An aerosani (Russian: aэросани, aerosani, literally "aerosled") is a type of propeller-driven snowmobile, running on skis, used for communications, mail deliveries, medical aid, emergency recovery and border patrolling in northern regions of the USSR. Aerosanis were used by the Red Army during the Winter War and World War II. The NKL-26 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. Each NKL-26 was operated by two crewmen