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The Yakovlev Yak-53 was a single seat aerobatic trainer aircraft produced in the
USSR during 1981/2. Only one prototype was produced.
Development
The prototype Yak-53 was derived from the
Yak-52
The Yakovlev Yak-52 (russian: Яковлев Як-52) is a Soviet primary trainer aircraft which first flew in 1976. It was produced in Romania from 1977 to 1998 by Aerostar, as ''Iak-52'', which gained manufacturing rights under agreement wi ...
, differing in being a single seater designed as an aerobatic trainer. The front cockpit was deleted and the canopy modified to suit. The cockpit used the flying controls of the
Yak-50 without the spring loading of the Yak-52, and the use of the undercarriage and tankage of the prototype Yak-52 to save weight, making the Yak-53 100 kg (220 lb) lighter than the Yak-52.
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Operational history
The prototype Yak-53 set two world records for time to height in its class on 15 February and 23 February 1982. Some sources state that a 3-bladed propeller of western origin was used for the record setting flights.[
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Specifications (Yak-53)
References
Further reading
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{{Yakovlev aircraft
1970s Soviet civil trainer aircraft
1970s Soviet military trainer aircraft
Yak-053
Aerobatic aircraft