Yakovlev Yak-26

Yakovlev Yak-26

Company type	Military aircraft prototype
Industry	Aerospace
Founded	June 24, 1956 (1956-06-24)
Headquarters	Soviet Union
Products	Tactical supersonic bomber prototype

The Yakovlev Yak-26, also known by its OKB designation Yak-123, was a Soviet tactical supersonic bomber prototype that was demonstrated at the Tushino air show on 24 June 1956. This aircraft did not proceed to operational service.

Design and development

Derived from the subsonic Yak-25, the Yak-123-1 prototype was created alongside the Yak-27 series, with the primary objective of achieving supersonic flight capability. While retaining the general configuration of the Yak-25, the Yak-123 featured a more elongated and aerodynamically refined fuselage, including a glazed nose section for a navigator-bombardier, replacing the original radome. The propulsion system was upgraded to two more powerful RD-9AK afterburning turbojet engines, and wing modifications were implemented. The armament was changed from a single Nudelman N-37 cannon to a pair of 23 mm NR-23 guns. A subsequent prototype, designated Yak-26-3, incorporated a tail barbette mounting two additional NR-23 cannons, which were later removed following evaluation. The aircraft included an internal bomb bay capable of carrying 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) of ordnance, including the nuclear-capable RDS-4 Tatyana bomb, with supplementary stores able to be mounted on underwing pylons. Engine upgrades were finalized with RD-9F models.

Despite promising supersonic performance, these designs lacked onboard radar systems, which restricted their operational effectiveness. Furthermore, they exhibited stability challenges at high speeds, particularly susceptibility to aileron reversal phenomena. These issues prompted further design refinements culminating in the preproduction Yak-26 series.

Although publicly flown at the Tushino air show on 24 June 1956, production was limited to only ten units, and the aircraft never entered active service.

Operators

Template:USSR

• Soviet Air Force

External links

• Yak-26 on Ugolok Neba (Russian language)
• Yak-26 at Legion.wplus.net Archived 2011-09-28 at the Wayback Machine