Yakovlev Yak-23 "Flora"

Yakovlev · Soviet Union · first flew 1947 · fighter

The Yakovlev Yak-23 was a Soviet single-seat straight-wing jet fighter that served as a transitional type between piston-engined fighters and swept-wing jets. Simple and light, it provided early jet experience to several Eastern Bloc air forces.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, straight
E — Engines	1 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	Very slim fuselage and large bubble canopy
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Straight-wing early jet fighter with nose intake
Single Rolls-Royce Derwent-derived engine
Very slim fuselage and large bubble canopy

The Yak-23 is distinguished by its very straight, thin wing, nose intake for the single turbojet, a slim circular fuselage with a prominent bubble canopy, and the overall clean lines typical of early Soviet jet designs.

Specifications

The Yakovlev Yak-23 has a length of 8.13 m (27 ft).
It has a wingspan of 8.73 m (29 ft).
Its maximum speed is 925 km/h (575 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

First flown in June 1947, the Yak-23 used a licensed Rolls-Royce Derwent turbojet obtained from Britain. It was the last of the straight-wing Soviet jet fighters before swept-wing designs became dominant. Production totalled around 310 aircraft.

Variants

The basic Yak-23 had no major production variants, though the type was exported to Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, and Czechoslovakia, where minor local modifications were made.

Where you'll see it

Operated by the Soviet Air Force briefly before being superseded by MiG-15s. Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, and Czechoslovakia flew the type into the mid-1950s. A handful of preserved examples survive in Eastern European museums.

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