The Yakovlev Yak-15 was a jet fighter developed by the Soviet Union in the Post-War period. The prototype first flew on April 24, 1946, entering service on June 10, 1947. At that time the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-9 jet fighter was also introduced into service with the Soviet Air Force. Yakovlev produced 280 Yak-15 aircraft between 1946 and 1947.
The Yak-15 was lighter, easier and simpler to fly than the MiG-9. However, during combat operations, sometimes it showed some shortcomings during landing due to failure of the main landing gear and the tail shock absorbers. But it would soon be fixed, making of this Soviet fighter a very reliable aircraft. Thanks to the maneuverability it displayed in flight, it would be used by a number of acrobatic teams of the Soviet Union and some Eastern European countries.
Technical Characteristics
The Yakovlev Yak-15 was single-seat, single-engine monoplane. It was fitted with straight mid-wing, which tapered towards the tips, with a large wing area and wingspan. This was due to the fact it had been developed from the Yak-3 piston-engine fighter of WW2. The tailplane (horizontal stabilizer) had the same shape of wing, and its tail fin had a large rudder.
The Yakovlev Yak-15 had an all-metal fuselage. The jet engine was set up under the forward fuselage, with the air intake in the nose. The landing gear was retractable, with the wheels folding inwards.
Specifications
Type: fighter aircraft
Length: 8.7 m (28 ft, 7 in)
Wingspan: 9.2 m (30 ft, 2 in)
Wing Area: 14.85 square meters (159.8 sq ft)
Power Plant: one Klimov RD-10 turbojet engine.
Maximum Speed: 786 km/h (489 mph)
Ceiling: 12,000 m (39,000 ft)
Range: 1,020 km; combat range: 510 km (320 miles)
Armament: two 23mm Nudelman-Suranov cannons.
The Yakovlev Yak-15 fighter in flight in 1948.
The prototype drawing
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