Aeroprakt
| Company type | Limited liability company (Товариство з обмеженою відповідальністю) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aircraft manufacturing |
| Predecessor | SDB «Aeroprakt» (student design bureau) |
| Founded | 1991 |
| Founder | Yuri Yakovlev |
| Headquarters | Kyiv , Ukraine |
Key people | Yuri Yakovlev (Chief Designer), Oleg Litovchenko (Director) |
| Products | Light aircraft, ultralights, homebuilt aircraft (kits and fully assembled models) |
Number of employees | 50 |
Aeroprakt Ltd. (ТОВ «Аеропракт») is an aircraft manufacturer located in Kyiv, Ukraine, established in 1991 by the aircraft designer Yuri Yakovlev. The firm focuses on developing and producing light aircraft, ultralights, and homebuilt aircraft, offering both kits for amateur assembly and fully assembled models.[1] [2] [3] [4]
Organised as a Ukrainian limited liability company (Товариство з обмеженою відповідальністю), Aeroprakt employs approximately 50 staff members and operates out of a facility covering around 2,000 m2 (22,000 sq ft).[1] Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
History
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The origins of the company trace back to an amateur aircraft design group established by Yuri Yakovlev after graduating from the Kuybyshev Aviation Institute and beginning his career at Antonov in Kyiv in 1986. The enterprise was officially formed following Ukraine’s independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
Its name was inspired by a similarly titled student design bureau at the Kuybyshev Aviation Institute (SDB «Aeroprakt»), which Yakovlev had been involved with during his studies.
In 1981, while a third-year student at Kuybyshev Aviation Institute, Yakovlev initiated research on the Rutan Quickie based solely on a single article found in a Finnish aviation magazine. Between 1981 and 1984, along with several other members of SDB «Aeroprakt», he designed and constructed an experimental aircraft, the Aeroprakt-8 (Aeroprakt A-8), which was essentially a reverse-engineered and adapted version of the Quickie.
Following this, the SDB «Aeroprakt» developed the Aeroprakt T-8, a straightforward two-seat ultralight trainer. Its prototype was built in 1987, drawing inspiration from detailed photographs of the French ULM (ultralight monoplane) «Baroudeur», created by André Confesson and captured at the Paris Air Show. Although the Aeroprakt T-8 made its debut in the Soviet Union in 1989 and earned accolades, it did not proceed to mass production.
In 1991, Yakovlev partnered with Oleg Litovchenko to establish the Ukrainian company «Aeroprakt» (officially named «Aeroprakt-Kyiv»), while in Russia, members of the Kuybyshev Aviation Institute student design bureau founded «Aeroprakt-Samara».
The first aircraft produced commercially was the Aeroprakt A-20 Vista, locally referred to as the Chervonets, with its initial prototype completed in August 1991. Due to both design considerations and prevailing political circumstances, this group became the Kyiv branch of Lada-Mononor, a Soviet-Finnish joint venture headquartered in Tolyatti, Russia. Yuri Yakovlev assumed the role of Chief Designer, and Oleg Litovchenko served as director. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union later that year, the company gained independence, and production of the A-20 commenced, with deliveries starting in July 1993.
In November 1996, Aeroprakt introduced both the A-22 Foxbat, known locally as Sharik (meaning Balloon), and the twin-engine A-26 Vulcan.
The firm has continued evolving aircraft derived from the original A-20 framework, including models such as the A-28 Victor and A-36 Vulcan. In 2014, they unveiled the A-32 Vixxen, which is an advancement based on the A-22 platform.
Aircraft
Overview of the aircraft produced by Aeroprakt. Models with odd numbers, including the A-6 and A-8, were manufactured in Kuybyshev, USSR (now Samara, Russia), whereas the majority of even-numbered models were assembled in Kyiv, Ukraine:
Aircraft produced by SDB Aeroprakt, currently Aeroprakt-Samara (Kuybyshev, USSR; now Samara, Russia)
- Aeroprakt A-6 White
- Aeroprakt A-8
- Aeroprakt A-11M Hamlet
- Aeroprakt A-15
- Aeroprakt A-19
- Aeroprakt A-21 Solo
- Aeroprakt A-23 Dragon
- Aeroprakt A-25 Breeze
- Aeroprakt A-27
- Aeroprakt A-33 Dragon
- Aeroprakt A-37
- Aeroprakt A-41
Aircraft manufactured by Aeroprakt Ltd. (Kyiv, Ukraine; formerly Kyiv SDB)
- Aeroprakt T-8[4]
- Aeroprakt A-20 Vista
- Aeroprakt A-22 Foxbat
- Aeroprakt A-24 Viking
- Aeroprakt A-26 Vulcan
- Aeroprakt A-28 Victor
- Aeroprakt A-30 Vista Speedster
- Aeroprakt A-32 Vixxen
- Aeroprakt A-36 Super Vulcan
References
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External links
