Yakovlev Yak-11

Yakovlev Yak-11

Company type	Trainer aircraft
Industry	Aerospace
Founded	1947
Headquarters	Soviet Union
Products	Trainer aircraft

The Yakovlev Yak-11 (Russian: Яковлев Як-11; known by NATO as "Moose") served as a trainer aircraft for the Soviet Air Force and various Warsaw Pact air forces from its introduction in 1947 until its retirement in 1962.

Design and development

In mid-1944, the Yakovlev design bureau initiated development of a sophisticated trainer derived from the Yak-3 fighter, although this project was not prioritized due to the ongoing Second World War. The initial prototype, called the Yak-UTI or Yak-3UTI, took to the skies in late 1945. This model was based on the radial-engine Yak-3U but replaced its ASh-82 engine with the seven-cylinder Shvetsov ASh-21, a single-row radial essentially representing half of the two-row, fourteen-cylinder ASh-82. It retained the all-metal wings from the Yak-3U but featured a fuselage constructed from both metal and wood. The cockpit accommodated the pilot and observer seated in tandem beneath an elongated canopy with individual sliding canopies. Armament consisted of one synchronized UBS 12.7 mm machine gun and wing-mounted racks capable of carrying two bombs weighing up to 100 kg (220 lb) each.

File:LET C-11 ‘1706’ (33733903654).jpg

Let C-11

An enhanced prototype emerged in 1946, incorporating redesigned cockpit arrangements and an updated engine installation featuring shock-mounted mounting for improved vibration absorption. This version successfully completed state trials by October 1946, leading to production commencement at facilities located in Saratov and Leningrad during 1947.

Production models of the Yak-11 were heavier compared to prototypes, with subsequent series equipped with fixed tailwheels instead of retractable ones and updated propeller designs. Occasionally, a 7.62 mm ShKAS machine gun was installed in place of the UBS, and some units were fitted with rear-view periscopes positioned above the windscreen. Soviet factories produced a total of 3,859 units between 1947 and 1955, while an additional 707 aircraft were manufactured under license by Let in Czechoslovakia, where they were designated as the C-11.

Yak-11U

In 1951, Yakovlev updated the Yak-11 design by incorporating a retractable tricycle landing gear. Two variants were proposed: the Yak-11U basic trainer and the Yak-11T proficiency trainer, both equipped with systems comparable to those found in contemporary jet fighters. This updated model featured a smaller fuel capacity and was unsuitable for operations on uneven or snow-covered airstrips, leading to its rejection by Soviet forces. Nevertheless, a limited number of these aircraft were manufactured in Czechoslovakia under the designation C-11U.

Operational history

File:Yak 11 Egyptian 1964.jpg

Egyptian Air Force Yak-11

The Yak-11 was introduced into service in 1947, functioning as a primary advanced trainer for the Soviet Air Forces and DOSAAF. Both the Yak-11 and its Czechoslovakian counterpart, the C-11, saw widespread use across all Warsaw Pact nations and were exported to eighteen countries spanning Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

During Egypt's involvement in the Yemeni Civil War, the aircraft was extensively employed. Egyptian forces modified their Yak-11s by equipping them with Sakr 78mm unguided rocket launchers and twin .303in wing-mounted guns, utilizing them primarily for ground attack missions.

In the Korean War, North Korea operated Yak-11s in combat roles; notably, one Yak-11 became the first North Korean aircraft downed by US forces when an North American F-82 Twin Mustang shot it down near Kimpo Airfield on 27 June 1950. Additionally, East Germany deployed the Yak-11 to intercept American reconnaissance balloons.

Surviving aircraft

File:86 Yak 11 N5934 Czech Mate 2014 gold heat photo D Ramey Logan.jpg

Heavily modified Yak-11 used for air racing

Thanks to its lineage from the Yak-3, the Yak-11 has gained considerable popularity among warbird collectors and enthusiasts. Extensively modified versions frequently appear at air race events. Approximately 120 Yak-11s remain in flying condition today.

Operators

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Fighter/trainer aircraft Yakovlev Yak-11 (National People's Army)

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Preserved Yak-11 of the Polish Air Force

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Yakovlev Yak-11 painted in wartime fighter camouflage

Template:Country data Afghanistan

• Afghan Air Force − Acquired 12 units in 1955. Some remained operational as late as 1981.

Template:Country data Albania

• Albanian Air Force − Received six aircraft in 1953.

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• Algerian Air Force − Obtained 12 former Egyptian planes in 1964, possibly refurbished in Czechoslovakia prior to delivery.

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• National Air Force of Angola

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• Austrian Air Force − Four aircraft gifted by the Soviet Union in 1955.

Bulgaria

• Bulgarian Air Force − Received thirty C-11 variants in 1954.

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• People's Liberation Army Air Force − Delivered fifty units in 1950.

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• Czechoslovak Air Force − Produced approximately 120 under license.

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• East German Air Force

Egypt

• Egyptian Air Force

Template:Country data Iraq

• Iraqi Air Force

Hungary

• Hungarian Air Force

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• Malian Air Force − Four units, non-operational by 2011.

Template:Country data Mongolia

• Mongolian People's Air Force

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• North Korean Air Force

Poland

• Polish Air Force − Received forty aircraft in 1953.

Romania

• Romanian Air Force − Delivered twenty units between 1952 and 1953.

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• Somali Air Corps − Twenty aircraft, non-operational by 1991.

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• Soviet Air Force
• DOSAAF

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• Syrian Air Force

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• Vietnam People's Air Force

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• North Yemen Air Force − Thirty planes donated by the Soviet Union between 1957 and 1958.

Specifications (Yak-11)

File:Yakolev Yak-11 3-view silhouette.jpg

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. The Osprey Encyclopedia of Russian Aircraft 1975–1995. London, UK: Osprey, 1995. ISBN 1-85532-405-9.
• Gunston, Bill and Yefim Gordon. Yakovlev Aircraft since 1924. London, UK: Putnam Aeronautical Books, 1997. ISBN 1-55750-978-6.
• Thompson, Warren. "Twin Mustang in Korea". International Air Power Review. Vol. 3, Winter 2001/2002. Norwalk, Connecticut, USA: AIRtime Publishing. ISBN 1-880588-36-6. Template:ISSN. pp. 156–167.
• Wragg, David. The World Air Power Guide. Casemate Publishers, 2011. ISBN 978-1-84468-784-8. Template:Url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s2PNDwAAQBAJ&q=the+world+air+power+guide.