Iraq

• Iraqi Air Force – none; retired

 Kazakhstan

• Kazakh Air Force – 1

 Kyrgyzstan

• Kyrgyz Air Force – 2

 Laos

• Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force – 3

 Libya

• Libyan Air Force – 10

 Lithuania

• Lithuanian Air Force – 3 operated; retired

 Madagascar

• Malagasy Air Force – 4

 Mali

• Air Force of Mali – 2 with 1 in service

 Mongolia

• Mongolian Air Defense Forces Command – 1

 Moldova

• Moldovan Air Force – 1

 Mozambique

• Mozambique Air Force – 5

 Namibia

• Namibian Air Force – 2

 Nicaragua

• Nicaraguan Air Force – 2

 Niger

• Niger Air Force – 1

 Pakistan

• Pakistani Air Force – none; retired

 Peru

• Peruvian Air Force – 22 operated from 1977 to 1993; retired

 Poland

• Polish Air Force – 12 operated from 1972 to January 2009; retired^[4]

 Romania

• Romanian Air Force – 14 operated, currently 4^[5]

 Russia

• Russian Air Force – 49 An-26; 21 An-26B
• Russian Naval Aviation
• Border Guard Service of Russia

 Serbia

• Serbian Air Force – 6

 Slovakia

• Slovak Air Force – 2

 Somalia

• Somali Air Corps – none; retired

 Sudan

• Sudanese Air Force – 10; at least one used as an improvised bomber

 Soviet Union

• Soviet Air Force – Passed on to successor states in 1991
• Soviet Naval Aviation –

 Syria

• Syrian Air Force – 5

 Turkmenistan

• Military of Turkmenistan – 10

 Tanzania

• Tanzanian Air Force – none; retired

 Ukraine

• Ukrainian Naval Aviation – 3
• Ukrainian Air Force – 28

 United States

• United States Air Force – Operated 2003–2007 by the 6th Special Operations Squadron^[6]

 Uzbekistan

• Uzbek Air Force – 13

 Vietnam

• Vietnamese Air Force – 48^[7]

 Yemen

• Yemen Air Force – 26

 Yugoslavia

• Yugoslav Air Force

 Zambia

• Zambian Air Force and Air Defense Command – 4

Civil operators[link]

MIAT Antonov AN-26, used for domestic transportation, at Chinggis Khaan International Airport

In August 2006 267 Antonov AN-26 aircraft remain in airline service. Major operators include: Lao Airlines (6), Syrian Arab Airlines (6), Aerocom (5), ARP 410 Airlines (5), Air Urga (10), Exin (9), RAF-Avia (5), Turkmenistan Airlines (5), Iraero (7), Scorpion Air (6), Yakutia Airlines (5) and Aerogaviota (18). Some 106 other airlines operate smaller numbers of the type.^[8]

 Bulgaria

• Air Sofia
• Heli Air
• Scorpion Air

 Cuba

• Aerogaviota (18)
• Aero Caribbean(3)
• Cubana

 Denmark

• SAS Cargo Group (1)

 Hungary

• Budapest Aircraft Service (4)
• CityLine Hungary (4)

 Latvia

• RAF-Avia (5)

 Laos

• Lao Airlines (6)

 Moldova

• Aerocom (5)

 Mongolia

• Mongolian Airlines MIAT

 Pakistan

• Askari Aviation

 Peru

• Aero Condor (1)
• Amazon Sky (2)
• ATSA (1)
• Cielos Andinos (2)
• Star Peru (1)

 Philippines

• Interisland Airlines
• Mosphil Aero

 Poland

• Exin (6)

 Russia

• Yakutia Airlines (5)

 Sudan

• Feeder Airlines (1)

 Syria

• Syrian Arab Airlines (6)

 Turkmenistan

• Turkmenistan Airlines (5)

 Ukraine

• Air Urga (10)
• ARP 410 Airlines (5)

 Venezuela

• SolarCargo

AN-26 operators within Aeroflot and post break-up Commonwealth of Independent States (data from^[1])

UGA – (Upravleniye Grazhdanskoy Aviatsii – Civil Aviation Directorate)	OAO – (Otdel'nyy Aviaotryad – independent flight detachment)	LO – (Lyvotnyy Otryad – flight squad) / Aviaeskadril'ya – squadrons)	Home Base	CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) Airline
Azerbaijan	Baku	360th / 1st & 3rd squadrons	Baku-Bina	AZAL (no An-26s)
Belorussian	Gomel'	105th / 2nd squadron	Gomel'	Gomel'avia
	1st Minsk	353rd / 2nd Squadron	Minsk-Loshitsa (Minsk-1)	Belavia;Minsk-Avia
Central Regions	Bykovo	61st / 4th Squadron	Moscow-Bykovo	Bykovo Avia
	Kursk		Kursk	Kurskavia
	Tula	294th	Tula	Tula Air Enterprise
East Siberian	Chita	136th / 1st Squadron	Chita	Chita Avia
	Irkutsk	134th	Irkutsk-1	Baikal Airlines
Far Eastern	1st Khabarovsk	289th	Khabarovsk	Dalavia Far East Airlines Khabarovsk
	Kamchatka CAPA / Petropavlovsk		Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy	Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Air Enterprise
	Sakhalin CAPA / Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk UAD	147th	Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk / Khomutvo	Sakhalinskiye Aviatrassy
Komi	Pechora		Pechora	Komiavia;Komiinteravia
Krasnoyarsk	Igarka	251st	Igarka
	2nd Krasnoyarsk	126th	Krasnoyarsk-Severnyy	Kras Air
	Khatanga	221st / 2nd Squadron	Khatanga
Leningrad	2nd Leningrad	70th / 2nd Squadron	Leningrad-Rzhevka	Rzhevka Air Enterprise
	Pskov	320th / 2nd Squadron	Pskov	Pskov Avia
Lithuanian	Vilnius	277th	Vilnius	Lithuanian Airlines
Magadan	Anadyr'	150th / 2nd Squadron	Anadyr'-Ugol'nyy	Chukotavia
	1st Magadan	185th	Magadan-Sokol	Kolyma-Avia
	Seymchan		Seymchan	NW Aerial Forestry Protection Base
Moldavian	Kishinyov	407th	Kishinyov	Air Moldova
North Caucasian	Krasnodar	241st	Krasnodar	ALK Kuban Airlines
	1st Krasnodar	406th	Krasnodar
Tajik	Leninabad[disambiguation needed ]	292nd / 2nd Squadron	Leninabad
Training Establishments Directorate	KVLUGA (Kirovograd Civil Aviation Higher Flying School)		Kirovograd	Ukraine State Flight Academy
Turkmen	Krasnovodsk	360th	Krasnovodsk	Turkmenistan Airlines/Khazar
Tyumen'	Salekhard	234th / 5th Squadron	Salekhard
	2ndTyumen'	357th	Tyumen'-Roschchino	Tyumen'AviaTrans (UTair)
Ukrainian	Dnipropetrovsk	327th	Dnipropetrovsk-Volos'kie	Dniproavia
	Kirovograd		Kirovograd-Khmelyovoye	Air URGA
	Simferopol'	84th	Simferopol'	Aviakompaniya Krym / Crimea AL
Urals	Izhevsk		Izhevsk	Izhavia
	Magnitogorsk		Magnitogorsk	Magnitogorsk Air Enterprise
	1st Perm'		Perm'-Bolshoye Savino	Perm Airlines
	1st Sverdlovsk		Sverdlovsk-Kol'tsovo	Ural Airlines [Yekaterinburg]
Volga	Penza	396th	Penza	Penza Air Enterprise
	Saransk		Saransk	Saransk Air Enterprise
West Siberian	Barnaul	341st	Barnaul	Barnaul Air Enterprise
	Kemerovo	196th	Kemerovo
	Novokuznetsk	184th	Novokuznetsk	Aerokuznetsk
	Omsk	365th	Omsk	Omsk-Avia
	Tolmachevo	448th	Novosibirsk-Tolmachevo	Sibir'
	Tomsk	119th	Tomsk	Tomsk Avia
Yakutian	Kolyma-Indigirka		Cherskiy?
	Mirnyy	190th	Mirnyy	Almazy Rossii – Sakha (Alrosa)
	Yakutsk	139th / 3rd Squadron	Yakutsk
GosNII GVF (Gosudarstvenny Nauchno-Issledovatel'skiy Institut Grazdahnskovo Vozdushnovo Flota – state scientific test institute for civil air fleet)			Moscow - Sheremet'yevo-1

An-26 airplanes in museums[link]

• Poland
  • An-26, tail number "1509" is exhibited in the Polish Aviation Museum in Cracow
  • An-26, tail number "1602" is exhibited in the Polish Army Museum in Warsaw. The inside of the aircraft is open to visitors on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 15 p.m. and on special occasions.

Accidents and incidents[link]

• 1982 Ethiopia. On 14 January 1982, an Ethiopian Air Force An-26 crashed near Addis Ababa, killing 73 Ethiopian, Libyan and Cuban troops.
• 1985 Afghanistan. On 4 September 1985, a Bakhtar Afghan Airlines An-26 was shot down by a SAM near Kandahar, killing all 52 people on board.
• 1986 Mozambique. On 30 March 1986, a Mozambique Air Force An-26 crashed while trying to land at Pemba Airport. All 3 crew and 41 of the 46 passengers were killed.
• 1988 Angola. On 27 April 1988, a Cuban Air Force An-26 was accidentally shot down by Cuban troops stationed at Techamutete, killing all 29 people on board.
• 1988 Pakistan. On 10 December 1988, an Ariana Afghan Airlines An-26 was shot down by the Pakistan Air Force, killing all 25 people on board.
• 1992 Libya. Yasir Arafat's An-26 crashed on 8 April 1992 during a sandstorm. Of the 13 on board, both pilots and an engineer were killed.
• 1999 Nicaragua: On 21 January 1999, a Nicaraguan Air Force An-26 crashed into a mountain near Bluefields Airport, killing all 28 people on board.
• 2003 Democratic Republic of the Congo. On 29 November 2003, a DRC Air Force An-26 crashed during take-off due to a burst tyre, killing 20 of the 24 people on board and 13 people on the ground.
• The 2007 Balad aircraft crash was a 9 January 2007 airplane incident involving an Antonov An-26 airliner, which crashed while attempting to land at the U.S. military base in Balad, Iraq.[3] The crash killed 34 passengers on board and left one critically injured.
• 2007 Democratic Republic of the Congo. On 4 October 2007 an Africa One-operated An-26 crashed into the Kinshasa neighbourhood of Kimbaseke just after takeoff. 21 out of 22 people on board and 28 people on the ground died. Initial reports indicate a lost propeller.
• 2008 Vietnam. On 8 April 2008 an An-26 crashed during a training mission near Hanoi, killing five Vietnamese military pilots.
• 2010 Exin's An-26B registered SP-FDO made an emergency landing on the Lake Ülemiste on 18 March 2010, close to Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport. None of the 6 crew members were injured. Initial reports indicated failure of one of the turboprop power plants.^[9]
• 2010 Exin's ANn26B registered SP-FDP rejected takeoff from Tallinn's runway 08 at high speed when the gear collapsed or retracted during the takeoff roll on 25 August 2010. The airplane skidded to a stop on its belly, no injuries occurred.^[10]
• 2011 Gabon. On 6 June 2011, a Solenta Aviation An-26 freighter flying for DHL Aviation crashed in the sea near Libreville, Gabon. Four people on board were rescued and transported to a local hospital, but were not seriously injured.^[11]

Specifications[link]

Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1988–89^[12]

General characteristics

• Crew: 5 (2 pilots, 1 radio operator, 1 flight engineer, 1 navigator)
• Capacity: 40 passengers
• Payload: 5,500 kg (12,125 lb)
• Length: 23.80 m (78 ft 1 in)
• Wingspan: 29.20 m (95 ft 9½ in)
• Height: 8.58 m (28 ft 1½ in)
• Wing area: 74.98 m² (807 ft²)
• Empty weight: 15,020 kg (33,113 lb)
• Max. takeoff weight: 24,000 kg (52,911 lb)
• Powerplant: 2 × Progress AI-24VT turboprops, 2,103 kW (2,820 ehp) each
• (plus one Tumansky Ru-19-A300 type 7.85 kN (1,795 lb st) thrust small turbojet in the right nacelle which serves as APU and climb rate / high altitude cruise booster)

Performance

• Cruise speed: 440 km/h (237 knots, 273 mph)
• Range: 2,500 km (1,376 nmi, 1,584 mi) with maximum fuel; 1,100 km (594 nmi, 683 mi) with maximum payload
• Service ceiling: 7,500 m (24,600 ft)
• Rate of climb: 8.0 m/s (1,575 ft/min)

See also[link]

	Soviet Union portal
	Ukraine portal
	Aviation portal

Related development

• Antonov AN-24
• Antonov AN-32
• Xian Y7
• Xian MA60
  

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

• Alenia G.222
• Transall C-160
  

Related lists

• List of military aircraft of the Soviet Union and the CIS
• List of military transport aircraft
  

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Antonov An-26

• Pictures of An-26 at Airliners.net
• http://www.antonov.com/about/an-26.xml
• http://www.aeronautics.ru/an26a.jpg
• http://rus.air.ru/airplanes/images/An-26pict.htm
• http://www.transportflieger.eu
• http://www.luroko.de