Yak-30

The Yakovlev Yak‑30 was a single‑engine, jet‑powered primary trainer developed in the late 1950s by the Soviet design bureau Yakovlev. Conceived as a low‑cost replacement for the piston‑engine Yak‑17 and Yak‑18 series, the Yak‑30 first flew on 31 July 1959 and entered limited production the following year. Powered by a Turmansky RU‑19 turbojet delivering about 1 900 N of thrust, the aircraft featured a simple, all‑metal low‑wing layout, tandem cockpit with a clear canopy, and conventional tricycle landing gear. Its aerodynamic design emphasized forgiving handling, modest stall speed and easy maintenance, making it ideal for ab initio training and for acquainting pilots with jet flight characteristics. Although only 30 units were built for the Soviet Air Force, the prototype attracted interest abroad; a small batch was evaluated by the Indian Air Force and the German Luftwaffe, influencing later trainer concepts such as the Yak‑32 and the Chinese CJ‑6 derivatives. The Yak‑30’s significance lies in demonstrating that jet trainers could be produced cheaply and in modest numbers, paving the way for more sophisticated trainers later in the Cold War era. Today, the few surviving Yak‑30s are displayed in museums, serving as a reminder of the Soviet Union’s early jet‑training initiatives.

Yakovlev

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Design & Classification