Country of origin:

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

Description:

Single-seat aerobatic monoplane

Power Plant:

One 265 kw (355 hp) VOKBM M-14P nine-cylinder supercharged air-cooled radial engine

Specifications:

History:

The Yak 55 series was an all-metal cantilever monoplane designed for high-performance aerobatics and was first seen at Spitzberg, Austria in 1982 at the World Aerobatic Championships when flown by Yakovlev Bureau test pilot Mikhael Molchaniuk.  A team in the Yakovlev Design Bureau, led by Sergei Yakovlev, with VP Kondratiev and DK Drach as chief engineers, set out to design an all new dedicated aerobatic aircraft.

The aircraft’s wing was mounted mid-way up the fuselage and was of thick, symmetrical section to aid inverted flight.  Subsequently it underwent refinement, including stronger tapered wings of thinner section, eventually leading to the Yak 55M, which was used by the Soviet team in the 1989 European Aerobatic Championships.  Of all-metal construction, the Yak 55 had a thick-section mid-mounted two-spar wing and a semi-monocoque fuselage with a bowed cantilever titanium spring undercarriage.  The aircraft was stressed for +9 and –6G.  Rate of roll was 345 degrees per second.

The prototype Yak 55 first flew in May 1981 and was unveiled at the Moscow Tushino Air Show in August 1982. It was placed on display, but did not compete at the 1982 World Aerobatic Championships.  However, it was not chosen by the Soviet aerobatic team and it was re-designed, with new wings with a shorter span, reduced area and a thinner but still symmetrical aerofoil section, giving an increased rate of roll and speed.  Series production finally began in 1985 and 108 aircraft were delivered by 1991.

In the late 1980s the design team was working on a revised version, the Yak 55M, to meet demands of the Soviet Air Force for an aircraft with further increased rates of roll, and to compete with new designs from the Sukhoi Design Bureau.  The Yak 55M received a still smaller wing, which resulted in the required improvement in roll-rate and it first flew in May 1989, later entering production.

Production of the Yak 55 series continued for some time, a number being supplied to the Ukrainian Air Force.  The Yak 55M model began production in 1991, some 60 being delivered to the Russian DOSAAF para-military training organisation.  Power plant was the Vedeneyev M-14P driving a two-blade V-530TA-D35 propeller.  The undercarriage was fixed and it had titanium sprung main wheels and a tailwheel.  At least 40 were delivered to US civil operators.

Two examples of the Yak 55 arrived in Australia in 1998, one in Melbourne, VIC and one is Sydney, NSW both carrying their Russian registrations. At least three Yak 55Ms are known to have been imported to this region.  One was assembled at Camden, NSW, later becoming VH-YUK (c/n 910207 – ex RA44512) registered in February 2000, a second becoming VH-YKA (c/n 870208 – ex DOSAAF-11) in February 2001.

A further example became VH-XSZ (c/n 950901) on 16 March 2011 to Craig Charter of Amaroo.  It was initially registered in the United States as N572ST on 14 November 2006.  Ownership was transferred to Stewart McNaughton of Portland, VIC on 15 November 2011.  A further Yak 55M became VH-RUR (c/n 920606) to Oleg Kuznetsov of Upwey, VIC on 19 September 2018.

The first example in New Zealand became ZK-JPO (c/n 880609), being imported from Lithuania in 2005 and assembled at Rangiora, being followed by ZK-YKV (c/n 920402 – ex N5288N) at Christchurch in March 2008.

A new variant was eventually built as the Technoavia SP 55M and this entered production.  The prototype of this variant was imported to Australia in 2000 after some period of testing in Russia, becoming VH-JCE (c/n 01-01-00-001 – ex RA44547) on  14 March 2005 to its owner, being based at Kyneton, VIC.