The Antonov An-26 (NATO reporting name: Curl, nicknamed Nastia in the USSR) is a twin-engined turboprop regional airliner and military transport aircraft, designed and produced in the Soviet Union from 1969 to 1986.Gordon, Yefim. Komissarov, Dmitry & Sergey. "Antonov's Turboprop Twins". Hinkley. Midland. 2003. It is the third member of the Antonov An-24 family, coming after the An-24 and An-30, while preceding the An-32 and cancelled An-132. The An-26 is still license-produced in China as the modern version of the Xi'an Y-7. Early versions of the Y-7 utilized the An-24 design.
Development While the An-24T tactical transport had proved successful in supporting Soviet troops in austere locations, its ventral loading hatch restricted the handling of cargo, and in particular vehicles, and made it less effective than hoped in parachuting men and supplies. As a result, interest in a version with a retractable cargo ramp increased, and the Antonov design bureau decided in 1966 to begin development on the new An-26 derivative, in advance of an official order. The cargo ramp was based on that design and allowed the cargo deck to be sealed and pressurised in flight. When loading cargo, it could either be lowered to allow vehicles to be driven in, or slid beneath the aircraft's fuselage, so that cargo could be loaded straight in off a truck bed. In March 1968, the OKB received official permission to begin development. Particular attention was given to the military mission, and the majority of early An-26 production was delivered to the VTA (voyenno-transportnaya aviatsiya).
Using the majority of the An-24 airframe, it has high-set cantilevered wings, wing-mounted twin Ivchenko AI-24 turboprops with a turbojet engine in the starboard nacelle for use as an auxiliary power unit and also for extra take-off thrust, plus long main undercarriage legs. The An-26 includes military equipment, such as tip-up paratroop canvas seats, an overhead traveling hoist, bulged observation windows and parachute static line attachment cables. It can be configured in 20–30 minutes from the troop transport or freight mission to the medical evacuation role with up to 24 stretchers fitted.
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 the Xian Aircraft factory as the Y-14, later changed to be included in the Xi'an Y-7 series.
Total production Total production 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 19691,15915333547786125149130103997762353621144
Operational history The An-26 has a secondary bomber role with underwing bomb racks. The racks are attached to the fuselage in front of and behind the rear landing gear. In the bombing role it was extensively used by the Vietnam People's Air Force during the Cambodian–Vietnamese War (by modifying the cargo bay with a bomb release system, allowing captured South Vietnamese Mark 82 bombs to roll out of the cargo bay) and Sudanese Air Force during the Second Sudanese Civil War and the War in Darfur. Russian Forces have also trained with the An-26 as a bomber. In 1977, the Afghan Air Force received the An-26 aircraft and in 1986, they had 36 of them which were used for airborne assaults conducted by the Afghan Army's commando and parachute battalions and two military transport squadrons.
One An-26 was involved in the Purulia Incident in 1995 in which arms were dropped in the Purulia district of West Bengal, India. The reason behind the drop is not disclosed to the public due to national security.
Variants
An-26 "Curl-A" : Twin-engine tactical transport aircraft. An-26-100 Convertible passenger/cargo aircraft modified from An-26 aircraft at the Kyiv plant from 1999. An-26 Nel'mo An arctic surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft retrofitted with 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 for 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 a laboratory for atmospheric research. An-26 Shtabnoy ("Shtab" = "Headquarters") some An-26s delivered to the Soviet and DDR air forces for use as staff transports/mobile command posts.
("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 (Avtomatizirovannaya sistema lyotnogo kontrolya – automated flight control and monitoring system) : A modern flight control and monitoring system equipped with automatic calibration and navigation systems. Recognizable by the distinctive pod low on the forward fuselage side. An-26B A civil cargo version equipped with ramps 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 powerplants to deliver higher thrust. An-26B 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 Kyiv 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 Firefighting version. At least 9 converted. An-26M Spasatel ("Rescuer") Flying hospital with an emergency surgery facility. Two converted. An-26P (Protivopozharnyy – firefighting) : Aircraft fire-bomber, retrofitted with water tanks in pods on either side of the lower fuselage, which could be substituted for dispensers for silver iodide flares for rainmaking. At least 5 converted. An-26P Prozhektor ("Projector" or "Searchlight") A single conversion of an An-26 as a guided missile system airframe. An-26REP (Rahdioelektronnoye protivodeystviye – ECM (Electronic Counter-Measures) ) : Electronic countermeasures 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. One built but did not enter service. 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 electromagnetic 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. 42 built. 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 Kyiv.
Non-USSR /-Ukrainian versions
An-26SM One aircraft modified as an ELINT aircraft for the East German Air Force. An-26M 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-26ST East German designation for An-26s used as staff transports. An-26T Unofficial East German designation for An-26s operated by Transportfliegerstaffel 24 (transport squadron 24). An-26Z-1 Czechoslovak 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).
Operators
Military operators
National Air Force of Angola – 22 An-26s bought between 1976 and 1987. One aircraft still operational as of December 2021.
Belarusian Air Force – three operated December 2016.
Cape Verde Army – 3
Chad Air Force – three in service December 2016.
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
Cuban Air Force – operated 17, two in service December 2016.
Democratic Republic of the Congo Air Force – three in service as of 2021.
Ethiopian Air Force – one
Ivory Coast Air Force – two in service as of 2021.
Kazakh Air Force – five An-24 or An-26 in service December 2015.; Received one refurbished An-26 from Ukraine on 3 November 2017.
Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force – one in service December 2016.
Libyan Air Force – two An-24/An-26 as of December 2016.
Moldovan Air Force – one as of December 2016.
Mozambique Air Force – one as of December 2016.
Namibian Air Force – one as of December 2016.
Nicaraguan Air Force – four as of February 2018. Three were donated by Russia in February 2025.
Puntland Maritime Police Force – oneMartin, Guy and David C. Isby. "Thrushes Operated by Puntland". Air International, May 2014. Vol. 86, No. 5. p. 25.
Romanian Air Force – one as of 2023
Russian Aerospace Forces – 104 as of December 2016. Russian Naval Aviation Border Guard Service of Russia
Serbian Air Force – one
Sudanese Air Force – six as of December 2016; at least one has been used as an improvised bomber
Military of Turkmenistan – one
Ukrainian Naval Aviation – two as of December 2016 in the service of 10th Naval Aviation Brigade Ukrainian Air Force – around 22 as of 2017 Ukrainian Air Guard
Uzbek Air Force – four as of December 2016