Aero L-59 Super Albatros vs Fairchild C-26 Metroliner

ASupport aircraft

Aero L-59 Super Albatros

Military trainer aircraft COIN

Credit

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

Fairchild C-26 Metroliner — licensed reference photograph

BSupport aircraft

U.S. Air Force Photo by Staff Sgt. Shelley Gill; The original uploader was User name one at English Wikipedia ., 15 October 2009 (original upload date) · Public domain · Resized · Public domain · 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 ↗

Fairchild C-26 MetrolinerC-26A · Length

12.85 m

Length source ↗

Lengths retain their source configuration and measurement scope.

Measured figures

Head to head

14 of 28 rows sourced on both sides

12.2mL-59E · Length

12.85mC-26A · Length

LengthScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

12.2 m

L-59E · Length

Single source

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

12.85 m

C-26A · Length

Single source

59 ft 4 in (12.85 m)^[source]

9.54mL-59E · including tip tanks

14.01mC-26A · Wingspan

WingspanScopes differ

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]

14.01 m

C-26A · Wingspan

Single source

57 ft 0 in (14.01 m)^[source]

4.77mL-59E · Height

5.13mC-26A · Height

HeightScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

4.77 m

L-59E · Height

Single source

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

5.13 m

C-26A · Height

Single source

16 ft 10 in (5.13 m)^[source]

6.4t

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]

6,400 kg

Maximum take-off; C-26A · Max takeoff weight

Single source

14,000 lb (6,400 kg)^[source]

2L-59E · Crew

two

Crew

All recorded figures & sources

2 people

L-59E · Crew

Single source

2^[source]

two^[source]

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

533km/hMaximum; C-26A · Maximum 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]

533 km/h

Maximum; C-26A · Maximum speed

Single source

331 mph (533 km/h, 288 kn)^[source]

2,000km

3,750kmC-26A · Range

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]

3,750 km

C-26A · Range

Single source

2,331 mi (3,750 km, 2,025 nmi)^[source]

—

1,000kW

Power

All recorded figures & sources

1,000 kW

C-26A · 2 × Allied Signal Garrett TPE-331 -11U-601G turboprops each

Single source

2 × Allied Signal Garrett TPE-331 -11U-601G turboprops , 1,400 hp (1,000 kW) 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

—

Wing area

All recorded figures & sources

18.8 m²

L-59E · Wing area

Single source

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

11,800mL-59E · Service ceiling

9,500mC-26A · Service ceiling

Service ceilingScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

11,800 m

L-59E · Service ceiling

Single source

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

9,500 m

C-26A · Service ceiling

Single source

31,000 ft (9,500 m)^[source]

28m/sL-59E · 5,510 ft/min

—

Rate of climb

All recorded figures & sources

28 m/s

L-59E · 5,510 ft/min

Single source

28.0 m/s (5,510 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 Fairchild C-26 Metroliner configuration
Specification	Aero L-59 Super Albatros	Fairchild C-26 Metroliner
Type	Military trainer aircraft COIN^[source]	Military transport aircraft^[source]
Manufacturer	Aero Vodochody^[source]	Fairchild Aircraft^[source]
Status	Out of production, in service^[source]	Active, not in production^[source]
Primary users	Czech Air Force Egyptian Air Force Tunisian Air Force^[source]	United States Air Force United States Army United States Navy^[source]
Number built	80^[source]	—
Manufactured	1986–1996^[source]	—
First flight	30 September 1986^[source]	—
Developed from	Aero L-39 Albatros^[source]	Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner^[source]
Variant	Aero L-159 ALCA^[source]	—
Fuel capacity	1,537 L (406 US gal; 338 imp gal) including tip tanks^[source]	625 gal (2,370 L)^[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	—
Capacity	—	22/14 passengers^[source]
Power/mass	—	0.2 hp/lb (337.5 W/kg)^[source]

FORCETALLY

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Aero L-59 Super Albatros

Fairchild C-26 Metroliner

Type

Military trainer aircraft COIN^[source]

Military transport aircraft^[source]

Manufacturer

Aero Vodochody^[source]

Fairchild Aircraft^[source]

Status

Out of production, in service^[source]

Active, not in production^[source]

Primary users

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

United States Air Force United States Army United States Navy^[source]

Number built

80^[source]

—

Manufactured

1986–1996^[source]

—

First flight

30 September 1986^[source]

—

Developed from

Aero L-39 Albatros^[source]

Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner^[source]

Variant

Aero L-159 ALCA^[source]

—

Fuel capacity

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

625 gal (2,370 L)^[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

—

Capacity

—

22/14 passengers^[source]

Power/mass

—

0.2 hp/lb (337.5 W/kg)^[source]