Antonov An-26
| An-26 | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| An-26 of the Romanian Air Force | |
| Role | Light Transport aircraft |
| National origin | Soviet Union (Ukraine) |
| Manufacturer | Antonov |
| First flight | 21 May 1969[1] |
| Status | Operational |
| Primary users | Soviet Air Force Many others |
| Number built | 1,403 |
| Developed from | Antonov An-24[1] |
| Variants | Antonov An-32[1] Xian MA60[1] |
The Antonov An-26 (NATO reporting name: Curl) is a twin-engined light turboprop military transport aircraft, designed and produced in the USSR from 12 March 1968.[1]
Contents |
Development
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].
Versions
- AN-26 "Curl-A" : Twin-engine tactical transport aircraft.[1]
- AN-26-100 and AN-26B-100 : Convertible passenger/cargo aircraft modified from 'AN-26' / 'AN-26B' 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 Kontolya - 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 trust.[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-26BL : Alternative designation for the 'AN-26L'.[1]
- AN-26BRL : Alternative designation of the 'AN-26RL' Arctic surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft.[1]
- AN-26D (Dahl'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 Apparatoora - 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 Oborny - 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 (RahdioElektronnoye 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-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 (Shtoormanskiy - Navigator) : Navigator trainer for the VVS, 36 built at Kiev.[1]
Non-USSR /-Ukrainian versions
- AN-26M : DDR (Deutsche Demokratische Republik - German Democratic Republic) air Force NAVAID calibration and flight monitoring, retroffited 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]
Owners and Operators
Military operations
Military An-26 operators.
Ukrainian An-26
Slovak Air Force An-26 at Farnborough Airshow, 2008
A Serbian An-26B aircraft
An-26 of the Polish Air Force
Yugoslav Air Force An-26
An-26 of the Czech Air Force
ANA Air Corps An-26 (foreground) and Mi-17 (background)
- Source: Aerospace Source Book 2007[2]
- Afghan Air Force - (1975 to present) 2; 20+ historically
- Angolan Air Force - 12
- Has several aircraft modified with underwing hardpoints to allow the carriage of bombs for a COIN role
- Bangladesh Air Force - none; retired
- Belorussian Air Force - 6
- Benin Air Force - none
- Bulgarian Air Force - 3
- Cape Verde Army - 3
- Chad Air Force - 1
- 23 Xian Y-7; 4 Xian Y-7-100; includes all types of Y-7 aircraft
- Congolese Air Force - 1
- Cuban Air Force - (3) of 17
One example, of the FAR (Fuerza Aérea Revolucionaria), is displayed at the Museo del Aire (Cuba)[3]
- Czech Air Force - 4
- Czechoslovakian Air Force - none; retired
- Democratic Republic of the Congo Air Force - 1
- East German Air Force - none; retired
- Ethiopian Air Force - 1
- Luftwaffe - none; retired
- Guinea-Bissau Air Force - none; retired
- Hungarian Air Force - 4, to be replaced 2010-2012.
- Iraqi Air Force - none; retired
- Kazakh Air Force - 1
- Kyrgyz Air Force - 2
- Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force - 3
- Libyan Air Force - 10
- Lithuanian Air Force - 3; 2 to remain in service until 2009.
- Malagasy Air Force - 4
- Mali Air Force - 1
- Mongolian Air Defense Forces Command - 1
- Moldovan Air Force - 1
- Mozambique Air Force - 5
- Namibian Air Force - 2
- Nicaraguan Air Force - 2
- Niger Air Force - 1
- Pakistani Air Force - none; retired
- Peruvian Air Force - 22 operated from 1977 to 1993 (2 lost in accidents, and the rest withdrawn and replaced by An-32)
- Polish Air Force - 12 operated from 1972 to January 2009[4]
- Romanian Air Force - 4 still operational (15 total acquired)
- Russian Air Force - 9 An-26; 21 An-26B
- Russian Naval Aviation
- Border Guard Service of Russia
- Serbian Air Force - 8
- Slovak Air Force - 2
- Somali Air Corps
- Soviet Air Force - Passed on to successor states in 1991
- Soviet Naval Aviation -
- Syrian Air Force - 5
- Military of Turkmenistan - 10 in service
- Tanzanian Air Force - none
- United States Air Force - Used by the 6th Special Operations Squadron
- Ukrainian Naval Aviation - 3
- Ukrainian Air Force - 28
- Uzbek Air Force - 13
- Vietnamese Air Force - 48 [5]
- Yemen Air Force - 26
- Yugoslav Air Force
- Zambian Air Force and Air Defense Command - 4
Civil Aviation
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.[6]
- Air Sofia
- Heli Air
- Scorpion Air
- Aerogaviota (18)
- Aero Caribbean(3)
- SAS Cargo Group (1)
- Cityline Hungary (4)
- RAF-Avia (5)
- Lao Airlines (6)
- Aerocom (5)
- Mongolian Airlines MIAT
- Askari Aviation
- Aero Condor (1)
- Amazon Sky (2)
- ATSA (1)
- Cielos Andinos (2)
- Star Peru (1)
- Interisland Airlines
- Mosphil Aero
- Exin (6)
- Yakutia Airlines (5)
- Syrian Arab Airlines (6)
- Turkmenistan Airlines (5)
- Air Urga (10)
- ARP 410 Airlines (5)
- SolarCargo
align=left|
| UGA - (Oopravleniye Grazhdahnskoy Aviahtsii - 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 |
| Kamchatkat CAPA / Petropavlovsk | Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy | Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy 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 / (1st Squadron?) | Vilnius | Lithuanian Airlines |
| Magadan | Anadyr' | 150th / 2nd Squadron | Anadyr'-Oogol'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 |
| 1stKrasnodar | 406th | Krasnodar | ||
| Tajik | Leninabad | 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 | Dnepropetrovsk | 327th | Dnepropetrovsk-Volos'kie | Dniproavia |
| Kirovograd | Kirovograd-Khmelyovoye | Air URGA | ||
| Simferopol' | 84th | Simferopol' | Aviakomaniya 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 | |
| Tolmachovo | 448th | Novosibirsk-Tolmachovo | Sibir' | |
| Tomsk | 119trh | Tomsk | Tomsk Avia | |
| Yakutian | Kolyma-Indigirka | Cherskiy? | ||
| Mirnyy | 190th | Mirnyy | Almazy Rossii – Sakha (Alrosa) | |
| Yakutsk | 139th / 3rd Squadron | Yakutsk | ||
| GosNII GVF (Gosoodarstvenny Naoochno-Issledovatel'skiy Institoot Grazdahnskovo Vozdooshnovo Flota - state scientific test institute for civil air fleet) | Moscow - Sheremet'yevo-1 |
Accidents and incidents
- 1992 Libya. Yasir Arafat's AN-26 crashed on April 8, 1992 during a sandstorm. Of the 13 on board, two pilots and an engineer were killed.
- 2007 Kinshasa, DRC crash. On October 4, 2007 an Africa One-operated AN-26 crashed into the Kinshasa neighbourhood of Kimbaseke just after takeoff. Twenty-five out 27 people on board died. Initial reports indicate a lost propeller.
- 2007 Balad aircraft crash was a January 9, 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 aboard and left one critically injured.
- 2008 Hanoi military plane crash was a 8 April 2008 incident during a training mission, killing five Vietnamese military pilots.
- 2010 Exin's AN-26B registered SP-FDO made an emergency landing on the Lake Ülemiste on March 18, 2010, close to Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport. None of the 6 people crew members was injured. Initial reports indicated failure of one of the turboprop power plants.[7]
Specifications - AN-26
Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1988-89 [8]
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: 2,550 km ; 900 to 1100 (1,376 nm, 1,584 mi, 485 nm, 595 nm) (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
Related development
- Antonov AN-24
- Antonov AN-32
- Xian Y7
- Xian MA60
Comparable aircraft
- Alenia G.222
- C-27J Spartan
- Transall C-160
Related lists
- List of cargo aircraft
- List of military aircraft of the Soviet Union and the CIS
- List of military transport aircraft
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 1.26 1.27 1.28 1.29 1.30 1.31 1.32 1.33 1.34 1.35 1.36 1.37 1.38 1.39 1.40 1.41 1.42 1.43 1.44 1.45 1.46 1.47 1.48 Gordon, Yefim. Komissarov, Dmitry & Sergey. “Antonov's Turboprop Twins”. Hinkley. Midland. 2003. ISBN 978-1-85780-153-8
- ↑ "Aerospace Source Book 2007", Aviation Week & Space Technology, January 15, 2007.
- ↑ Ogden (2008)
- ↑ (Polish) D. Sałata, K. Sałata, A. Wrona, Pożegnanie Ana-26 (Goodbye to An-26) in: Skrzydlata Polska 2/2009, p.28
- ↑ ABC news story 2008-04-08
- ↑ Flight International, 3-9 October 2006
- ↑ Globalfligt news article 2010-03-18
- ↑ Taylor (1988), pp. 222—223.
- Chant, Christopher. Commercial Aircraft and Airline Markings
- Ogden, Bob (2008). Aviation Museums and Collections of The Rest of the World. UK: Air-Britain. ISBN 978-0-85130-394-9
- Taylor, John W.R. 1988. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1988-89. Jane's Defence Data. ISBN 978-0-7106-0867-3.
- Gordon, Yefim. Komissarov, Dmitry & Sergey. “Antonov's Turboprop Twins”. Hinkley. Midland. 2003. ISBN 978-1-85780-153-8
External links
Pictures of AN 26
- http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?aircraft_genericsearch=Antonov%20An-26&distinct_entry=true
- 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
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