YAK-110
| Company type | Aircraft |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Founded | May 1981 |
| Founder | Sergei Yakovlev (design team leader) |
| Headquarters | Arsenyev , Soviet Union |
| Products | Aerobatic aircraft |
The Yakovlev Yak-55 is a single-seat aircraft designed specifically for aerobatics. Pilots operating the Yak-55 have secured multiple world championship titles in aerobatic competitions.
Development
During the 1976 World Aerobatic Championship, Soviet aviators dominated by securing the top two positions in the individual category, as well as winning both the team and women's events while flying Yakovlev Yak-50 aircraft. Despite this success, Soviet pilots recognized that several Western-built competitors demonstrated superior maneuverability within a smaller spatial envelope compared to the Yak-50. Consequently, a design team at the Yakovlev bureau, led by Sergei Yakovlev with chief engineers V. P. Kondratiev and D. K. Drach, embarked on creating a completely new aerobatic plane independent of the Yak-50 lineage. Their goal was to produce an aircraft capable of replicating the compact, low-speed aerobatic style characteristic of Western models.
The outcome was the Yakovlev Yak-55, a single-engine, all-metal cantilever monoplane featuring a mid-wing configuration with a thick, symmetrical airfoil optimized for inverted flight. The cockpit is enclosed beneath a sliding teardrop canopy aligned with the wing’s trailing edge, positioning the pilot's seat below wing level. Power is supplied by the same 360 horsepower (270 kW) Vedeneyev M14P radial engine paired with a two-bladed V-530TA-D35 propeller used on the Yak-50. The landing gear is fixed, comprising titanium-sprung main wheels and a tailwheel assembly.
The prototype first took to the skies in May 1981 and was publicly revealed at Moscow’s Tushino air show in August 1982. It was also exhibited at that year’s World Aerobatic Championships but did not participate in competition. By then, aerobatic trends had shifted back toward high-energy maneuvers exemplified by the Yak-50, leading to the Soviet team’s decision not to adopt the Yak-55. This prompted a redesign featuring shorter-span wings with reduced area and a thinner symmetrical profile to enhance roll rate and speed. Production commenced in 1985 at Arsenyev, with 108 units completed by 1991.
In response to DOSAAF’s request for improved roll performance and to rival new Sukhoi designs, development began on an updated variant known as the Yak-55M in the late 1980s. This model incorporated an even smaller wing to achieve higher roll rates. The Yak-55M first flew in May 1989 and entered production in 1990. By the end of 1993, 106 units had been manufactured, with limited production continuing thereafter.
Operational use
The Soviet aerobatic squadron debuted the aircraft in 1984, clinching victory at the World Aerobatic Championship. In that same year, the Soviet women's aerobatic team also secured first place piloting the Yak-55, with Kh. Makagonova earning the individual gold medal.
This model has experienced minimal issuance of Service Bulletins and Airworthiness Directives, demonstrating exceptional performance across various competition levels. The aircraft's proven capabilities, combined with a production total nearing 250 units, have resulted in relatively few owner-initiated modifications, as little alteration is generally required.
Variants
- Yak-55
- Initial prototype and early production aerobatic model featuring long-span wings.
- Yak-55
- Updated production variant characterized by a shortened wingspan and reduced wing area.
- Yak-55M
- Further refined iteration with redesigned wing structures.
- Technoavia SP-55M
- A derivative of the Yak-55M developed by V. P. Kondratiev, one of the original Yak-55 designers, incorporating a redesigned vertical stabilizer, control surfaces covered with composite materials, and a deeper rear fuselage.
- Yak-56
- Conceived as a two-seat trainer based on the Yak-55M, this version featured a low-wing configuration and retractable landing gear. It was intended to be powered by a 300 hp VOKBM M-16 8-cylinder X engine coupled with an AV-16 three-bladed propeller. Although its maiden flight was planned for 1992, engine production delays led Yakovlev to prioritize the Yak-54 instead.
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- Boerboon & Coller Yak-110
- An American-engineered twin-fuselage aircraft created by joining two Yak-55 airframes with a new central wing section that supports a single General Electric J85 turbojet engine alongside the original Vedeneyev M14P piston engines. The concept originated in 2016 through pilot Jeff Boerboon and mechanic Dell Coller; one airframe is owned by Boerboon and the other by Chad Bartee. Piloted from the left cockpit, this three-engine aircraft holds the distinction of being the only one certified for unlimited aerobatics as of 2023. Its inaugural airshow appearance occurred at the 2018 Gunfighter Skies event held at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho.
Operators
Specifications (Yak-55M)
See also
References
- Gordon, Yefim, Dmitry Komissarov, and Sergey Komissarov. OKB Yakovlev: A History of the Design Bureau and its Aircraft. Hinkley, UK: Midland Publishing, 2005. ISBN 1-85780-203-9.
- Gunston, Bill and Yefim Gordon. Yakovlev Aircraft since 1924. London, UK: Putnam Aeronautical Books, 1997. ISBN 1-55750-978-6.
- Jackson, Paul. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2003–2004. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Information Group, 2003. ISBN 0-7106-2537-5.
- Smith, Tony. "Lots of torque at Kiev". Flight International, 21 August 1976, pp. 437–439.
- Taylor, Michael J. H., editor. Brassey's World Aircraft & Systems Directory 1999/2000. London: Brassey's, 1999. ISBN 1-85753-245-7.
- YAK-55M Operators Handbook