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AN-26

LIGHT TRANSPORT AIRPLANE

First flight 1969

The An-26 light transport airplane was designed on the basis of the Аn-24RТ airplane and differs from the latter in the extended fuselage tail section with a large cargo door and pressure ramp. The original design of the ramp door, which slides under the fuselage or lowers down to the ground, ensures quick loading and unloading operations, transportation of large-size cargoes and equipment as well as convenience for parachute dropping of cargoes and people. The ramp design has been patented in eight countries including the USA, France and England. The An-26 was serially manufactured at the aviation plant in Kyiv. A total of 1,398 airplanes were built from 1969 to 1986.

Characteristics

Main characteristics

Length (m) 23.8
Height (m) 8.58
Wing span (m) 29.20
Wing area (m) 74.98

Flight characteristics

Cruise speed (km/h) 440
Operational range (km) 1100
Operational ceiling (m) 9000
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Chronology

On March 12, 1968 joint resolution is signed by the Ministry of Aviation Industry and the Air Force concerning development of the An-26 airplane.
On May 21, 1969 the crew including Y.N. Ketov (pilot in command), B.А. Bogdanov (co-pilot), Y.P. Kravchenko (navigator), M.A. Tupchiyenko (radio operator), P.D. Ignatenko (flight engineer) and V.L. Lynovskiy (engineer/experiment operator) first flew the AN-26.
On August 29, 1969 the first production AN-26 airplane was rolled out of the assembly shop.
In 1972 seven AN-26 airplanes entered service with the 1st Squadron of the 13th Air Transport Regiment based in Krakow (Poland).
In 1974–1984 the Hungarian Air Force received 10 AN-26 airplanes, the Romanian Air Force – 14, and the Czechoslovak Air Force – 6.
In 1976–1984 Angola received 24 AN-26 airplanes.
In 1980–1985 twelve АN-26 airplanes of various modifications arrived at the 24th Air Transport Squadron of the GDR Air Force stationed at the Dresden-Klotzsche airport.
In 1981 the first four airplanes arrived in Cuba. They were delivered to the Island of Freedom by ship.
In 1984 the Bulgarian Air Force received 5 AN-26 airplanes.

AN AIRCRAFTS

Advanced ideas and technologies are in great demand in our dynamic times. Саме з таким продуктом виступає на світовому ринку АТ «АНТОНОВ». Our company is now one of the few enterprises, running the complete development cycle of advanced aircraft — from preliminary design to construction, testing, certification, production and integrated logistic support.