Editing Antonov An-26 (section)

==Development==
While the [[Antonov An-24|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.<ref name="Gordon An-24p2741">{{harvnb|Gordon|Komissarov|Komissarov|2003|pp=27, 41}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Gordon An-24p412">{{harvnb|Gordon|Komissarov|Komissarov|2003|pp=41–42}}</ref> Particular attention was given to the military mission, and the majority of early An-26 production was delivered to the [[Military Transport Aviation|VTA (voyenno-transportnaya aviatsiya)]].<ref name = "Gordon An-24"/>

Using the majority of the An-24 airframe, it has high-set cantilevered wings, wing-mounted twin 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 seat|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.<ref name="Taylor1974">{{cite book |last= Taylor|first= John W.R.|author-link= John W. R. Taylor|date= 1974|title= Jane's Pocket Book of Military Transport and Training Aircraft|location= New York|publisher= Collier Books|page= 33}}</ref>

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.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

The An-26 is also manufactured without a license agreement<ref name = "Gordon An-24p58"/> in China by the Xian Aircraft factory as the '''Y-14''', later changed to be included in the [[Xian Y7]] series.<ref name = "Gordon An-24p58"/>

===Total production===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: right; font-size: 96%;"
|-
!Total Production<ref>{{cite web |url=http://russianplanes.net/planelist/Antonov/An-26 |title=Антонов Ан-26|access-date=1 November 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151023001156/http://russianplanes.net/planelist/Antonov/An-26 |archive-date=23 October 2015  }}</ref>!! 1986 !! 1985 !! 1984 !! 1983 !! 1982 !! 1981 !! 1980 !! 1979 !! 1978 !! 1977 !! 1976 !! 1975 !! 1974 !! 1973 !! 1972 !! 1971 !! 1970 !! 1969
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||'''1159'''||1||53||33||54||77||86||125||149||130||103||99||77||62||35||36||21||14||4
|}