Country of origin:

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

Description:

Two-seat civil and military training monoplane

Power Plant:

One 119 kw (160 hp) Shvetsov M-11-FR five-cylinder air-cooled radial engine

Specifications:

History:

Towards the end of World War II the basic Soviet Air Force trainer, known as the UT-2M, received some development and improvements, including enclosed cockpits and changes to the undercarriage.  The new design became known as the UT-2V and later was developed to become the Yakovlev Yak 18, the prototype of which first flew in 1945.  It was designed by Aleksandr Sergeyevich Yakovlev and was first exhibited at the Poznan International Trade Fair in April 1948, becoming known under the NATO codename Max.

It was tested extensively and approval was given to place the type in production in 1947. It is believed some 9,000 examples were completed.  The second prototype was flown in 1946 and made some concessions to modernity in having a pneumatically operated retractable undercarriage, flaps and brakes, and the M-11-FR engine.  The latter was a simple slow-running unit with pneumatic / electric starting and drove a two-blade wooden propeller.  The fuel and oil system provided for prolonged operation under negative G and the fuel tanks containing 130 litres (28.5 Imp gals) gave an endurance of 3½ hours cruising at 170 km/h (106 mph), the engine operating at 1,550 rpm and using 36 litres (8 Imp gals) per hour.

In the 1940s the Yak 18 was licensed to the Chinese Government as the CJ-5 (CJ being the Chinese designation for primary trainer) for service with the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) and was later developed into the Nanchang CJ-6 with a more powerful engine and a tricycle undercarriage.  The CJ-5 was fitted with the Mikulin M-11 engine, also known as the Shvetsov M-11.  This engine was originally designed in 1923 in a competition for a new engine for trainer aircraft, it being a five-cylinder single-row radial air-cooled piston engine with aluminium cylinder heads, having individual camshafts for each cylinder operating the pushrods rather than a single central camshaft ring. It initially only had a service life of 50 hours and produced 73 kw (100 hp) but was developed over the years through the M-11D with 92 kw (125 hp) to the M-11-FR with 119 kw (160 hp).

In 1951 the Yak 18 established several international FAI class records, including a speed over a 500 km (310 miles) closed circuit of 251.8 km/h (156 mph) and over a 2,000 km (1,243 miles) closed circuit of 209.6 km/h (130 mph).

The Yak 18 was used both in the Soviet and many other countries for military and civil primary training duties and was the subject of much development right up to the four-seat Yak 18T series.  A variant was the Yak 18U, introduced in 1955, which differed in having a retractable nosewheel undercarriage, this necessitating the lengthening of the forward fuselage by 25.4 cm (10 in) and empty and loaded weights increased with a consequent reduction in performance.

During the years 1954 to 1958 the Nanchang Aircraft Manufacturing Company (NAMC) in China produced the CJ-5 and delivered 379 examples.  It was known as the Chuji Jiaolianji-5, abbreviated to Chujiao-5, or Basic Training Aircraft Type 5, and was the first serious attempt by China to produce an aircraft for training duties.  It was supplied to the PLAAF, the Naval Air Force, and China’s Commercial Aviation Organisation.  Construction was of aluminium with fabric covering.  It was basically a simple aircraft with basic construction techniques and supporting systems and was built in accordance with the basic Yakovlev Yak 18 design.

In the Soviet Union the Yak 18 was replaced by the Yak 18A which was fitted with the AI-14R nine-cylinder radial engine which provided 194 kw (260 hp) at 2,350 rpm and, apart from strengthening, retained the same basic structure. The cockpit canopy was enlarged, the vertical tail surfaces were increased slightly in area and minor aerodynamic improvements were made.  Developed at the same time was the Yak 18P which was developed for competition flying.  This was followed by the Yak 18PM which was fitted with the AI-14RF radial engine which provided 224 kw (300 hp).

Soviet-built Yak 18s were supplied to the Chinese Air Force.  In about 1955 there was a dispute between China and Russia along the China – Mongolian border. Yak 18s which had been supplied to China were being used as bombers and were flown to a Russian base for servicing. In due course the Yak 18s were expected to be returned to Russia but five were put in storage.  There they remained with a number of retired transport aircraft until 2000 when the five Yak 18 aircraft were located by an Australian working in the area, one being shipped to Australia and the other four to the United States.

Only a few examples of the CJ-5 and Yak 18 survive, a few CJ-5s being in China but a few having been restored to airworthiness in Europe, one being registered as OO-IAK.  The example of the Yak 18 imported to Australia became VH-OOZ (c/n 1332013) and was restored to airworthiness at Serpentine, WA by Franciscus Smit. It was shipped to Australia in April 2006 and was registered in 2015.  In late 2017 it was noted as for sale.