Yakovlev Yak-15

what is it?

The Yakovlev Yak-15 (Russian: Яковлев Як-15; NATO reporting name: Feather, USAF/DOD designation Type 2) is a first-generation Soviet turbojet fighter developed by the Yakovlev design bureau (OKB) immediately after World War II. The main fuselage was that of Yakovlev Yak-3 piston-engine fighter modified to mount a reverse-engineered German Junkers Jumo 004 engine. The Yak-15 and the Swedish Saab 21R were the only two jets to be successfully converted from piston-power to enter production. 280 aircraft were built in 1947.

🔎How to recognise it: 1 jet engine · 9.2 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 786 km/htop speed
• size 2,638 kgmax take-off weight
• built 280made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 80 years ago, in 1946.
• 🏎️Top speed is 6.0× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Wingspan of 9.2 m: about 2 cars parked nose to tail.
• 🏔️Can fly 1.4× higher than Mount Everest (8,849 m).

jet: Gas turbine pushing air out the back (turbofan or turbojet): fast and high-flying.

spec sheet

first flight

1946-04-24

introduced

1947

number built

280

role

fighter

origin

🇷🇺 Soviet Union

makers

Yakovlev

engines

1× Klimov RD-10 / Junkers Jumo 004

crew

1

length

8.7 m

wingspan

9.2 m

max take-off weight

2,638 kg

top speed

786 km/h

range

—

ceiling

12,000 m

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.

family