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| Antonov An-26 Curl |
Militarymedia.net - First seen in 1969, the Antonov An-26 Curl-A was the standard Soviet short-range tactical transport during the second half of the Cold War. Developed from the earlier An-24 design, it was the first Soviet military transport aircraft to have a fully pressurized cargo hold. Production ended in 1985 after about 1,410 An-26s had been built, mostly for military operators. This type is still widely used.
A small number of An-26s were converted as Elint/Sigint/electronic warfare platforms An-26RTR Curl-B and have multiple blade antennas above and below the cab. Painted as standard transport and often operating from the same base, these aircraft are still in service with the Russian air force. The former East German special duty An-26 aircraft was named the An-26ST. Similarly a modified An-26 aircraft is also in Czech service.
An extraordinarily active combat role was played by the An-26 in Angola and Mozambique, where bomb racks under the fuselage were installed for the counter-insurgency role. Some An-26s, particularly those used in Afghanistan, also carry a pylon-mounted chaff/flare dispenser. A fire fighting version of the An-26 has also been developed as the An-26P, with tanks along the fuselage under the wings. Two other special purpose types made for conversion are the An-26BRL for ice properties research, and the navaid calibration type An-26L.
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| Antonov An-26 |
Two main variants have been developed from the An-26. The An-30 Clank has a redesigned nose piece with wide mirrors. Serving in specialized photography and surveying roles, it was only built in small numbers.
The An-32 (Western Designation - Cline) replaced the An-26 in production from 1977. It featured an lvcyenko Al-20D Series 5 turboprop rated at 5 043 hp each. This engine is mounted above the wing to provide greater clearance for larger diameter propellers. The Indian Air Force operates the An-32 under the local name Sutlej.
