| Yak-27 | |
|---|---|
| Yak-27R at the Central Air Force Museum, Monino | |
| Role | Reconnaissance aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Yakovlev |
| Introduction | 1960 |
| Retired | Late 1970s (Soviet Union) |
| Primary user | Soviet Air Force |
| Produced | 1958–1962 |
| Number built | Prototypes + 165 serial built |
| Developed from | Yakovlev Yak-25 |
The Yakovlev Yak-27 was a family of Soviet supersonic aircraft, (NATO reporting name "Flashlight-C"), developed in 1958 from the Yak-121 prototype, including the Yak-27R, (NATO reporting name "Mangrove"), tactical reconnaissance aircraft.
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The Yak-121 prototype was to form the basis of the Yak-27 family of supersonic interceptor and tactical reconnaissance aircraft intended to replace the Yak-25 and its variants. The Yak-27 and Yak-27K interceptors, with gun and K-8 missile armament respectively, reached or exceeded their requirements but were overtaken in performance by the Sukhoi Su-9, and so production was not authorised. A high-altitude interceptor version, the Yak-27V, was converted from the Yak-121 prototype fitted with a 1,300 kgf (2,866 lbf) Dushkin S-155 rocket booster in the rear fuselage, and afterburning RD-9AKYe turbojets, although performance was very good, reaching 23,000 m (75,400 ft) during trials, development was halted due to support and maintenance issues with the Dushkin S-155 rocket engine.
The dedicated high altitude photo-reconnaissance development of the Yak-27 interceptor was named Yak-27R (NATO designation 'Mangrove'). The radome and radar were replaced with a glazed nose for an observer/navigator, the starboard Nudelman-Rikhter NR-23 cannon was retained but the port gun was deleted and two cameras added. It had a longer wing with a span of 11.82 m (38 ft 9 in), with two Tumansky RD-9AF turbojet engines and had a top speed of about 1,285 km/h (798 mph) at high altitude, with a service ceiling of 16,500 m (54,000 ft) and a range of 2,380 km (1,480 mi) with two wing tanks. About 180 aircraft were produced in Plant No.292 in Saratov.
The Yak-27R entered service with the Soviet Air Force in 1960 and was intended to replace the subsonic Ilyushin Il-28 reconnaissance aircraft. However, despite the greater speed and ceiling, it had less range. The YAK-27R also had some operational limitations and supersonic speed was used only by the most experienced pilots. The low position of the engines made them prone to foreign object ingestion from unimproved forward-base runways. With the increasing coverage of anti-aircraft missles over the European theater of operation limiting high altitude operations, the Yak-27R was often less capable than the Il-28. The Yak-27R was withdrawn from operational service in the early 1970s, and was replaced by the Yak-28R and the Mig-25R.
A Yak-27R is preserved at the Central Air Force Museum at Monino, outside of Moscow, Russia.[3]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
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