Sukhoi Su-26M

The Sukhoi Design Bureau, makers of Soviet and Russian military aircraft, designed the Su-26 in 1983 for unlimited aerobatic competition. The Su-26M is made of more than 50 percent composite materials and has a special symmetrical wing section and arched cantilever titanium landing gear. It was designed to handle loads from +12 Gs to -10 Gs and is a superior aircraft for the most highly skilled pilot. It can perform spectacular gyroscopic maneuvers and quick, multiple snap rolls, and can nearly hover from its propeller. Soviet pilots flew Su 26Ms to multiple aerobatic titles.

This Su-26M was built in 1990 and was originally painted in the unique "Russian purple" color. The Soviet National Aerobatic team flew 222 flights in the aircraft in 1990 and 1991. U.S. aerobatic pilot Gerry Molidor bought it in 1998 and flew it in advanced and unlimited competition until 2001.

Photo 215b, Udvar-Hazy Center, 2013