Antonov An-26

The Antonov An-26 (NATO reporting name: Curl) is a twin-engined turboprop civilian and military transport aircraft, designed and produced in the USSR in 1969–1985.

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.

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 in China by Xian Aircraft Factory as the Y-14, later changed to be included in the Xian Y7 series.

Variants

 * An-26
 * "Curl-A" : Twin-engine tactical transport aircraft.


 * An-26-100
 * Convertible passenger/cargo aircraft modified from 'An-26' aircraft at the Kiev plant from 1999.


 * An-26 Nel'mo
 * (meaning unknown) An arctic surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft retrofitted with the Nel'mo equipment.


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


 * 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.


 * An-26 Sfera
 * (Sphere) A single production aircraft built as laboratory for atmospheric research.


 * 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.


 * An-26 Vita
 * (Life) A single mobile operating room, surgery and intensive care unit ('25 Blue', c/n5406), for the Ukrainian Air Force.


 * An-26A
 * A one-off assault transport prototype with higher performance due to removal of some military equipment.


 * 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.


 * 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.


 * An-26B
 * 'Mobile Hospital' : The prototype 'An-26B' retrofitted as a mobile civilian emergency hospital.


 * 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.


 * An-26B-100
 * Convertible passenger/cargo aircraft modified from 'An-26B' aircraft at the Kiev plant from 1999.


 * An-26BL
 * Alternative designation for the 'An-26L'.


 * An-26BRL
 * Alternative designation of the 'An-26RL' Arctic surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft.


 * 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.


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


 * 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.


 * An-26KPA
 * (Kontrol'no-Poverochnaya Apparatura – Testing and calibration equipment) : A navigation aids inspecting aircraft with comprehensive navigation equipment and calibration equipment.


 * An-26L
 * A single 'An-26', (14 Orange, c/n 00607), used at Sperenberg Airfield near Berlin, for airfield and NAVAID calibration.


 * 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.


 * An-26LP
 * Fire-fighting version, for delivery of field equipment and para-dropping fire-fighters in lieu of water-bombing (any more info?).


 * An-26M Spasatel
 * (rescue worker) Flying hospital with an emergency surgery facility and consultation conference room.


 * An-26P
 * (Protivopozharnyy – fire-fighting) : Aircraft fire engine fighter, retrofitted with water lifting vessels in pods either side of the lower fuselage.


 * An-26P Prozhektor
 * (Projector or Searchlight) A single conversion of an An-26 as a guided missile system airframe.


 * 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.


 * 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.


 * An-26RR
 * Alternative unit designation of the 'An-26RT' ELINT(ELectronic INTelligence) aircraft.


 * 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.


 * 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.


 * An-26RTR
 * Alternative unit designation of the 'An-26RT' ELINT aircraft.


 * An-26S
 * (Salon – [VIP] Lounge) : A new VIP Lounge aircraft for the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense delivered about 1997.


 * An-26Sh
 * (Shturmanskiy – Navigator) : Navigator trainer for the VVS, 36 built at Kiev.


 * An-50
 * A proposed jet powered variant of the An-26.

Non-USSR /-Ukrainian versions

 * An-26SM
 * DDR (Deutsche Demokratische Republik – German Democratic Republic) Air Force "369" NAVAID calibration and flight monitoring, retrofitted from An-26 c/n11402, and transferred to the post-unification Bundesluftwaffe as 52+09.


 * An-26M
 * DDR "373" ELINT aircraft, retrofitted from An-26 c/n14208, and transferred to the post-unification Bundesluftwaffe as 52+10.


 * An-26ST
 * DDR special duties aircraft.


 * An-26T
 * DDR unofficial designation for 'An-26's' operated by Transportfliegerstaffel 24 (transport squadron 24).


 * An-26Z-1
 * Czechoslovakian ELINT conversion of c/n12904 for ELINT duties.


 * Xian Y-7H
 * Military transport version. Chinese production version.


 * Xian Y-14
 * Initial designation of the 'AN-26' copy, later changed to 'Y-7H' (Hao – cargo).

Military operators

 * Source: Aerospace Source Book 2007


 * National Air Force of Angola – 12
 * Belorussian Air Force – 6
 * 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
 * People's Liberation Army Air Force
 * People's Liberation Army Navy
 * Congolese Air Force – 1
 * Cuban Air Force – operated 17, currently 3
 * Democratic Republic of the Congo Air Force – 1
 * Ethiopian Air Force – 1
 * Hungarian Air Force – 5, to be replaced 2012–2015.
 * Kazakh Air Force – 1
 * Kyrgyz Air Force – 2
 * Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force – 3
 * Libyan Air Force – 10
 * Malagasy Air Force – 1
 * undefined
 * Air Force of Mali – 2 with 1 in service
 * Moldovan Air Force – 1
 * Mozambique Air Force – 5
 * Namibian Air Force – 2
 * Nicaraguan Air Force – 2
 * Niger Air Force – 1
 * Romanian Air Force – 14 operated, currently 4
 * Russian Air Force – 49 An-26; 21 An-26B
 * Russian Naval Aviation
 * Border Guard Service of Russia
 * Serbian Air Force – 8
 * Slovak Air Force – 2
 * Sudanese Air Force – 10; at least one used as an improvised bomber
 * Syrian Air Force – 5
 * Military of Turkmenistan – 10
 * Ukrainian Naval Aviation – 3
 * Ukrainian Air Force – 28
 * Uzbek Air Force – 13
 * Vietnamese Air Force – 48
 * Yemen Air Force – 26
 * Zambian Air Force and Air Defense Command – 4
 * Namibian Air Force – 2
 * Nicaraguan Air Force – 2
 * Niger Air Force – 1
 * Romanian Air Force – 14 operated, currently 4
 * Russian Air Force – 49 An-26; 21 An-26B
 * Russian Naval Aviation
 * Border Guard Service of Russia
 * Serbian Air Force – 8
 * Slovak Air Force – 2
 * Sudanese Air Force – 10; at least one used as an improvised bomber
 * Syrian Air Force – 5
 * Military of Turkmenistan – 10
 * Ukrainian Naval Aviation – 3
 * Ukrainian Air Force – 28
 * Uzbek Air Force – 13
 * Vietnamese Air Force – 48
 * Yemen Air Force – 26
 * Zambian Air Force and Air Defense Command – 4
 * Syrian Air Force – 5
 * Military of Turkmenistan – 10
 * Ukrainian Naval Aviation – 3
 * Ukrainian Air Force – 28
 * Uzbek Air Force – 13
 * Vietnamese Air Force – 48
 * Yemen Air Force – 26
 * Zambian Air Force and Air Defense Command – 4
 * Uzbek Air Force – 13
 * Vietnamese Air Force – 48
 * Yemen Air Force – 26
 * Zambian Air Force and Air Defense Command – 4
 * Yemen Air Force – 26
 * Zambian Air Force and Air Defense Command – 4
 * Zambian Air Force and Air Defense Command – 4

Former Military operators

 * Afghan Air Force – All remaining aircraft retired June 2011.
 * Bangladesh Air Force
 * Benin Air Force
 * 🇰🇭 Cambodia
 * Royal Cambodian Air Force
 * Benin Air Force
 * 🇰🇭 Cambodia
 * Royal Cambodian Air Force
 * Czechoslovakian Air Force
 * East German Air Force
 * Luftwaffe
 * Guinea-Bissau Air Force
 * Iraqi Air Force
 * Mongolian Air Defense Forces Command – 4
 * Guinea-Bissau Air Force
 * Iraqi Air Force
 * Mongolian Air Defense Forces Command – 4
 * Iraqi Air Force
 * Mongolian Air Defense Forces Command – 4
 * Mongolian Air Defense Forces Command – 4
 * Lithuanian Air Force – 3 operated
 * Pakistani Air Force
 * Peruvian Air Force – 22 operated from 1977 to 1993
 * Pakistani Air Force
 * Peruvian Air Force – 22 operated from 1977 to 1993
 * Peruvian Air Force – 22 operated from 1977 to 1993
 * Polish Air Force – 12 operated from 1972 to January 2009; retired
 * Somali Air Corps
 * Soviet Air Force – Passed on to successor states in 1991
 * Soviet Naval Aviation –
 * Tanzanian Air Force – none; retired
 * United States Air Force – Operated 2003–2007 by the 6th Special Operations Squadron
 * Yugoslav Air Force – 14
 * Tanzanian Air Force – none; retired
 * United States Air Force – Operated 2003–2007 by the 6th Special Operations Squadron
 * Yugoslav Air Force – 14
 * United States Air Force – Operated 2003–2007 by the 6th Special Operations Squadron
 * Yugoslav Air Force – 14
 * Yugoslav Air Force – 14

Civil operators


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.


 * Genex (2)
 * Air Sofia
 * Heli Air
 * Scorpion Air
 * Sadelca (1)
 * Servicio Aéreo del Vaupés SELVA (3)
 * Aerogaviota (18)
 * Aero Caribbean(3)
 * Cubana
 * SAS Cargo Group (1)
 * Budapest Aircraft Service (4)
 * CityLine Hungary (4)
 * 🇱🇻 Latvia
 * RAF-Avia (5)
 * Laos
 * Lao Airlines (6)
 * Aerocom (1) until 2004
 * 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)
 * Feeder Airlines (1)
 * Syrian Arab Airlines (6)
 * 🇹🇯 Tajikistan
 * Tajik Air (1)
 * 🇹🇲 Turkmenistan
 * Turkmenistan Airlines (5)
 * Air Urga (10)
 * ARP 410 Airlines (5)
 * SolarCargo
 * Exin (6)
 * Yakutia Airlines (5)
 * Feeder Airlines (1)
 * Syrian Arab Airlines (6)
 * 🇹🇯 Tajikistan
 * Tajik Air (1)
 * 🇹🇲 Turkmenistan
 * Turkmenistan Airlines (5)
 * Air Urga (10)
 * ARP 410 Airlines (5)
 * SolarCargo
 * Turkmenistan Airlines (5)
 * Air Urga (10)
 * ARP 410 Airlines (5)
 * SolarCargo
 * SolarCargo
 * SolarCargo

An-26 airplanes in museums

 * Poland
 * An-26, tail number "1509" is exhibited in the Polish Aviation Museum in Kraków
 * 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.
 * Germany
 * An-26, tail number "52+04", former East German "375", is exhibited at Technikmuseum Speyer
 * An-26, tail number "52+05", former East German "376" is exhibited at Schwäbisches Bauern- und Technik-Museum, Eschach-Seifertshofen
 * An-26, tail number "52+08", former East German "368" is exhibited at Flugausstellung Hermeskeil
 * An-26SM, tail number "52+09", former East German "369", is exhibited at Militärhistorisches Museum Flugplatz Berlin-Gatow

Accidents and incidents

 * 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 Germany. On 27 February, a German Air Force An-26 "52+10" crashed after a hard landing. None of the crew members were injured.
 * 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 after getting too low on approach and striking a tree 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.
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * 2012 Sudan. On 19 August 2012, an An-26-100 flying for Alfa Airlines crashed on its second approach to the Talodi airfield in South Kordofan, Sudan. All 26 passengers on board and six crew members died.