Yakovlev Yak-8

Yakovlev Yak-8

Company type	Utility aircraft
Industry	Aerospace
Founded	Early 1944 (first flight)
Headquarters	Soviet Union
Products	Aircraft

Template:Infobox aircraft The Yakovlev Yak-8 was a utility aircraft from the Soviet Union designed during the period of World War II. Despite not entering mass production, it was assigned the NATO reporting name "Crib".

Development

Derived as an enhanced model of the Yakovlev Yak-6, the Yak-8 featured a slightly larger airframe while preserving the mixed-material construction and overall design of its predecessor. The forward and central sections of the fuselage utilized a wooden semi-monocoque structure, clad internally and externally with a 2 mm (0.079 in) plywood layer. The rear fuselage consisted of a tubular steel frame covered with fabric. Its wing was constructed as a single-piece wooden structure with two spars, and the fabric-covered ailerons were integrated accordingly. The main landing gear retracted rearward into the aft portion of the engine nacelles, whereas the tailwheel was non-retractable and castoring. Initially, two 190-horsepower (140 kW) Kossov M-12 engines were planned for installation; however, due to their unavailability, the less powerful 145-horsepower (108 kW) Shvetsov M-11FM engines were fitted instead. Designed specifically as a transport, the Yak-8’s fuselage was deeper than that of the Yak-6, providing increased headroom and allowing accommodation for six passengers rather than four.

Two prototypes were constructed, with the initial flight occurring in early 1944. The second prototype weighed approximately 250 kilograms (550 lb) less than the first and successfully completed State acceptance trials. Although production was recommended following these tests, no orders were placed, likely due to the Soviet shift toward all-metal aircraft designs.