Ivchenko AI-26
| Company type | Aircraft engine |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Founded | 1945 |
| Founder | A.G. Ivchenko |
| Headquarters | Zaporizhia , Soviet Union |
| Products | Seven-cylinder air-cooled radial aircraft engines |
| Parent | Motor Sich (factory No.478) |
The Ivchenko AI-26 (Russian: Ивченко АИ-26) is a seven-cylinder, air-cooled radial powerplant initially developed for early Soviet helicopters and subsequently adapted for use in light utility aircraft.
Design and development
Conceived by A.G. Ivchenko in 1945, the engine was originally designated M-26 before being renamed AI-26. Drawing inspiration from the Shvetsov ASh-82, similar to how the Shvetsov ASh-21 represents one cylinder bank of the ASh-82, the AI-26 shares this lineage. It maintains identical bore, stroke, and displacement dimensions as the ASh-21 while integrating features tailored to its intended operational role. This design approach enabled the AI-26 to utilize existing manufacturing tooling from both the ASh-21 and ASh-82 engines, streamlining production and reducing costs.
Although primarily designed for helicopter applications, early prototypes lacked essential components such as an auxiliary cooling fan, reduction gearing, and a clutch system necessary for rotorcraft operation. The "GR" suffix denotes "Gelikopter"—the Russian term for helicopter. Testing of the engine was finalized by early 1946, with flight evaluations on helicopters commencing in 1947. By late 1947, it was decided to initiate mass production at factory No.478 in Zaporizhia, operated by Motor Sich. Approximately 1,300 units of the AI-26GR were manufactured between 1947 and the 1970s. Additionally, during the 1960s, Poland produced a variant known as the LiT-3, which was later designated as the PZL-3S.
Applications
- Air Tractor AT-401A
- Ayres Thrush
- Bratukhin B-5
- Bratukhin B-11
- Mil Mi-1
- PZL-106 Kruk
- PZL SM-2
- Yakovlev Yak-100
Specifications (Ivchenko AI-26GR)
See also
References
- Kotelnikov, Vladimir. Russian Piston Aero Engines. Crowood Press Ltd., 2005, pp. 197–198.