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Yakovlev Yak-40 (Codling)

1968 COLD WAR MODERN X-PLANE

History of the Yakovlev Yak-40 (Codling)

The Yakovlev Yak-40 (Codling) was a Soviet Cold War three-engine regional airliner. The series first flew as a prototype on October 21, 1966, and entered service with Aeroflot in September 1968.

A total of 1,011 prototypes of this model were produced and entered service in many countries allied with the Soviet Union (military and civilian markets). shape) including Afghanistan, Albania, Czechoslovakia and Ukraine. Although production ended in 1981, the series continues to fly today (2021) - with around 130 examples exported in total.

Its design is traditional, like a three-engine aircraft: the engines are located on the sides of the fuselage and aft on the fuselage ridge, reducing cabin noise to a certain extent. The main plane is lower, mounted amidships and, although not turned back, has a slight V (up angle) shape.

The rear wing adopts the tried-and-true T-plane configuration, with the horizontal plane positioned high on the vertical rear wing. At the bottom of the fin is the dorsal motor housing.

The cockpit is positioned forward of the fuselage as usual, the crew seats are side-by-side and the short, sloping nose cone provides good forward visibility. Each crew member (pilot and co-pilot) received a control yoke and foot pedals to provide redundancy, and throttle controls were conveniently centralized on a common console separating the two seats.

A three-wheeled chassis is provided for ground running and is fully retractable in this version.

The original production model was referred to simply as the Yak-40, while the military modification was called the Yak-40-25, with the nose of the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25R and used in the ELINT role. Another military form is the Yak-40 "Akva", which has a probe on the nose assembly and contains a set of sensors and special equipment. Yak-40 "Fobos" is another military brand with side-view hoods. The Yak-40 "Kalibrovshchik" is an improved ELINT variant, while the Yak-40L is proposed as a swept-wing version with 2 x Lycoming LF507-1N turbofan engines (in collaboration with Textron and Skorost). Yak-40 "Liros" became another military product, equipped with sensors and special equipment.

Another military market form, the Yak-40 "Meteo" featuring a dipole antenna, the military Yak-40REO employs an infrared scanning device and a viewing dome on the starboard side of the fuselage. The Yak-40 "Shstorm" military variant is identified by its additional external detectors and carries additional sensors and equipment.

The Yak-40 M-602 was further developed into a flight test bed and data acquisition platform - notably its nose cone-mounted M-602 propeller unit (this version still flies for Russia today). Yak-40D "Dal-niy" and Yak-30EC designated export models are extended range.

The Yak-40K is a cargo transport conversion with a cargo door.

The Yak-40M is a proposed brand with an elongated fuselage that can carry up to 40 passengers. The Yak-40P has an enlarged engine nacelle. The Yak-40TL is another proposed modernization model designed to be powered by 3 x AI-25T turbofan engines. The Yak-40MS is an experimental version powered by two Honeywell TFE731-5 series turbofan engines.

The STR-40DT brand identified a proposed version with composite wings.

The original Yak-40 was operated by a standard crew of three, including a flight mechanic. Up to 32 passengers can be transported. The overall length reaches 66.9 feet, the wingspan is 82 feet, and the overall height is 21.3 feet. The kerb weight is 20,723 pounds and the MTOW is 34,172 pounds.

The engine arrangement includes three Ivchenko AI-25 non-afterburner turbofan engines, each delivering approximately 3,300 pounds of thrust.

Top speed is Mach 0.7 and cruising speed is around 340 mph. Range is 1,100 miles with service capped at 26,000 feet (requires cabin pressurization). The climb rate is 1,575 feet per minute.

Yakovlev The Yak-42 ("Clobber") is a related development of the Yak-40 family, also based on a three-engine layout and sharing many qualities of the original (with the notable exception of the swept-wing main aircraft).

Yakovlev Yak-40 (Codling) Specification

BASICS

Service Year

1968

Origin

Soviet Union

Status

ACTIVE

In Limited Service.

Crew

Production

1,011

MANUFACTURER(S)

Yakovlev OKB - Soviet Union

OPERATORS

Afghanistan; Albania; Angola; Azerbaijan; Belarus; Bolivia; Bulgaria; Cuba; Czech Republic; Czechoslovakia; Egypt; Ethiopia; Equatorial Guinea; Guinea Bissau; West Germany; Greece; Guatemala; Honduras; Hungary; Italy; Kazakhstan; Kyrgyzstan; Laos; Libya; Lithuania; Madagascar; Moldova; Peru; Philippines; Poland; Russia; Serbia; Slovakia; Soviet Union; Syria; Tajikistan; Turkmenistan; Ukraine; Uzbekistan; Venezuela; Vietnam; Yemen; Yugoslavia; Zambia

ROLES

Commercial Aviation

Used in roles serving the commercial aviation market, moving passengers and cargo over long distances.

VIP service

Used in the VIP (Very Important Person) passenger role, usually with above-average amenities and luxury as standard.

Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance (ISR), reconnaissance

Monitor ground targets/target areas to assess surrounding threat levels, enemy strength, or enemy movement.

X-Plane (development, prototype, tech demo)

Aircraft designed for prototyping, technology demonstration, or research/data collection.

Notable Features

Multi-engine

Include two or more engines to improve survivability and/or performance.

Extended Range Performance

Ability to travel long distances using on-board fuel supplies.

Operation Lakes

Able to operate over the ocean and survive certain harsh marine environments.

Depression in crew members

Support the pressurization required for crew survival at higher operating altitudes.

Crew management

In addition to the pilot, the aircraft also employs additional crew members who specialize in specific functions on the aircraft.

Closed crew room

There are partially or fully enclosed crew work areas.

Scalable

Has retractable/retractable landing gear to maintain aerodynamic efficiency.

Extended Access

Design incorporates feature(s) that facilitates loading / unloading of cargo / personnel from the aircraft.

DIMENSIONS & WEIGHTS

Length

66. 8 ft

(20. 35 m)

Width/Span

82. 0 ft

(25. 00 m)

Height

21. 3 ft

(6. 50 m)

Empty Wgt

20,723 lb

(9,400 kg)

MTOW

34,172 lb

(15,500 kg)

Wgt Diff

+13,448 lb

(+6,100 kg)

MAINPLANE STRUCTURE

monoplane / low-mounted / straight

Monoplane

Design utilizes a single primary wing mainplane; this represent the most popular mainplane arrangement.

Low-Mounted

Mainplanes are low-mounted along the sides of the fuselage.

Straight

The planform involves use of basic, straight mainplane members.

(Structural descriptors pertain to the Yakovlev Yak-40 production variant)

POWER & PERFORMANCE

Installed:

3 x Ivchenko AI-25 non-afterburning turbofan engines developing 3,300lb of thrust each.

Max Speed

537 mph

(865 kph | 467 kts)

Cruise Speed

342 mph

(550 kph | 297 kts)

Maximum Speed Diff

+196 mph

(+315 kph | 170 kts)

Ceiling

26,247 ft

(8,000 m | 5 mi)

Range

1,118 mi

(1,800 km | 3,334 nm)

Rate-of-Climb

1,575 ft/min

(480 m/min)

ARMAMENT

None.

VARIANTS

Yak-40 ("Codling") - Initial production form. Yak-40D "Dal-niy" - Extended range model. Yak-40EC - Export variant. Yak-40K - Cargo-hauling variant; enlarged freight access door added to fuselage. Yak-40L - Proposed model with 2 x Lycoming LF507-1N turbofan engines and swept-back wing mainplanes.

Yak-40M - Proposed stretched fuselage model. Yak-40 M-602 - Flying laboratory and data-collecting platform; propeller unit fitted to nose cone. Yak-40TL - Proposed modernized form to feature 3 x Lycoming LF507 turbofan engines. Yak-40V - Export form with 3 x AI-25T turbofan engines.

Yak-40MS - Experimental model with 2 x Honeywell TFE731-5 turbofan engines. STR-40DT - Proposed variant with composite wing construction. Yak-40-25 - Military variant for ELINT; MiG-25R nose section and specialized equipment.

Yak-40 "Akva"- Military variant with nose probe, sensors, and specialized onboard equipment. Yak-40 "Fobos" - Military variant; dorsal viewing domes added to fuselage. Yak-40 "Kalibrovshchik" - Military ELINT variant. Yak-40 "Liros" - Military variant; nose probe and added sensors with specialized onboard equipment. Yak-40 "Meteo" - Military variant with dipole antenna and starboard side observation blister.