Yakovlev Yak-32

Yakovlev Yak-32

Company type	Aircraft model
Industry	Aerospace
Founded	1960
Headquarters	Soviet Union
Products	Single-seat sport and light attack jet aircraft

Yakovlev Yak-32 (known by its NATO reporting name as Mantis) represents a single-seat adaptation of the Yakovlev Yak-30 (1960). The design bureau, OKB, asserted that it was the first sporting aircraft worldwide to feature an ejection seat. This variant carried the designation Yak-104PS. However, neither the Yak-30 nor the Yak-32 proceeded to mass production.

Design and development

Conceived alongside the Yak-30, the Yak-32 was engineered as a single-seat jet intended for both sport aviation and light military ground attack roles. Its structure was largely derived from the Yak-30 airframe but altered to accommodate only one pilot. Yakovlev aimed to introduce this model as a civilian sporting jet during a period when no other single-seat jets were available commercially. It was not until the 1970s, with the advent of the jet-powered Bede BD-5, that a comparable sport aircraft appeared on the market. Even in contemporary times, manufacturers seldom offer single-seat sport jets.

The Yak-32Sh represented a light attack variant equipped with enhanced avionics compared to the baseline Yak-32. This version was capable of carrying external stores such as ZB-500 or ZB-360 fuel tanks, bombs weighing up to 500 kg, and various weapons including up to four rocket pods (with UB-32/S-5 being the largest), four K-13/R-3S air-to-air missiles, four ARS-240 rockets, or four gun pods like AOI-9 or UKP-23, each loaded with 250 rounds.

On 5 August 1971, one Yak-32 was modified to incorporate the RU19P-300 engine variant, adapted specifically to allow prolonged inverted flight. This modified aircraft was designated Yak-32P and demonstrated flight performance equal to that of the original Yak-32 during evaluation.

Operational history

Between 1960 and 1961, three Yak-32 prototypes were constructed alongside four Yak-30 trainer prototypes. These aircraft bore the call signs 32, 60, and 70. At the 1961 Aviation Day event held at Tushino, the aircraft designated 30 and 70 performed aerobatic displays. Subsequently, they achieved multiple world records, although their thrust was inaccurately reported to the FAI as 800 kg.

The ASCC assigned the designation "Mantis" to the Yak-32/Yak-104 models.

Survivors

• Yakovlev has preserved one Yak-32, which is exhibited at Khodinka in the OKB's signature red and white livery.

See also

Bibliography

• Jakubovich, Nikolay. Wings of Motherland: Aviation and politics, or how 'Dolphin' destroyed Yak-30.

External links

• Aero-concept.com
• Ctrl-c.liu.se Archived 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine
• Airwar.ru (RU)
• Yak-30 Walkaround Archived 2009-03-22 at the Wayback Machine