The NKL-26 was an armoured aerosan introduced by the Soviet Union during the Second World War, based on the earlier NKL-6 (OSGA-6).[1] It was made of plywood and had a ten-millimetre armour plate on the front only, and was armed with a 7.62mm DT machine gun in a ring mount. It was powered by an M-11G aircraft engine.[2]

NKL-26 (Rz 2612)
Place of origin Soviet Union
Specifications
Crew2

Armor10 mm (front only)
Main
armament
7.62mm DT machine gun
Engine8.6L (525 ci) Shvetsov M-11G
Operational
range
250 km
Maximum speed 50 km/h (31 mph)

Each NKL-26 was operated by two crewmen. NKL-26s were organized into battalions of 30 NKL-16s with a transport company of NKL-16s - each with three companies of 10. Each company was organized as three platoons of three vehicles, and a commanders vehicle.

Combat Aerosans often worked with ski infantry battalions, and could carry four ski troops riding outside the vehicle on its skis or towed behind.

References

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  1. ^ Robert Forczyk (2012). Demyansk 1942–43: The frozen fortress. Bloomsbury Publishing. pp. 25–26. ISBN 9781849085533. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  2. ^ David M. Glantz (2005). Colossus Reborn: The Red Army at War : 1941-1943. University Press of Kansas. p. 235. ISBN 9780700613533. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
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