Yak-110
| Industry | Aerospace |
|---|---|
| Founder | Sergei Yakovlev |
| Headquarters | Arsenyev , Soviet Union (now Russia) |
| Products | Aircraft, including Yak-55 aerobatic aircraft |
The Yakovlev Yak-55 is a single-seat aircraft specifically designed 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 took the top two spots in the individual category and also claimed victories in the team and women's events, flying their Yakovlev Yak-50 aircraft. Despite these successes, Soviet pilots noted that several Western-built competitors performed similar maneuvers within a smaller spatial envelope compared to the Yak-50. In response, a design team at the Yakovlev bureau, led by Sergei Yakovlev and supported by chief engineers V. P. Kondratiev and D. K. Drach, embarked on developing an entirely new aerobatic plane unrelated to the Yak-50. Their goal was to create an aircraft capable of replicating the compact, low-speed aerobatic style characteristic of Western designs.
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 pilot's enclosed cockpit is situated beneath a sliding teardrop canopy aligned with the wing’s trailing edge, with the seating positioned below wing level. Power is provided by a 360 horsepower (270 kW) Vedeneyev M14P radial engine driving a two-blade V-530TA-D35 propeller, identical to that used on the Yak-50. The aircraft employs fixed landing gear with titanium-sprung main wheels complemented by a tailwheel.
The prototype made its maiden flight in May 1981 and was publicly revealed at the Moscow Tushino air show in August 1982. Although displayed at the 1982 World Aerobatic Championships, it did not participate in competition. By this period, aerobatic trends had shifted back towards high-energy maneuvers similar to those performed by the Yak-50, leading to the Soviet team declining to adopt the original Yak-55 design. Consequently, the aircraft underwent redesign featuring shorter-span wings with reduced surface area and a thinner but still symmetrical airfoil section, enhancing roll rate and speed. Production commenced in 1985 at Arsenyev, culminating in 108 units delivered by 1991.
In response to demands from DOSAAF for an aircraft with superior roll performance and to contend with new Sukhoi designs, development began on an updated variant known as the Yak-55M during the late 1980s. This model incorporated even smaller wings to achieve higher roll rates. Its first flight occurred in May 1989, with series production starting in 1990. By late 1993, 106 Yak-55Ms had been produced, with manufacturing continuing at a reduced pace thereafter.
Operational use
The Yak-55 made its debut with the Soviet aerobatic team in 1984, the same year they secured victory at the World Aerobatic Championship. In that year, the Soviet women's aerobatic squad also achieved 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 strong reliability and outstanding performance across various competition levels. The aircraft’s proven capabilities, combined with its relatively high production count (approximately 250 units), have resulted in owners making only minor modifications, most of which are unnecessary.
Variants
- Yak-55
- The initial prototype and early production aerobatic aircraft featuring long-span wings.
- Yak-55
- A production update featuring a reduced wingspan and wing area.
- Yak-55M
- An enhanced version with redesigned wings.
- Technoavia SP-55M
- Developed from the Yak-55M by V. P. Kondratiev—one of the original Yak-55 designers—the SP-55M incorporates a redesigned vertical stabilizer, composite-covered control surfaces, and a deeper rear fuselage.
- Yak-56
- Conceived as a two-seat trainer derivative of the Yak-55M, this model featured a low-wing design and retractable landing gear. It was to be powered by a 300 hp VOKBM M-16 8-cylinder x-8 engine coupled with an AV-16 three-bladed propeller. Although its prototype was slated for a 1992 flight, engine production delays led Yakovlev to prioritize development of the Yak-54 instead.
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- Boerboon & Coller Yak-110
- The Yak-110 is a unique American creation combining two Yak-55 fuselages into a twin-fuselage aircraft. It features a newly designed center 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; Boerboon owns one fuselage while Chad Bartee owns the other. The aircraft is piloted from the left cockpit and remains the sole three-engine plane certified for unlimited aerobatics as of 2023. Its inaugural airshow appearance was at Gunfighter Skies in 2018 at Mountain Home Air Force Base, 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