The Sukhoi Su-26 is a Soviet-era lightweight, aerobatic racer powered through a single, nose-mounted engine and piloted by a sole crew member. The design appeared through a first-flight in June of 1984 and has been in actively utilized ever since. Related developments include the Sukhoi Su-29 and Su-31 platforms revealed in 1991 and 1992, respectively.
The Su-26 relies on elegant, aerodynamically-efficient streamlining of its airframe, seating the pilot over midships under a large-area windscreen. The nose is long, restricting forward vision from the cockpit and the mainplanes also reduce visibility to the forward-sides of the aircraft. These members are straight in their general shaping with clipped tips and positioned slightly ahead of midships. The dorsal spine is raised and the entire fuselage tapers towards the short tail section which is capped by a single vertical fin and seats a pair of low-mounted horizontal planes. The "tail-dragger" undercarriage (with arced, titanium-based main legs) is of a simple lightweight design and remains fixed during flight - further reducing complexity and maintenance commitments.
The aircraft is powered by a single Vedeneyev M14P series 9-cylinder, air-cooled radial piston engine developing 360 horsepower and driving a three-bladed constant-speed propeller unit at the nose. Coupled with its streamlined design, this gives the aircraft a maximum speed of 280 miles-per-hour, a range out to 500 miles, and a service ceiling up to 13,000 feet. Cruising speeds are closer to 185 mph. Rate-of-climb is 3,500 feet-per-minute.
Since its inception, the Su-26 has been something of a showstopper with its exceptional performances. It claimed the 1986 World Aerobatics Championships in both men's and women's team categories and also finished first in the 2004 European Championships as well as the 2003 and 2005 Aerobatic World Championships.
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(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
Length
22.3 ft (6.80 m)
Width/Span
25.6 ft (7.80 m)
Height
9.5 ft (2.89 m)
Empty Wgt
1,543 lb (700 kg)
MTOW
1,742 lb (790 kg)
Wgt Diff
+198 lb (+90 kg)
(Showcased structural values pertain to the base Sukhoi Su-26 production variant)
monoplane / low-mounted / straight, tapered
Monoplane
Design utilizes a single primary wing mainplane; this represent the most popular mainplane arrangement.
Low-Mounted
Mainplanes are low-mounted along the sides of the fuselage.
Straight
The planform involves use of basic, straight mainplane members.
Straight, Tapered
The planform uses straight mainplane members which taper towards the wing tips.
(Structural descriptors pertain to the base Sukhoi Su-26 production variant)
Installed:
1 x Vedeneyev M14P 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine developing 360 horsepower and driving a three-bladed propeller unit at the nose.
(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base Sukhoi Su-26 production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)
None.
Supported Types
(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)
Su-26 - Base Series Designation; original form with two-bladed propeller unit; four airframes completed.
Su-26M - Modified model with three-bladed MTV-9 series composite propeller unit; revised tail surfaces for improved control.
Su-26M3 - Fitted with M9F engine of 430 horsepower.
Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods.
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Russia; Soviet Union
