Aero L-59 Super Albatros vs Antonov An-26

ASupport aircraft

Aero L-59 Super Albatros

Military trainer aircraft COIN

Credit

Michal šenki · Public domain · Resized · Public domain · Source ↗ · Modified

BSupport aircraft

Antonov An-26

Transport aircraft / regional airliner

Credit

Marko Stojkovic · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Resized · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source ↗ · Modified

First system

Second system

At a glance

Side by side

Length comparisonOne shared metre scale

Aero L-59 Super AlbatrosL-59E · Length

12.2 m

Length source ↗

Antonov An-26Length

23.8 m

Length source ↗

Lengths retain their source configuration and measurement scope.

Measured figures

Head to head

18 of 34 rows sourced on both sides

12.2mL-59E · Length

23.8m

Length

All recorded figures & sources

12.2 m

L-59E · Length

Single source

12.20 m (40 ft 0 in)^[source]

23.8 m

Length

Single source

23.8 m (78 ft 1 in)^[source]

9.54mL-59E · including tip tanks

29.3m

Wingspan

All recorded figures & sources

9.54 m

L-59E · including tip tanks

Single source

9.54 m (31 ft 4 in) (including tip tanks)^[source]

29.3 m

Wingspan

Single source

29.3 m (96 ft 2 in)^[source]

4.77mL-59E · Height

8.58m

Height

All recorded figures & sources

4.77 m

L-59E · Height

Single source

4.77 m (15 ft 8 in)^[source]

8.58 m

Height

Single source

8.58 m (28 ft 2 in)^[source]

24tMaximum take-off; Max takeoff weight

MassScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

4,030 kg

Empty; L-59E · includes gun

Single source

7,000 kg

Maximum take-off; L-59E · Max takeoff weight

Single source

4,030 kg (8,885 lb) (includes gun)^[source]

7,000 kg (15,432 lb)^[source]

15,020 kg

Empty; Empty weight

Single source

24,000 kg

Maximum take-off; Max takeoff weight

Single source

15,020 kg (33,113 lb)^[source]

24,000 kg (52,911 lb)^[source]

2L-59E · Crew

five (two pilots, one radio operator, one flight engineer, one navigator)

Crew

All recorded figures & sources

2 people

L-59E · Crew

Single source

2^[source]

five (two pilots, one radio operator, one flight engineer, one navigator)^[source]

865km/hMaximum; L-59E · at 5,000 m (16,000 ft)

440km/hCruise; Cruise speed

SpeedScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

865 km/h

Maximum; L-59E · at 5,000 m (16,000 ft)

Single source

865 km/h (537 mph, 467 kn) at 5,000 m (16,000 ft)^[source]

440 km/h

Cruise; Cruise speed

Single source

440 km/h (270 mph, 240 kn)^[source]

2,000km

2,500kmwith maximum fuel

RangeScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

2,000 km

L-59E · at 7,000 m (23,000 ft) (with maximum internal and external fuel)

Single source

2,000 km (1,200 mi, 1,100 nmi) at 7,000 m (23,000 ft) (with maximum internal and external fuel)^[source]

2,500 km

with maximum fuel

Single source

2,500 km (1,600 mi, 1,300 nmi) with maximum fuel^[source]

—

2,103kW

Power

All recorded figures & sources

2,103 kW

2 × Progress AI-24VT Turboprop engines each

Single source

2 × Progress AI-24VT Turboprop engines, 2,103 kW (2,820 hp) each^[source]

21.6kNL-59E · 1 × Lotarev DV-2 turbofan thrust

—

Thrust

All recorded figures & sources

21.57 kN

L-59E · 1 × Lotarev DV-2 turbofan thrust

Single source

1 × Lotarev DV-2 turbofan , 21.57 kN (4,850 lbf) thrust^[source]

18.8m²L-59E · Wing area

75m²

Wing area

All recorded figures & sources

18.8 m²

L-59E · Wing area

Single source

18.80 m 2 (202.4 sq ft)^[source]

74.98 m²

Wing area

Single source

74.98 m 2 (807.1 sq ft)^[source]

11,800mL-59E · Service ceiling

7,500m

Service ceiling

All recorded figures & sources

11,800 m

L-59E · Service ceiling

Single source

11,800 m (38,700 ft)^[source]

7,500 m

Service ceiling

Single source

7,500 m (24,600 ft)^[source]

28m/sL-59E · 5,510 ft/min

8m/s1,600 ft/min

Rate of climbScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

28 m/s

L-59E · 5,510 ft/min

Single source

28.0 m/s (5,510 ft/min)^[source]

8 m/s

1,600 ft/min

Single source

8 m/s (1,600 ft/min)^[source]

Bars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.

Configuration

Details

Aero L-59 Super Albatros and Antonov An-26 configuration
Specification	Aero L-59 Super Albatros	Antonov An-26
Type	Military trainer aircraft COIN^[source]	Transport aircraft / regional airliner^[source]
Manufacturer	Aero Vodochody^[source]	Antonov Serial Production Plant^[source]
Status	Out of production, in service^[source]	In service^[source]
Primary users	Czech Air Force Egyptian Air Force Tunisian Air Force^[source]	Soviet Air Forces (former) Russian Aerospace Forces Ukrainian Air Force People's Liberation Army Air Force^[source]
Number built	80^[source]	1,403^[source]
Manufactured	1986–1996^[source]	1969–present (in China as Y-7)^[source]
First flight	30 September 1986^[source]	21 May 1969^[source]
Developed from	Aero L-39 Albatros^[source]	Antonov An-24^[source]
Variant	Aero L-159 ALCA^[source]	—
Fuel capacity	1,537 L (406 US gal; 338 imp gal) including tip tanks^[source]	—
Stall speed	185 km/h (115 mph, 100 kn) (flaps down)^[source]	—
Guns	one GSh-23L cannon in under-fuselage pod^[source]	—
Hardpoints	four underwing hardpoints with a capacity of inner hardpoints 500 kg (1,100 lb)capacity, outer hardpoints 250 kg (550 lb)^[source]	—
Country of origin	Czechoslovakia^[source]Inventory Origin column; table 1, row 26, cell 2; revision 1374778711; retrieved 2026-10-01	—
National origin	—	Soviet Union^[source]
Designer	—	Antonov^[source]
Introduction date	—	1972^[source]
Developed into	—	Xi'an Y-7 Antonov An-32^[source]
Capacity	—	40 passengers / 5,500 kg (12,100 lb)^[source]
Aspect ratio	—	11.7:1^[source]
Propellers	—	4-bladed Constant speed metal bladed propellers, 3.90 m (12 ft 10 in) diameter^[source]
Range with max payload	—	1,100 km (680 mi)^[source]

FORCETALLY

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Aero L-59 Super Albatros

Antonov An-26

Type

Military trainer aircraft COIN^[source]

Transport aircraft / regional airliner^[source]

Manufacturer

Aero Vodochody^[source]

Antonov Serial Production Plant^[source]

Status

Out of production, in service^[source]

In service^[source]

Primary users

Czech Air Force Egyptian Air Force Tunisian Air Force^[source]

Soviet Air Forces (former) Russian Aerospace Forces Ukrainian Air Force People's Liberation Army Air Force^[source]

Number built

80^[source]

1,403^[source]

Manufactured

1986–1996^[source]

1969–present (in China as Y-7)^[source]

First flight

30 September 1986^[source]

21 May 1969^[source]

Developed from

Aero L-39 Albatros^[source]

Antonov An-24^[source]

Variant

Aero L-159 ALCA^[source]

—

Fuel capacity

1,537 L (406 US gal; 338 imp gal) including tip tanks^[source]

—

Stall speed

185 km/h (115 mph, 100 kn) (flaps down)^[source]

—

Guns

one GSh-23L cannon in under-fuselage pod^[source]

—

Hardpoints

four underwing hardpoints with a capacity of inner hardpoints 500 kg (1,100 lb)capacity, outer hardpoints 250 kg (550 lb)^[source]

—

Country of origin

Czechoslovakia^[source]Inventory Origin column; table 1, row 26, cell 2; revision 1374778711; retrieved 2026-10-01

—

National origin

—

Soviet Union^[source]

Designer

—

Antonov^[source]

Introduction date

—

1972^[source]

Developed into

—

Xi'an Y-7 Antonov An-32^[source]

Capacity

—

40 passengers / 5,500 kg (12,100 lb)^[source]

Aspect ratio

—

11.7:1^[source]

Propellers

—

4-bladed Constant speed metal bladed propellers, 3.90 m (12 ft 10 in) diameter^[source]

Range with max payload

—

1,100 km (680 mi)^[source]