Yak-130 aircraft: specifications, description, diagram and review

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

For more than a century of aviation history, obsolete types of machines served as "flying desks". It was believed that the future pilot should learn the skills of control first on something simple before getting into the cockpit of a modern aircraft. This tradition was violated by the designers of the Design Bureau. A. S. Yakovleva and NPK Irkut, who created the Yak-130 aircraft, the technical characteristics of which are very close to the parameters of interceptors of the fourth, and in some ways even fifth generations.

Winged Desks

For four decades, flight schools have used Czechoslovakian L-29s and L-39s for air training. Previously, future pilots were trained on the Yak-52, even earlier - on the Yak-18. Before the war, the famous U-2 (aka Po-2) served as a “flying desk”. After the collapse of the USSR and the entire socialist camp, the machines that made up the technical park of higher aviation schools grew old, not only morally, but also in the simplest, physical sense. The deliveries of not only the aircraft themselves, but also spare parts were stopped, and the motor resource was steadily exhausted. The situation was aggravated by the technical training base lagging behind the real situation in the Air Force units, which began to receive the latest interceptors and MiG-29 and Su-27 front-line systems. On the L-39, it became problematic, if not impossible, to train pilots for modern machines. In addition, there was a pilot training school in Russia that enjoyed a high international reputation, and it would be wrong to lose this market.

In the early 90s, the command of the USSR Air Force initiated the start of design work in the field of creating the latest training aircraft. Ultimately, the Yak-130 was recognized as the best: its technical characteristics corresponded to the wishes of the military to the greatest extent. This, however, did not happen immediately, there was a competition ahead.

Competitive Selection

Four design bureaus presented their thoughts on the architecture of the future UTC (training complex) at the beginning of 1991:

- Sukhoi Design Bureau.

- ANPK MiG.

- OKB im. A. S. Yakovleva.

- EMZ im. V. M. Myasishcheva.

The TTZ was drafted somewhat vaguely and for this reason the concepts varied considerably. Sukhoi Design Bureau proposed the S-54 model, which is a version of the Su-27 interceptor adapted for training purposes. This machine was more suitable for training already experienced pilots than for beginners. Mikoyanovites, understanding the economicdifficulties in the country, took the path of minimizing costs, and as a result they got an inexpensive, but not quite meeting the aspirations of the Air Force aircraft. The Myasishchev Design Bureau approached the issue creatively, proposing a complex option consisting of a directly “winged desk” and a ground-based training complex, but they got carried away a little, and their project turned out to be too expensive, moreover, not twin-engine, as indicated in the TOR. The most successful were the Yakovlevites, who managed to meet almost all the requirements in the most optimal way. The swept-back, closest to the modern scheme, the flight performance of the Yak-130, as well as a set of additional options in the form of functional and procedural simulators based on a PC and display classes provided certain advantages. According to the decision of the Scientific and Technical Committee of the Air Force, contracts were concluded with two design bureaus - Mikoyan and Yakovlev, who were offered to work together.

Foreign partners

Problems with state financing of the first years of the existence of independent Russia are well known. To ensure the solution of the tasks set, design bureaus were faced with the need to search for investors. In particular, the French firms Turbomeca (engines) and Thomson (avionics), which are experiencing difficulties due to the closure of the Alpha Jet program, have shown interest in the project. The intention to cooperate was also expressed by the Italians (the aircraft manufacturer Ermacchi), who were also pressed by the British in the market. At this point, another important marketing aspect was realized, which was thatA “clean” training aircraft is unlikely to be in high demand on the market, but if it can also be used as a combat aircraft, then another matter. It turned out that the Yak-130 is quite suitable for this, the performance characteristics of which, including the operational radius, the mass of the lifted load, speed and maneuverability, corresponded to foreign requirements.

Aerodynamics and overall layout

Some changes in the requirements were reflected in the appearance of the airframe: its nose has become rounder (now it has a radar or an optical-location station). Now it was necessary to train not only Russian, but also foreign pilots, and this should have been taken into account in the design of the Yak-130. The technical characteristics of the latest machines, both Russian Su-27 and MiG-29, and American F-16, have been carefully analyzed. It turned out that the aircraft needed to increase the maximum angle of attack to 40 ° and even higher. In general, super-maneuverability was needed. The general aerodynamics turned out to be similar to the scheme adopted for the fifth generation of interceptors, including a special wing shape and its high mechanization, all-moving stabilizers and a vertical tail shifted forward.

Imitator and Demonstrator

The most important condition for the creation of a new training aircraft was the use of the latest digital technologies. All onboard systems are based on Russian instruments and equipment, including a comprehensive digitalfly-by-wire control system and the ability to reprogram to determine the type of aircraft that the pilot will be piloting. In addition, in the initial period of training, the aircraft is “loyal” to the novice cadet, he forgives him for mistakes, and then becomes more and more strict. In the Russian Air Force, flights on Su and MiGs are most often simulated, but, in principle, there is nothing difficult in creating a complete illusion of controlling the European Mirage-2000, Rafal, Typhoon or American F-18, F- 16 and F-15 and even F-35 by entering their performance characteristics into the simulator program. Yak-130D (an additional letter means "demonstrator") made its first flight in April 1996.

Outer hangers

If necessary, the aircraft can be used as a strike unit.

The Yak-130 can carry up to three tons of missiles or bombs. Technical characteristics, including rate of climb and maneuverability, of a fully loaded vehicle, of course, will deteriorate, but this is acceptable in the case of assault strikes under air dominance.

Following the general concept of universal application, the designers equipped the aircraft with eight hardpoints under the wings and one ventral pylon. Armaments can be completed in various combinations:

- UR R-73 "air-to-air" - 4 pcs.

- UR X-25M "air-to-surface" - 4 pcs.

- NURSs in blocks UB-32, PU-O-25 and other calibers (from 57 to 266 mm) - according to the number of pendants.

- Air bombs 250 or 500 kg(including concrete-piercing) - according to mass restrictions.

- RBC-500 bomb cassettes.

- Incendiary tanks ZB-500.

- Cannon containers.

To increase the combat radius, one or three pylons can be used to hang additional fuel tanks.

Features

Objective figures are impressive, especially considering the relatively small size and weight of the Yak-130.

Performance characteristics of the Yak-130:

• length - 11,245 mm;
• wing span - 9,720 mm;
• height - 4,760 mm;
• maximum takeoff weight - up to 9 tons;
• combat load - 3 tons;
• maximum speed - 1050 km/h;
• practical ceiling - 12,000 m;
• allowable overloads from +8 G to -3G;
• permissible angle of attack - 40 degrees;
• range without PTB - up to 1060 km;
• ferry range without PTB - up to 2000 km;
• takeoff run - 335 m;
• takeoff speed - 195 km/h;
• landing speed - 180 km/h;
• motor resource - 10 thousand flight hours or 30 calendar years.

Government order

At the end of the millennium, the release of military pilots was significantly reduced compared to Soviet times. However, in addition to schools, of which there are only three left, the centers for retraining flight personnel are in need of a new machine. In addition, the price of fuel in the last decadehas grown significantly, and in terms of the economy of its consumption (only 600 l / h) the modern Yak-130 compares favorably with the usual L-39. Description, performance characteristics, the possibility of learning to fly on machines of various types - all this led to the start of mass production of the new UTI.

Prospects

The main customer is the Russian Air Force. The aircraft is produced at NAZ Sokol at a rate of about a dozen aircraft annually. It is planned to form training regiments in Krasnodar. Air Force Commander General of the Army V. Mikhailov personally tested the Yak-130. The technical characteristics of the aircraft, maneuverability, wide range of speeds and ease of control made a good impression on him. In the coming years, the number of cars in training units and retraining centers is planned to increase to three hundred, and experts estimate the total market capacity, including foreign buyers, at 1000.