Fairchild C-26 Metroliner

The Fairchild C-26 "Metroliner" is the designation for the Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner series twin turboprop aircraft in the service of the United States military. It was not officially named by the US Armed Forces,[1] but is unofficially known by the same name as its civilian counterpart.[2] The C-26A is the military version of the Model SA227-AC Metro III; the C-26B is the military version of the Model SA227-BC Metro III and Model SA227-DC Metro 23; and UC-26C is the military designation for the Model SA227-AT Merlin IVC.

C-26 "Metroliner"
RC-26B aircraft of the Florida Air National Guard
Role Military transport aircraft
Manufacturer Fairchild Aircraft
Status Active, not in production
Primary users United States Air Force
United States Army
United States Navy
Developed from Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner

Design and development

The United States Air Force bought eleven C-26A aircraft based on the SA227-AC,[3][4] two of these being supplied to the Venezuelan Air Force.[5][6] The first three C-26Bs were procured later in the 1980s, two for the US Army and one for the USAF. These three had been built as SA227-BC models. Later C-26Bs were the military equivalent of the Metro 23 and the USAF took delivery of 37 examples. Some of these were transferred to the Peruvian Air Force and the US Army, while six were transferred to the US Navy as C-26Ds.[4][7][8] The US Army also took a second-hand Merlin IVC and operated it as the solitary UC-26C.[9]

The Multi Mission Surveillance Aircraft in Australia, early 1990s
An RC-26B sits at Jacksonville ANG Base in February 2005.
A Texas ANG RC-26B provided photographs of the flood damage in New Orleans, Louisiana in September 2005

A Metro III, c/n AC-614, was modified as the Fairchild Aircraft/Lockheed Multi Mission Surveillance Aircraft, featuring a Lockheed phased array radar in a long pod under the fuselage.[10] Several aspects of the MMSA aircraft were incorporated on some USAF C-26s redesignated as the RC-26B, operated by the Air National Guard (ANG) in various states. These aircraft have been primarily used for Department of Defense reconnaissance mission support to various agencies of the Department of Homeland Security such as the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in the War on Drugs, and to USCG and/or the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the wake of natural disasters.[11] The RC-26B aircraft were originally configured with a belly pod containing a sensor turret and a data recorder.[12] Recently, this pod has been removed and a sensor turret has been added to the belly of the aircraft.[13] Some of the RC-26Bs were operated for a time with civil registrations.[14][15] On 4 February 2019, a contract for Elbit Systems of America to provide an avionics upgrade to the Air National Guard's RC-26Bs was announced.[16]

The U.S. Navy operates several C-26D aircraft, modified for range support, at the Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands in Hawaii.[17][18]

Operational history

In early June 2020, the US National Guard deployed an RC-26B to El Dorado Hills near Sacramento, California, apparently in response to a walking tour by young black entrepreneurs.[19] The deployment occurred without the knowledge or approval of Gavin Newsom, the Governor of California.[19] Three more RC-26Bs were used to observe demonstrators in Minneapolis, Phoenix and Washington, D.C.[20][19]

In January 2023, the U.S. Air Force retired its RC-26B Condors.[21][22]

Variants
C-26A
Military version of the Metro III (Model SA227-AC).
C-26B
Military version of the Metro III (Model SA227-BC) and Metro 23 (Model SA227-DC).
RC-26B
C-26B modified with electronic surveillance equipment for drug interdiction missions.[23] Ten remain in service with the Air National Guard as of March 2019.[16]
UC-26C
Was a used 1983-built Merlin IVC operated for several years as 89-1471.[9] Modified with an integrated sensor package including forward-looking infrared and high resolution radar.
C-26D
C-26Bs transferred from USAF inventory and modified with new navigation equipment for the US Navy, four used for rapid response cargo and passenger transportation in Europe.
EC-26D
One range support aircraft operated by the US Navy's Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands.
RC-26D
Two range support aircraft operated by the US Navy's Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands with installed radar units.
C-26E
Upgrade of 11 C-26B aircraft including an improved Rockwell Collins Proline 21 Electronic Flight Instrument System.

Operators
Barbados
Colombia
Mexico
Peru
Trinidad and Tobago
United States
Venezuela

Former
United States

Specifications (C-26A)

General characteristics

  • Crew: two
  • Capacity: 22/14 passengers
  • Length: 42 ft 2 in (12.85 m)
  • Wingspan: 46 ft 3 in (14.01 m)
  • Height: 16 ft 10 in (5.13 m)
  • Max takeoff weight: 14,000 lb (6,400 kg)
  • Fuel capacity: 625 gal (2,370 L)
  • Powerplant: 2 × Allied Signal Garrett TPE-331-11U-601G turboprops, 1,400 hp (1,000 kW) each

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 331 mph (533 km/h, 288 kn)
  • Range: 2,331 mi (3,750 km, 2,025 nmi)
  • Service ceiling: 31,000 ft (9,500 m)
  • Power/mass: 0.2 hp/lb (337.5 W/kg)

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

References
  1. "DoD 412.15 Military" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-03-16.
  2. "Fairchild Air Force Base C-26B Metroliner page". Archived from the original on 2009-03-04. Retrieved 2008-03-16.
  3. "uswarplanes.net/commutertypes.html". Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2008-03-16.
  4. Turboprop Production Lists Home Page Archived 2008-06-20 at the Wayback Machine Metro production list accessed via this site 25 August 2007.
  5. Baugher, Joe. "USAF FY1986 Serial Number list." Archived 2015-11-08 at the Wayback Machine USAF Aircraft. Retrieved: 11 June 2011.
  6. Verified by conducting an online search of the Fuerza Aérea Venezolana database at "Scramble.nl site". Archived from the original on 2008-03-13. Retrieved 2008-03-16. on 25 August 2007, using the serial numbers "0009" and "1964". It would appear that the USAF took delivery of two aircraft serialled 86-0456 and the first (Fairchild c/n AC-745B) was passed to the FAV as 0009, the second being procured to replace that aircraft. The USAF FY1986 Serial Number list has 86-0455 (Fairchild c/n AC-744B) going to the FAV, but the other sources show it was 86-0456/AC-745B.
  7. Baugher, Joe. "USAF FY1990 Serial Number list." USAF Aircraft. Retrieved: 11 June 2011.
  8. Baugher, Joe. "USAF FY1991 Serial Number list." USAF Aircraft. Retrieved: 11 June 2011.
  9. Baugher, Joe. "USAF FY1989 Serial Number list". USAF Aircraft. Retrieved: 11 June 2011.
  10. "Coastwatch Tender to Usher In New Age of Surveillance." Australian Aviation magazine No. 93, December 1993, pp. 24–27. Aerospace Publications Pty. Ltd. ISSN 0813-0876.
  11. "C-26." Archived 2008-03-13 at the Wayback Machine Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved: 11 June 2011.
  12. Picture of the Fairchild RC-26B Metro 23 (SA-227DC) aircraft Archived 2012-11-08 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 21 August 2011.
  13. Picture of the Fairchild RC-26B Metro 23 (SA-227DC) aircraft Archived 2012-11-08 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 21 August 2011.
  14. Picture of the Fairchild RC-26B Metro 23 (SA-227DC) aircraft Archived 2012-11-08 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 21 August 2011.
  15. Picture of the Fairchild RC-26B Metro 23 (SA-227DC) aircraft Archived 2012-11-08 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 21 August 2011.
  16. Pittaway Air International March 2019, p. 31.
  17. Picture of the Fairchild C-26D Metro 23 (SA-227DC) aircraft Archived 2012-11-08 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 21 August 2011.
  18. Picture of the Fairchild C-26D Metro 23 (SA-227DC) aircraft Archived 2012-11-08 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 21 August 2011.
  19. "How a surveillance plane was sent to one wealthy suburb". NBC News.
  20. Pringle, Paul. "Spy plane was sent to monitor protest in affluent suburb, home to head of California National Guard". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  21. Newdick, Thomas (2023-01-04). "RC-26 Condor Surveillance Planes Meet The End Of Their U.S. Military Career". The Drive. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
  22. Westmont, Leslie (2023-01-03). "Wisconsin Air Guard bids farewell to RC-26 mission". DVIDS. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
  23. Airman, 2007 special edition, published by the USAF.
  24. "RSS Air Wing". Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  25. Hoyle Flight International 4–10 December 2018, p. 49.
  26. Hoyle Flight International 4–10 December 2018, p. 52.
  27. Hoyle Flight International 4–10 December 2018, p. 57.
  28. Hoyle Flight International 4–10 December 2018, p. 59.
  29. Hoyle Flight International 4–10 December 2018, p. 60.

Bibliography
  • Donald, David, general editor. Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Etobicoke, ON: Prospero Books, 1997. ISBN 1-85605-375-X.
  • Endes, Günter. "Fairchild (Swearingen) Metro/Merlin". The Illustrated Directory of Modern Commercial Aircraft. St. Paul, Minnesota: MBI Publishing Company, 2001. ISBN 0-7603-1125-0.
  • Frawley, Gerard. "Fairchild Dornier Metro II, III & 23". The International Directory of Civil Aircraft. Canberra: Aerospace Publications Pty. Ltd., 1997. ISBN 1-875671-26-9.
  • Hoyle, Craig. "World Air Forces Directory". Flight International. 4–10 December 2018, Vol. 194, No. 5665, pp. 32–60. ISSN 0015-3710.
  • Palmer, Trisha, ed. "Swearingen Metro and Metro II/III". Encyclopedia of the World's Commercial and Private Aircraft. New York: Crescent Books, 2001. ISBN 0-517-36285-6.
  • Pittaway, Nigel. "Elbit to upgrade Condors". Air International, March 2019, Volume 96, No. 3. p. 31. ISSN 0306-5634
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