Yakovlev Yak-55M1989 |
AEROBATIC | Virtual Aircraft Museum / USSR / Russia / Yakovlev |
Demand for even more rapid rate of roll, and to meet competition from Sukhoi, this new version was produced in 1989 with a more tapered wing of reduced span and area. The one-piece ailerons had their mass/horn balances neatly faired into the slightly rounded wingtips, and were in addition fitted with an aerodynamic balance tab carried well underneath on twin struts. The original trim tabs on the inner sections were replaced by narrow ground-adjustable tabs. Among other changes, the canopy was given a fixed rear portion and the spinner was omitted. Project director was Yu I Yankevich, chief engineer V M Popkov and OKB test pilots Bulygin, Molchanyuk and V P Makagonov. The Yak-55M was selected for the Soviet team at the 1989 European championships. Production began at Arsenyev in 1990, and by the end of 1993 a total of 106 had been delivered, with a small number having been built since.
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