Yakovlev Yak-50 (1975)

what is it?

The Yakovlev Yak-50 (Russian: Яковлев Як-50) aerobatic aircraft is a single-seat all-metal low-wing monoplane with retractable main wheels and exposed tail wheel. The control surfaces are fabric-covered to save weight. The aircraft is not equipped with flaps.

🔎How to recognise it: 1 piston engine with propeller · low wing · retractable tailwheel (taildragger) · 9.5 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 320 km/htop speed
• range 495 kmwithout refuelling
• size 900 kgmax take-off weight
• built 312made 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 51 years ago, in 1975.
• 🏎️Top speed is 2.5× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Wingspan of 9.5 m: about 2 cars parked nose to tail.

piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.

spec sheet

first flight

1975-06-25

introduced

1976

number built

312

role

trainer/aerobatic aircraft

origin

🇷🇺 Soviet Union

makers

Yakovlev, Progress (aviation plant, Arseniev)

engines

1× Vedeneyev M-14P / Vedeneyev M14P

crew

1

length

7.7 m

wingspan

9.5 m

height

3.2 m

max take-off weight

900 kg

top speed

320 km/h

range

495 km

ceiling

5,500 m

wings

low wing

landing gear

retractable conventional landing gear

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