Fairchild C-26 Metroliner

what is it?

The Fairchild C-26 "Metroliner" is 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, but is unofficially known by the same name as its civilian counterpart. 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 C-26D provides rapid-response transportation for supplies and personnel to remote airfields.

🔎How to recognise it: 2 turboprops · 14 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 533 km/htop speed
• range 3,750 kmwithout refuelling
• size 6,400 kgmax take-off weight

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🏎️Top speed is 4.1× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Wingspan of 14 m: about 3 cars parked nose to tail.
• 🌍Range of 3,750 km: 21× Amsterdam to Brussels.
• 🏔️Can fly 1.1× higher than Mount Everest (8,849 m).

turboprop: A jet-style turbine turning a propeller: efficient on short hops.

spec sheet

first flight

—

status

in production

number built

—

role

military transport aircraft

makers

Fairchild

engines

2× Allied Signal Garrett TPE-331-11U-601G

length

12.9 m

wingspan

14 m

height

5.1 m

max take-off weight

6,400 kg

top speed

533 km/h

range

3,750 km

ceiling

9,500 m

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.

family