Yakovlev Yak-26

Yakovlev Yak-26
Type:	Bomb plane
Design country:	Soviet Union
Manufacturer:	OKB Yakovlev
First flight:	June 25, 1956
Commissioning:	only troop trials
Number of pieces:	2 prototypes + 10 pre-series samples

The Jakowlew Jak-26 ( Russian Яковлев Як-26 , NATO code name "Flashlight-B") was a Soviet bomber from the second half of the 1950s. Due to poor performance, only a small number were built.

development

Alexander Jakowlew developed the Jak-26 as a supersonic bomber to replace the Jak-25 . In 1955 , the prototype Jak-123 was developed as a parallel design to the Jak-121 interceptor, the later Jak-27 . It was equipped with two RD-9AK engines located in nacelles under the wings , had a tapered, partially glazed fuselage bow and received the PSBN-M ground penetrating radar. It was designed in such a way that it was possible to carry a conventional 1200 kg RDS-4 atomic bomb. On June 25, 1956, the Jak-123, marked with a yellow 50, began flight tests, during which it reached a speed of 1,230 km / h and a peak altitude of 16,000 meters at an altitude of 10,600 meters. In the same year it was presented to the public together with the Jak-121 at the Tushino Air Parade, where it was given the code “Flashlight-B” by NATO observers who mistakenly took it for an interceptor.

In addition to a cell that was only used for fracture tests on the ground, a second prototype called Jak-26-3 was created (yellow 54). It received two improved RD-9F engines equipped with afterburners and the RYM-S as radar. Visually, it differed from the Jak-123 by the missing bulge under the pilot's cabin caused by the PSBN-M. In addition, he received a remote-controlled, horizontally and vertically swiveling 23-mm machine gun Afanasjew-Makarow AM-23 with 100 rounds in the rear . It was not yet available when the Jak-123 was built and was therefore only used in the Jak-26-3. Later prototype No. 1 also received the AM-23. The offensive armament included bombs or unguided rockets on underwing mounts or four downward-pointing 23 mm rapid-fire cannons in the fuselage. The Jak-26-3 was modified several times, for example the four boundary layer fences were removed.

Ultimately, a pilot series of ten machines was created, which were left to the air forces for testing. They failed to meet expectations and received negative reviews, which led to a production stop. Jakowlew revised the Jak-123 again, converted it from RD-9AK to RD-9F drives, optimized the bow glazing and removed the stern cannon, which was classified as ineffective. In their place, the aircraft now known as Jak-26-1 received a braking parachute . It was possible to achieve significantly better performance in the following tests, but since the successor model Jak-129 , which was equipped with the more powerful R-11A-300 engine - the prototype of the later Jak-28 - was already in development, the project was ultimately canceled .

Based on the Jak-25R, the tactical reconnaissance aircraft Jak-122 was developed with various camera equipment in the fuselage and bow. It was also initially tested with two RD-9AK and later received RD-9F. It became the starting model for the reconnaissance version Jak-27R.

Technical specifications

Parameter	Jak-26-3
crew	2 (pilot and navigator / bombardier)
span	10.96 m
length	17.16 m
height	k. A.
Wing area	28.94 m²
Empty mass	7,295 kg
Takeoff mass	11,500 kg
Engines	two TL Tumanski RD-9F
power	each 2750 kp without afterburner each 3800 kp with afterburner
Top speed	1,400 km / h
Summit height	16,800 m
Range	2,400 km
Armament	a 23-mm automatic cannon AM-23 in the rear up to 2,000 kg bombs

Web links

• Development history on Ugolok Neba (Russian)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Joachim Barschin: Jakowlews Zweistrahler in War and Peace. In: Flieger Revue Extra No. 8. Möller, 2005. ISSN  0941-889X . P. 100.
2. ↑ Technical data (Russian)