Yak-15 A.S.Yakovlev ('Feather')


T
he Yak-15 used the fuselage of the all-metal Yak-3U piston-engined fighter with a jet engine, placed under the pilot cockpit and the wing, with the exhaust under the wing. Changes included new main wing spar with arch-shaped center section made to accommodate the engine, steel plate protecting underfuselage from engine exhaust and steel tailwheel.
Cockpit was identical to the one of piston engined predecessor, what provided pilots with with familiar conditions and allowed an easy introduction to jet engines.
First flight of the lightest operational jet-fighter ever built was performed by M.I.Ivanov on April 24, 1946. On August 18 Yak-15 participated in airforce parade at Tushino.
Utilization of Yak-3U airframe made production transition time very short. First series aircraft was flying on October 5, 1946. On October 21 fifteen aircraft were assembled and delivered to LII for evaluation.
In May 1947 Yak-15 passed State Acceptance trials, and test-pilot P.Stefanovskij undertook the first aerobatic trial.
Batch of 280 series aircraft was ordered and built. Most of Yak-15 were used as trainers to acclimate pilots and provide experience. For real service conditions Yak-15 was found somewhat unreliable.
4k b/w, Air International
PredecessorsModifications

Yak-17 		Yak-21
Yak-23
ReferencesLinks
  • "History of aircraft construction in the USSR" by V.B.Shavrov, Vol.2 p.322;
  • "Yak fighter in action" by Hans-Heiri Stapfer.
  • "Notes of an aircraft designer" by Alexandre Yakovlev
  • Yak-15 at Virtual Aircraft Museum
  • Yak-15, Yakovlev 'Feather'
  • THE MUSEUM OF A.S.Yakovlev
  • Yakovlev aircraft at WWW.AVIATION.RU
  • Yakovlev (USSR) by D.Levin
  • Russian Jet Technology 1937-1945
  • Not Copying Germans. The first indigenous projects of turbojet-powered aircraft [in the USSR]
  • GREAT DAY FOR RUSSIAN AVIATION
  • Yak-15 at Avijacija: Lovci Multifunkcionalni avioni
    		• Technical data
    Type Yak-15
    Function Fighter
    Year 1946
    Crew 1
    Engines 1*900 RD-10
    Length 8.7m
    Wingspan 9.2m
    Wing area 14.85m2
    Empty weight 1918kg
    Loaded weight 2634kg
    Wing load 177kg/m2
    Trust-to-Weight 0.34
    Speed at 0m 700km/h
    Speed at 5000m 805km/h
    Landing Speed 135km/h
    Landing Roll 720m
    Takeoff Roll 600m
    Turn time 26sec
    Range 510km
    Flight Endurance 0.7h
    Ceiling 13350m
    Climb
    Rate at 0m 24.0m/sec
    5000m 4.8min
    10000m 13.8min
    Payload
    Fuel+Oil 590+10kg
    Armament
    Guns 2*23mm NS-23 60rpg
    Created January 25, 1996
    Modified February 09, 1999 by
    by Alexandre Savine    		 Back to
    Main Gate