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.
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 1990sAn 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 Lockheedphased arrayradar 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]
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]
Variantsedit
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.
^(PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-03-16.
^. Archived from the original on 2009-03-04. Retrieved 2008-03-16.
^. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2008-03-16.
^ abTurboprop Production Lists Home Page 2008-06-20 at the Wayback Machine Metro production list accessed via this site 25 August 2007.
^Baugher, Joe. "USAF FY1986 Serial Number list." 2015-11-08 at the Wayback MachineUSAF Aircraft. Retrieved: 11 June 2011.
^Verified by conducting an online search of the Fuerza Aérea Venezolana database at . 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.
^Baugher, Joe. "USAF FY1990 Serial Number list." [permanent dead link]USAF Aircraft. Retrieved: 11 June 2011.
^Baugher, Joe. "USAF FY1991 Serial Number list." [permanent dead link]USAF Aircraft. Retrieved: 11 June 2011.
^ ab Baugher, Joe. "USAF FY1989 Serial Number list". [permanent dead link] USAF Aircraft. Retrieved: 11 June 2011.
^"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.
^"C-26." 2008-03-13 at the Wayback MachineGlobalsecurity.org. Retrieved: 11 June 2011.
^Picture of the Fairchild RC-26B Metro 23 (SA-227DC) aircraft 2012-11-08 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 21 August 2011.
^Picture of the Fairchild RC-26B Metro 23 (SA-227DC) aircraft 2012-11-08 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 21 August 2011.
^Picture of the Fairchild RC-26B Metro 23 (SA-227DC) aircraft 2012-11-08 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 21 August 2011.
^Picture of the Fairchild RC-26B Metro 23 (SA-227DC) aircraft 2012-11-08 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 21 August 2011.
^Picture of the Fairchild C-26D Metro 23 (SA-227DC) aircraft 2012-11-08 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 21 August 2011.
^Picture of the Fairchild C-26D Metro 23 (SA-227DC) aircraft 2012-11-08 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 21 August 2011.
^ abc"How a surveillance plane was sent to one wealthy suburb". NBC News.
^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.
^ abNewdick, Thomas (2023-01-04). "RC-26 Condor Surveillance Planes Meet The End Of Their U.S. Military Career". The Drive. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
^Westmont, Leslie (2023-01-03). "Wisconsin Air Guard bids farewell to RC-26 mission". DVIDS. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
^Airman, 2007 special edition, published by the USAF.
^Hoyle Flight International 4–10 December 2018, p. 49.
^Hoyle Flight International 4–10 December 2018, p. 52.
^Hoyle Flight International 4–10 December 2018, p. 57.
^ abHoyle Flight International 4–10 December 2018, p. 59.
^Hoyle Flight International 4–10 December 2018, p. 60.
Bibliographyedit
Donald, David, general editor. Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Etobicoke, ON: Prospero Books, 1997. ISBN1-85605-375-X.
Endes, Günter. "Fairchild (Swearingen) Metro/Merlin". The Illustrated Directory of Modern Commercial Aircraft. St. Paul, Minnesota: MBI Publishing Company, 2001. ISBN0-7603-1125-0.
Frawley, Gerard. "Fairchild Dornier Metro II, III & 23". The International Directory of Civil Aircraft. Canberra: Aerospace Publications Pty. Ltd., 1997. ISBN1-875671-26-9.
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. ISBN0-517-36285-6.
Pittaway, Nigel. "Elbit to upgrade Condors". Air International, March 2019, Volume 96, No. 3. p. 31. ISSN 0306-5634
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fairchild C-26 Metroliner.
fairchild, metroliner, fairchild, metroliner, designation, fairchild, swearingen, metroliner, series, twin, turboprop, aircraft, service, united, states, military, officially, named, armed, forces, unofficially, known, same, name, civilian, counterpart, milita. 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 ForceUnited States Army United States Navy Developed from Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner Contents 1 Design and development 2 Operational history 3 Variants 4 Operators 4 1 Former 5 Specifications C 26A 6 See also 7 References 7 1 Bibliography 8 External linksDesign and development editThe 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 nbsp The Multi Mission Surveillance Aircraft in Australia early 1990s nbsp An RC 26B sits at Jacksonville ANG Base in February 2005 nbsp 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 editIn 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 editC 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 editBarbados Barbados Air Wing Regional Security System 2 C 26A 24 Colombia Colombian Air Force Colombian National Police Mexico Mexican Air Force 2 as of December 2018 25 Peru Peruvian Air Force 3 as of December 2018 26 Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago Air Guard 2 as of December 2018 27 United States United States Army 28 United States Navy 28 Venezuela Venezuelan Air Force 1 as of December 2018 29 Former edit United States United States Air Force 21 Specifications C 26A editGeneral characteristics Crew two Capacity 22 14 passengers Length 59 ft 4 in 12 85 m Wingspan 57 ft 0 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 editRelated development Swearingen Merlin Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner Aircraft of comparable role configuration and era Beechcraft 1900 C 12 Huron Saab 340 Saab 2000 Related lists List of military aircraft of the United StatesReferences edit DoD 412 15 Military PDF Archived from the original PDF on 2007 10 25 Retrieved 2008 03 16 Fairchild Air Force Base C 26B Metroliner page Archived from the original on 2009 03 04 Retrieved 2008 03 16 uswarplanes net commutertypes html Archived from the original on 2007 09 28 Retrieved 2008 03 16 a b Turboprop Production Lists Home Page Archived 2008 06 20 at the Wayback Machine Metro production list accessed via this site 25 August 2007 Baugher Joe USAF FY1986 Serial Number list Archived 2015 11 08 at the Wayback Machine USAF Aircraft Retrieved 11 June 2011 Verified by conducting an online search of the Fuerza Aerea 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 Baugher Joe USAF FY1990 Serial Number list permanent dead link USAF Aircraft Retrieved 11 June 2011 Baugher Joe USAF FY1991 Serial Number list permanent dead link USAF Aircraft Retrieved 11 June 2011 a b Baugher Joe USAF FY1989 Serial Number list permanent dead link USAF Aircraft Retrieved 11 June 2011 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 C 26 Archived 2008 03 13 at the Wayback Machine Globalsecurity org Retrieved 11 June 2011 Picture of the Fairchild RC 26B Metro 23 SA 227DC aircraft Archived 2012 11 08 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 21 August 2011 Picture of the Fairchild RC 26B Metro 23 SA 227DC aircraft Archived 2012 11 08 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 21 August 2011 Picture of the Fairchild RC 26B Metro 23 SA 227DC aircraft Archived 2012 11 08 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 21 August 2011 Picture of the Fairchild RC 26B Metro 23 SA 227DC aircraft Archived 2012 11 08 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 21 August 2011 a b Pittaway Air International March 2019 p 31 Picture of the Fairchild C 26D Metro 23 SA 227DC aircraft Archived 2012 11 08 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 21 August 2011 Picture of the Fairchild C 26D Metro 23 SA 227DC aircraft Archived 2012 11 08 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 21 August 2011 a b c How a surveillance plane was sent to one wealthy suburb NBC News 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 a b 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 Westmont Leslie 2023 01 03 Wisconsin Air Guard bids farewell to RC 26 mission DVIDS Retrieved 2023 01 05 Airman 2007 special edition published by the USAF RSS Air Wing Retrieved 29 October 2020 Hoyle Flight International 4 10 December 2018 p 49 Hoyle Flight International 4 10 December 2018 p 52 Hoyle Flight International 4 10 December 2018 p 57 a b Hoyle Flight International 4 10 December 2018 p 59 Hoyle Flight International 4 10 December 2018 p 60 Bibliography edit Donald David general editor Encyclopedia of World Aircraft Etobicoke ON Prospero Books 1997 ISBN 1 85605 375 X Endes Gunter 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 amp 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 5634External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fairchild C 26 Metroliner US Navy C 26 Fact File Archived 2012 03 18 at the Wayback Machine Virtual Museum Fairchild Reported plans for retirement of RC 26B CNN Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Fairchild C 26 Metroliner amp oldid 1182426900, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
