Kamov Ka-26

The Kamov Ka-26 is a Soviet light utility helicopter with co-axial rotors.

Development

The Ka-26 entered production in 1969 and 816 were built. A variant with a single turboshaft engine is the Ka-126. A twin-turboshaft–powered version is the Ka-226..

Design

The fuselage of the Ka-26 consists of a fixed, bubble-shaped cockpit containing the pilot and co-pilot, plus a removable, module available in medevac, passenger-carrying and crop duster versions. The helicopter can fly with or without the box attached for flexibility.
It is powered by two 325 hp Vedeneyev M-14V-26 radial engines mounted in outboard nacelles.

Operational history

The Ka-26 is eminently useful for civil agricultural use, especially crop dusting. The coaxial main rotor configuration, which makes the Ka-26 small and agile, also results in a delicate airflow pattern under the helicopter, providing a thorough, yet mild distribution of chemicals onto plants. The Ka-26 is often used to spray grape farms in Hungary, where conventional helicopters would damage or up-root the vine-stocks with their powerful downwash. Hungarian Kamov operators claim that coaxial rotors of the Ka-26 creates an airflow which allows well-atomized pesticides to linger longer in the air, causing more of the residue to settle underneath, rather than on top of, the leaves. This results in a more efficient distribution of pesticides, as most pests and parasites do not live on the top side of foliage. Additionally, the coaxial vortex system is symmetrical, allowing the distribution of the pesticide to be more uniform, without the side currents induced by the tail rotor, making it easier to avoid contaminating adjacent non-crop areas.
In some Warsaw Pact armies, the Ka-26 was used only in the light paratroop or airborne role, but not the civilian agricultural role. In the military role, its slow cruise speed compared with the Mi-2 limits effective general-purpose military use, although its shorter length compared with the Mil Mi-2 and smaller rotor diameter are advantageous for military operations in an urban area. Its operational range is also greater than the Mil-2.

Unlicensed foreign production

On 30 June 2020, Moldovan police and prosecutors closed down an illegal factory producing unlicensed copies of the Ka-26. The factory had a production line with ten air frames in various stages of completion that were intended for sale to clients in former Soviet countries.

Variants

; Ka-26 Hoodlum-A: One- or two-crew utility light helicopter, powered by two 325-hp VMK M-14V-26 radial engines. 850 built.
; Ka-26SS: NOTAR technology testbed for the Ka-118 fitted with tail jet beams.
; Ka-126 Hoodlum-B: One- or two-crew utility light helicopter, powered by one 720-shp OMKB "Mars" TVD-100 turboshaft engine. First flown in 1986, built and developed by Industria Aeronautică Română in Romania. 2 prototypes and 15 series helicopter built.
; V-60: A prototype light armed escort helicopter based on the Ka-126.
; Ka-128: One prototype, powered by a 722-shp Turbomeca Arriel 1D1 turboshaft engine.
; Kamov Ka-226: Six- or seven-seat utility helicopter, powered by two 450-shp Rolls-Royce 250-C20R/2 turboshaft engines.