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 VTA (voyenno-transportnoy aviatsii).
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.
Operational history
The An-26 has a secondary bomber role with underwing bomb racks. In the bombing role it was extensively used by the Sudanese Air Force during the Second Sudanese Civil War and the War in Darfur. Also Russian Forces train with the An-26 as a bomber.
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
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
One aircraft modified for NAVAID calibration and flight monitoring for the East German Air Force and transferred to the post-unification German Air Force.
An-26M
One aircraft modified for as an ELINT aircraft for the East German Air Force and transferred to the post-unification German Air Force.
An-26ST
East German special duties aircraft.
An-26T
Unofficial East German designation for 'An-26's' operated by Transportfliegerstaffel 24 (transport squadron 24).
An-26Z-1
Czechoslovakian ELINT conversion of one aircraft 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).
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.
1992 Germany. On 27 February, a German Air Force An-26 "52+10" crashed after a hard landing. None of the crew members was 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.
1995 Angola. On 16 January an Angolan Air Force An-26 was downed by rebel forces in the north of the country, killing all six occupants.
1995 December India. On 17 December, terrorist Kim Davy alias Niels Holck from Denmark dropped several tonnes of lethal weapons, ammunition, explosives and triggers by An-26 in Purulia district of West Bengal State of India. The plane was forced to land in Bombay, where his accomplices were arrested.
1997 Gogrial: Sudan Air Force Antonov An-26-100 crash-landed in 1997 at the airstrip of Gogrial Airport
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.
2005 Democratic Republic of the Congo. On 5 September, an An-26B operating on a non-scheduled passenger flight for Kavatshi Airlines struck a tree and crashed on approach to Isiro Airport in Matari, killing all 11 people on board.
2005 Republic of the Congo. On 9 September, an An-26B operating on a non-scheduled passenger flight for Air Kasai crashed 50 km (31 miles) north of Brazzaville, killing all 13 people on board.
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 was 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.
2014 Tunisia. On 21 February 2014, a Libyan military An-26, used for medical transportation, crashed in a farm near Grombalia, 60 km short of Tunis-Carthage Airport, after one of its engines caught fire. The accident resulted in the death of all its 11 passengers: 6 crew members, 2 doctors and 3 patients.
2014 Ukraine. On 14 July 2014, a Ukrainian military An-26 transport aircraft flying at 21,000 feet (6,400 m) was shot down. (confirmed to be shot using Buk missile system). U.S. officials would later say evidence suggested the aircraft had been fired on from inside Russian territory
2015 Syria. On 18 January 2015, a An-26 operated by the Syrian Air Force crashed while attempting to land at the besieged Abu al-Duhur military airport in Idlib Governorate, Syria.
2016 Bangladesh. On 9 March 2016, a True Aviation An-26 freighter crashed into the waters of the Bay of Bengal near Cox's Bazar while attempting to return to Cox's Bazar Airport following an engine failure.
2016 Sudan. On 30 April 2016, an An 26 of the Sudan Air Force crashed during a landing attempt at Al-Ubayyid. All five crew members died .
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 3 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
