Antonov An-26 - Variants

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 ) 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) ) : 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 – 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.