Yakovlev Yak-18

Yak-18

A Polish Yakovlev Yak-18 in flight
Role	Training aircraft
Manufacturer	Yakovlev
First flight	1946
Introduction	1946
Status	in limited service
Primary users	Soviet Air Force DOSAAF People's Liberation Army Air Force Polish Air Force

The Yakovlev Yak-18 (Russian: Яковлев Як-18; NATO reporting name Max) was a Soviet tandem two-seat military primary trainer aircraft. Originally powered by one 119 kW (160 hp) Shvetsov M-11FR-1 radial piston engine, it entered service in 1946. It is also produced in China as the Nanchang CJ-5.

Design and development

A member of the second generation of Russian aircraft designers, and best known for fighter designs, Alexander Sergeyevich Yakovlev always retained a light aircraft design section. In May 1945, Yakovlev initiated design of the Yak-18 two-seat primary trainer. He designed it to replace the earlier Yakovlev UT-2 and Yak-5 in service with the Soviet Air Forces and DOSAAF (Voluntary Society for Collaboration with the Army, Air Force and Navy, which sponsored aero clubs throughout the USSR). In 1944, an advanced version of the UT-2 had been built and featured an enclosed canopy and fixed landing gear which bears a striking resemblance to the new Yak-18. The new aircraft flew a year later, powered by a 119 kW (160 hp) Shvetsov M-11 five-cylinder radial engine and featuring pneumatically operated retractable main landing gear and a fixed tailwheel. It entered service as a trainer later that year and was built by Yakovlev up until 1956. Examples were exported to China in kit form beginning in 1950. The Chinese began producing license built copies in 1954 with the designation CJ-5.

The Yak 18's greatest claim to fame is its use as a night bomber by the North Korean Air Force during the Korean War. The aircraft were modified with bomb racks on the wing center section and flew over UN troop locations at night to drop bombs and harass UN forces. The single most successful attack of the North Korean aviation during the war was destroying of a fuel dump with nearly 5.5 million gallons of fuel in Inchon area in June 1953 by 4 or 5 Yak-18s.^[1] The five-cylinder engine reminded many of the US troops of the sound made by early gasoline powered washing machines earning them the name: "Washing Machine Charlie". The name "Bed Check Charlie" was also used for these night intruders. The Yak-18's along with Polikarpov Po-2's became quite a nuisance until US night fighters began shooting them down.

Other claims to fame for the Yak-18 are an international speed record for class in 1951 as well as being the aircraft used for initial flight training by Yuri Gagarin (1st human in space) and Ken Rowe (No Kum-Sok: defected with a Mig-15 during the Korean War). Later, as the need for conventional landing gear trainers abated Yakovlev re-designed the Yak-18 with retractable tricycle landng gear and an Ivchenko AI-14RF radial, 224 kW (300 hp) and was designated the Yak-18A. The design proved exceptionally easy to build and maintain.

There are an estimated 40 original Yak-18's in existence worldwide. Five are currently flyable in the USA, three are flyable in Europe, and the Chinese Air Force has one flyable with several other airframes in storage. Approximately four other aircraft worldwide are currently being restored for flight. Many are found in major aviation museums worldwide including the National Air and Space Museum in the USA. The CJ-6a, produced in China, is sometimes quoted as a variant but is a completely different aircraft designed in China by Bushi Cheng and built by Nanchang Aircraft Company.

Operational history

Aerobatic formation in YAK-18's

Soviet Yak-18PM single-seat aerobatic aircraft competing in the 1970 World Aerobatic Championship at RAF Hullavington, England, in 1970

The Yak-18 became the standard trainer for Air Force flying schools and DOSAAF, is in wide use in China, and in many other countries.

Photographs showing Kim Jong-Un visiting a North Korean Air Force base in March 2014 suggest that the North Koreans may still maintain original Yak-18's or CJ-5's in a bombing role.^[2]

Variants

Polish Air Force Yak-18 in the Polish Aviation Museum

Yak-18A

Yak-18, commemorated on the 1986 USSR stamp

Yak-18: The original production version. Retractable main undercarriage, fixed tailwheel.
Yak-18U: This version was built in small numbers. It had retractable tricycle landing gear.
Yak-18A: Cleaned up version of the Yak-18U, powered by a 194 kW (260 hp) Ivchenko AI-14 FR engine. Built in large numbers.
Yak-18P (NATO reporting name Mouse): Single-seat aerobatic aircraft for use by flying clubs. Adaptation of Yak-18 two-seat trainer.
Yak-18PM: Single-seat aerobatic aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear.
Yak-18PS: Aerobatic aircraft with retractable tailwheel.
Hongzhuan-501 (Red Craftsman): Probable original designation for early CJ-5 production aircraft.
Nanchang CJ-5: The Yak-18 was built under licence in China as the CJ-5 for use by the PLAAF, PLANAF and civilian flying clubs. 379 CJ-5's had been built when production ended in 1958.

Similar model designation

The Yak-18T was developed as an Aeroflot training aircraft and also as a light passenger transport aircraft, with a 4-seat cabin for one pilot and three passengers. It is not a variant of the Yak-18 as it has very little in common, and was designed from scratch 20 years later.

Operators

Yak-18 operators

Afghanistan

Afghan Air Force - 14 acquired from 1957 and retired by 2001.

Albania

Albanian Air Force - 43 (including Chinese CJ-6 variants).

Algeria

Algerian Air Force

Armenia

Armenian Air Force

Austria

Austrian Air Force

Bulgaria

Bulgarian Air Force

Cambodia

Royal Cambodian Air Force

China

People's Liberation Army Air Force - manufactured in China under the designation CJ-5.

Czechoslovakia

Czechoslovakian Air Force
Czechoslovakian National Security Guard

East Germany

East German Air Force

Egypt

Egyptian Air Force

Guinea

Military of Guinea

Hungary

Hungarian Air Force

Iraq

Iraqi Air Force

Khmer Republic

Khmer National Air Force

Laos

Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force

Mali: 2

Air Force of Mali

Mongolia

Mongolian People's Air Force

North Korea

North Korean Air Force

Poland

Polish Air Force

Romania

Romanian Air Force - 17

Somalia

Somali Air Corps

Soviet Union

Syria

Syrian Air Force

Transnistria

Military of Transnistria - 2^[3]

Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan Air Force

Vietnam

Vietnam People's Air Force

Yemen

Yemen Air Force

Zambia

Zambian Air Force

Specifications (Yak-18A)

Yak-18

General characteristics

Crew: two, student and instructor
Length: 8.35 m (27 ft 5 in)
Wingspan: 10.60 m (34 ft 9 in)
Height: 3.35 m (11 ft 0 in)
Wing area: 17.8 m² (191 ft²)
Empty weight: 1,025 kg (2,255 lb)
Loaded weight: kg (lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 1,320 kg (2,904 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Ivchenko AI-14RF radial, 224 kW (300 hp)

Performance

Maximum speed: 300 km/h (187 mph)
Range: 700 km (436 mi)
Service ceiling: 5,060 m (16,596 ft)
Rate of climb: m/s (ft/min)
Wing loading: kg/m² (lb/ft²)
Power/mass: kW/kg (hp/lb)

References

↑ Richard P. Hallion (1986), The Naval Air War in Korea, ISBN 0-933852-47-9, p.186
↑ http://spioenkop.blogspot.it/2014/03/north-korea-forgotten-aircraft-yak-18cj.html
↑ Transnistrian military aviation OrBat

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Yakovlev Yak-18.

Description page on aviation.ru

The initial version of this article was based on material from aviation.ru. It has been released under the GFDL by the copyright holder.

Yakovlev aircraft

Early aircraft	AIR-1 AIR-2 AIR-3 AIR-4 AIR-5 AIR-6 AIR-7 AIR-8 AIR-9 AIR-10 AIR-11 AIR-12 AIR-14 AIR-15 AIR-16 AIR-17 AIR-18 Ya-19 Ya-20 Ya-21 Ya-22

Fighters	Yak-1 Yak-3 Yak-7 Yak-9 Yak-15 Yak-17 Yak-23 Yak-25 (II) Yak-28 Yak-38

Bombers	Yak-2 Yak-4 Yak-28

Transports	Yak-6 Yak-10 Yak-12 Yak-14 Yak-18T Yak-40 Yak-42 Yak-58 Yak-112 Yak-242

Reconnaissance	Yak-25 Yak-27 Pchela

Helicopter	Yak-24 Yak-100

Trainers	UT-1 UT-2 Yak-7 Yak-11 Yak-17 Yak-18 Yak-21 Yak-28 Yak-30 (II) Yak-32 Yak-50 (II) Yak-52 Yak-53 Yak-54 Yak-55 Yak-130 Yak-200 Yak-210

Experimental	EG Yak-5 Yak-8 Yak-13 Yak-16 Yak-19 Yak-25 (I) Yak-26 Yak-30 (I) Yak-36 Yak-41 Yak-43 Yak-44 Yak-46 Yak-50 (I) Yak-60 Yak-140 Yak-1000

PLAAF/PLANAF trainer aircraft

CJ-5 CJ-6 CJ-7 JL-8 JL-9 L-15

Aerobatics

Aircraft	List of aerobatic aircraft

Competitions	European Gliding Championships FAI European Aerobatic Championships FAI World Aerobatic Championships FAI World Grand Prix Red Bull Air Race World Championship World Gliding Championships

Maneuvers	Loop (Inside & Outside) Aileron roll Barrel roll Cuban Eight Falling Leaf Hesitation roll Immelmann turn Kulbit Lomcevak Pugachev's Cobra Slip Spin Split S Stall Turn/Hammerhead Tailslide The Scissors Whifferdill turn Zurabatic Cartwheel

Organizations	British Aerobatic Association Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (Aresti Catalog) International Aerobatic Club International Miniature Aerobatic Club

Pilots	Cecilia R. Aragon Hannes Arch Princess Basmah Bani Ahmad Lincoln J. Beachey Péter Besenyei Ladislav Bezák Marta Bohn-Meyer Paul Bonhomme Pip Borrman Kirby Chambliss Julie Clark Marion Cole Vicki Cruse Mario de Bernardi Glen Dell Matthias Dolderer Wilhelm Düerkop Walter Extra Markus Feyerabend Gerhard Fieseler Jozef Gabris Michael Goulian Matt Hall Wayne Handley Ray Hanna Charlie Hillard Bob Hoover Bevo Howard Petr Jirmus Steve Jones Jurgis Kairys Georgij Kaminski Svetlana Kapanina Sándor Katona Charlie Kulp Anatoly Kvochur Nigel Lamb Jim LeRoy François Le Vot Leo Loudenslager Nancy Lynn Alejandro Maclean Pete McLeod Jerzy Makula Stanisław Makula Mikhail Mamistov Mike Mangold Scott Manning Catherine Maunoury Neil Williams Pyotr Nesterov Alexandr Panfierov Ivy May Pearce Adolphe Pégoud František Peřina Tom Poberezny Maciej Pospieszyński Sergey Rakhmanin Amelia Reid Olaf Schmidt Art Scholl Klaus Schrodt Betty Skelton Erde Skip Stewart Martin Šonka Gene Soucy Chris Sperou Victor Tchmal Reinhold Tiling Ferenc Tóth Sean D. Tucker Nick Turvey Ernst Udet Gabor Varga Juan Velarde Frank Versteegh Patty Wagstaff Kermit Weeks Walter Wolfrum Janusz Żurakowski

Other	3D Radio control Virtual Festival of Aerobatic Teams

Chinese military aircraft

Fighters

Multirole and strike	J-31(F-60)^* J-20^* J-15 J-16 J-10B J-11B J-10 JF-17 JH-7 Su-30MK2 Su-30MKK

Air superiority and interceptor	J-20^* J-11D^* J-10B J-15 J-13 J-12 J-11 J-9 J-8 J-7 J-6 J-5 J-2 Su-27

Ground attack	Q-5 Q-6 J-17^*

Electronic warfare	J-16D^*

Bombers

H-8
H-6
H-5

AEW and AEW&C

Tankers

HY-6
Il-78

Reconnaissance

Transport

Strategic	Y-20^* Y-30^* Y-9 Y-8 Il-76 Y-7

Maritime Patrol	Y-8FQ SH-5

Tactical	Y-12 Y-11 Y-9 Y-8 Y-7 Y-5 737-300/-700 CL 601 Tu-154

Trainers

Helicopters

Attack	Z-10 Z-19 Z-9W Z-11W

Transport and utility	Z-20^* Z-18 Z-15^* Z-11 Z-9 Z-8 Mi-171 Z-6 Z-5

ASW	Z-18F Z-9C Z-8 Ka-28

UAVs and UCAVs

List of unmanned aerial vehicles of China
UCAV
- Sharp Sword
- WJ-600
- Pterodactyl II
- CH-5
- CH-4
- CH-3
- CH-901
- Pterodactyl I
- Guizhou Sparrow Hawk II

URAV

* = Under development
Italicized = Retired or cancelled

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