Yakovlev Yak-40
The Yakovlev Yak-40 was one of the first small regional jets, using three rear-mounted engines to give it the extra thrust needed to operate reliably from the short, often unpaved airstrips common across the Soviet Union. That trijet layout, unusual for such a small aircraft, was chosen specifically for the reliability and short-field performance Soviet regional routes demanded. It was exported to numerous countries allied with the USSR, becoming a familiar sight well beyond Soviet borders. It helped pioneer the entire idea of a small regional jet years before Western designs like the CRJ and E-Jet followed a similar concept.
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Did you know?
The Yak-40's three rear-mounted engines, unusual for such a small jet, gave it the thrust for short, unpaved Soviet airstrips.
Specifications
| Length | 20.4 m (67 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 25 m (82 ft) |
| Maximum passengers | 32 |
| Range | 700 NM (1,296 km) |
| Maximum speed | 300 kt (556 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 29,500 ft (8,992 m) |
| Rate of climb | 1,500 ft/min (7.6 m/s) |
| Take-off distance | 1,000 m (3,281 ft) |
| Engines | 3x Ivchenko AI-25 |
| Units built | 1,011 |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
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