Yakovlev Yak-40
Yakovlev · Soviet Union · first flew 1966 · airliner
The world's first regional jet — a 30-seat trijet built to replace biplanes on the USSR's grass-strip routes.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 3 × turbofan, tail-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 20.36 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | T-tail |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Three small jets clustered at the tail of a tiny airliner
- Straight, unswept wing — rare on a jet
- Airstair door under the tail cone
Unmistakable proportions: a very small, almost portly jet with three engines at the tail, a completely straight wing, and a built-in rear airstair. Nothing else jet-powered is this small with three engines.
Specifications
- The Yakovlev Yak-40 has a length of 20.36 m (67 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 25 m (82 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 550 km/h (342 mph).
- Typical crew: 2-3.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
First flown in 1966, the Yak-40 brought jet service to short unpaved strips a decade before 'regional jet' was a term. Around 1,000 were built and exported widely, even to Western operators in Germany and Italy.
Variants
Passenger, VIP, freight and calibration versions differed mainly in cabin fit; various re-engining schemes were proposed in later years.
Where you'll see it
A few visited Britain with East European operators; the type soldiers on in dwindling numbers around the former USSR. Museum examples are common across Eastern Europe.
Related aircraft
- Yakovlev Yak-32
- Yakovlev Yak-38
- Yakovlev Yak-28P
- Yakovlev Yak-28
- Beechcraft 99 Airliner
- Douglas DC-8 Super 61
- BAC One-Eleven 500
- Boeing 727-200
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