Yakovlev Yak-55

Yakovlev Yak-55

Company type	Aircraft
Industry	Aerospace
Founded	May 1981 (1981-05)
Founder	Sergei Yakovlev, V. P. Kondratiev, D. K. Drach (design team)
Headquarters	Arsenyev , Soviet Union (now Russia)
Products	Single-seat aerobatic aircraft
Parent	Yakovlev Design Bureau

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The Yakovlev Yak-55 is a single-seat aircraft designed specifically for aerobatics. Pilots operating the Yak-55 have achieved multiple world championship titles in aerobatic competitions.

Development

During the 1976 World Aerobatic Championship, Soviet aviators secured the top two positions in the individual category and also triumphed in both the team and women's events while flying Yakovlev Yak-50 aircraft. Despite these victories, Soviet pilots noted that Western-built competitors demonstrated superior performance by requiring less space to execute identical maneuvers. In response, a team at the Yakovlev design bureau, headed by Sergei Yakovlev with chief engineers V. P. Kondratiev and D. K. Drach, embarked on creating a completely new aerobatic plane unrelated to the Yak-50, aiming to emulate the compact, low-speed maneuvering style characteristic of Western models.

The Yakovlev Yak-55 emerged as a single-engine, all-metal cantilever monoplane. Its wing is positioned mid-fuselage and features 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 seat positioned below wing level. The aircraft is powered by a 360 horsepower (270 kW) Vedeneyev M14P radial engine in tractor configuration, coupled with a two-bladed V-530TA-D35 propeller—the same powerplant used in the Yak-50. It incorporates fixed landing gear with titanium-sprung main wheels and a tailwheel.

The prototype completed its maiden flight in May 1981 and was presented at the Moscow Tushino air show in August 1982. Although displayed at the 1982 World Aerobatic Championships, it did not participate in competition. By then, aerobatic trends had shifted back toward high-energy flying styles exemplified by the Yak-50, causing the Soviet team to reject the original Yak-55 design. Subsequently, the aircraft was modified with new wings of reduced span and area, incorporating a thinner yet still symmetrical airfoil to enhance roll rate and speed. Series production started in 1985 at Arsenyev, culminating in 108 units delivered by 1991.

In the late 1980s, development commenced on an improved variant known as the Yak-55M to satisfy DOSAAF requirements for increased roll performance and to compete against new Sukhoi designs. This model featured an even smaller wing to achieve higher roll rates. Its first flight occurred in May 1989, followed by production beginning in 1990. By late 1993, 106 Yak-55M aircraft had been manufactured, with low-rate production continuing thereafter.

Operational use

The Yak-55 was initially employed by the Soviet aerobatic team in 1984, the year they secured victory at the World Aerobatic Championship. That same year, the Soviet women's aerobatic squad also achieved first place piloting the Yak-55, with Kh. Makagonova earning the individual gold medal.

This aircraft has experienced minimal issuance of Service Bulletins and Airworthiness Directives, demonstrating remarkable reliability and outstanding performance across various competition levels. Its proven capabilities, combined with a production total of approximately 250 units, have resulted in owners rarely undertaking significant modifications, as few alterations are necessary.

Variants

Yak-55

This was the prototype and initial production model designed for aerobatics, featuring long-span wings.

Yak-55

An updated production model characterized by a reduced wingspan and smaller wing area.

Yak-55M

A further refined variant incorporating redesigned wings.

Technoavia SP-55M

Developed from the Yak-55M by V. P. Kondratiev—one of the original Yak-55 designers—this version includes a redesigned vertical stabilizer, composite-covered control surfaces, and an elongated rear fuselage.

Yak-56

Intended as a two-seat trainer derived from the Yak-55M, the Yak-56 was designed with a low wing and retractable landing gear. It was to be powered by a 300 hp VOKBM M-16 eight-cylinder X engine driving an AV-16 three-bladed propeller. Although its prototype was anticipated to fly in 1992, delays in engine development led Yakovlev to focus on producing the Yak-54 instead.

File:2019 Fort Worth Alliance Air Show 139 (Jeff Boerboon's "Yak-110").jpg

Boerboon and Bartee's "Yak-110"

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 central wing section supporting a single General Electric J85 turbojet engine alongside the original Vedeneyev M14P radial engines. Conceived in 2016 by pilot Jeff Boerboon and mechanic Dell Coller—owners of the individual airframes—the aircraft is piloted from the left cockpit and remains the only three-engine plane 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

Lithuania

• Lithuanian National Defence Volunteer Forces

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