Yakovlev Yak-50 (1949)

infobox Aircraft
name = Yak-50
type = Fighter interceptor
manufacturer = Yakovlev


caption =
designer =
first flight = July 1949
introduction =
retired =
status = Cancelled
primary user = Soviet Air Forces
more users =
produced =
number built =
unit cost =
developed from =
variants with their own articles =

Yakovlev Yak-50 was an early turbojet interceptor aircraft designed by the Yakovlev OKB in USSR. The Yak-50 designation was later reused for a propeller-driven aerobatic and trainer aircraft.

Development

On February 21, 1949 a Sovmin order requested the Yakovlev OKB to design a lightweight interceptor capable of Mach 0.97 at 4,000 m (13,000 ft) and utilizing the Klimov VK-1 engine which first appeared on Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 and MiG-17 fighters. The new aircraft first flew in July 1949, achieving supersonic speed (Mach 1.03 at 10,000 m (33,000 ft)) in a shallow dive during one of the test flights. The Yak-50 was delivered for government testing in June 1950. In the course of the evaluation the aircraft was commended for excellent performance, but a number of deficiencies were also noted. In particular, the airbrakes were ineffective, there was significant yaw at transsonic speeds making accurate gunfire impossible, and the aircraft was difficult to land in significant crosswinds. Ultimately, the upgraded MiG-17 was selected over Yak-50. The superior performance of the Yak was achieved at the expense of fuel capacity and the advantage was considered insufficient to justify producing two very different aircraft with the same engine.

Operators

;USSR
*Soviet Air Force

pecifications

aircraft specifications
jet or prop?=jet
plane or copter?=plane
crew=1
length main=11.12 m
length alt=36 ft 6 in
span main=8.01 m
span alt=26 ft 3 in
height main=
height alt=
area main=16.0 m²
area alt=172.2 ft²
empty weight main=3,085 kg
empty weight alt=6,787 lb
loaded weight main=4,155 kg
loaded weight alt=9,141 lb
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=

engine (jet)=Klimov VK-1
type of jet=centrifugal compressor turbojet engine
number of jets=1
thrust main=26.5 kN
thrust alt=5,943 lbf
max speed main=1,120 km/h
max speed alt=696 mph
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
range main=850 km
range alt=528 mi
ceiling main=16,050 m
ceiling alt=52,645 ft
climb rate main=68 m/s
climb rate alt=13,380 ft/min
loading main=260 kg/m²
loading alt=53 lb/ft²
thrust/weight=0.65
armament=
* 2× 23 mm Nudelman-Rikhter NR-23 cannons, 80 rounds/gun

Related content (Fighter)

aircontent

related=

similar aircraft=
* Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17
* Dassault Mystère II
* Dassault Mystère IV
* [http://http://sharz.ru/ind_eng.htm Repair Yak-50]

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