Airliner · Civil · Russia

Yakovlev Yak-42

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March 7, 1975
First flight
1980
Introduced
In service
Status
185–187
Units built

The Yakovlev Yak-42 is a narrow-body trijet for mid-range routes and the first Soviet airliner powered by modern high-bypass turbofans. It first flew on 7 March 1975 and began scheduled service on 22 December 1980.

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History

The Yak-42 was Yakovlev's leap from the small Yak-40 to a genuinely capable airliner, sized for 100 to 120 passengers on mid-range routes. Its most advanced feature was its trio of Lotarev D-36 three-shaft high-bypass turbofans, which made it the first airliner built in the Soviet Union with this modern, efficient kind of propulsion. The prototype flew on 7 March 1975 and, after an unhurried development, scheduled service began on 22 December 1980.

The programme was scarred on 28 June 1982, when an Aeroflot Yak-42 lost its tailplane in flight owing to the failure of its actuator screw jack, killing all 132 people aboard. The entire fleet stayed grounded until October 1984 while the mechanism was redesigned, a stoppage that eroded confidence in the type just as it was being deployed.

Yakovlev Yak-42
RA-42333 Yakovlev Yak-42 Monument KZN 2024-07-19 2757Mike1979 Russia (CC BY SA), vía commons

Production, based at the Saratov plant, continued until 2003 with 187 aircraft completed. From 1991 the improved Yak-42D enabled limited export sales to countries such as Bosnia, China, Cuba and Iran, and a handful of aircraft were still flying in restricted service decades after the prototype's maiden flight.

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Variants

Yak-42 SSSR-1974Yak-42LL / Yak-42E-LLYak-142 / Yak-42AYak-242Yak-42Yak-42BYak-42DYak-42D-100Yak-42D «Rosgidromet»Yak-42FYak-42MYak-42MLYak-42RYak-42 SSSR-1975Yak-42 SSSR-1976Yak-42T
First flightMarch 7, 1975March 15, 1991——————————————
Aircraft typeShort/medium-haul airliner prototypePropulsion test-bed aircraftShort/medium-haul airlinerShort/medium-haul airliner projectShort/medium-haul airlinerShort/medium-haul airlinerShort/medium-haul airlinerShort/medium-haul airlinerAtmospheric-monitoring flying laboratoryGeophysical survey and environmental monitoring aircraftShort/medium-haul airliner projectShort/medium-haul airlinerRadar test-bed aircraftShort/medium-haul airliner prototypeShort/medium-haul airliner prototypeShort/medium-haul freighter project
Powerplant3 × Lotarev (ZMKB Progress) D-36 turbofans.Conversion carrying a contra-rotating Progress D-236 propfan in place of the starboard engine, on a tall pylon that clears the 4.2 m propellers, plus the two remaining Lotarev D-36 turbofans.3 × Lotarev (ZMKB Progress) D-36 Series 1 turbofans of 63.74 kN each, with acoustic lining in the nacelles.2 × underwing Aviadvigatel PS-90A12 turbofans of 118 kN each, dropping the family's trijet layout.3 × Lotarev (ZMKB Progress) D-36 Series 1 turbofans of 63.74 kN each.3 × Lotarev (ZMKB Progress) D-36 Series 1 turbofans of 63.74 kN each.3 × Lotarev (ZMKB Progress) D-36 Series 1 turbofans of 63.74 kN each: two in pods flanking the rear fuselage and the third buried in the tail with an S-duct intake. No thrust reversers.3 × Lotarev (ZMKB Progress) D-36 Series 1 turbofans of 63.74 kN each.3 × Lotarev (ZMKB Progress) D-36 Series 1 turbofans of 63.74 kN each.3 × Lotarev (ZMKB Progress) D-36 Series 1 turbofans of 63.74 kN each.3 × Progress D-436M turbofans, planned alongside an entirely new wing and fly-by-wire controls.3 × Lotarev (ZMKB Progress) D-36 Series 1 turbofans of 63.74 kN each.3 × Lotarev (ZMKB Progress) D-36 Series 1 turbofans of 63.74 kN each.3 × Lotarev (ZMKB Progress) D-36 turbofans.3 × Lotarev (ZMKB Progress) D-36 turbofans.3 × Lotarev (ZMKB Progress) D-36 Series 1 turbofans of 63.74 kN each.
Powerplant3 × Lotarev (ZMKB Progress) D-363 × Progress D-236 propfan + 2 × Lotarev D-363 × Lotarev (ZMKB Progress) D-36 Series 12 × Aviadvigatel PS-90A123 × Lotarev (ZMKB Progress) D-36 Series 13 × Lotarev (ZMKB Progress) D-36 Series 13 × Lotarev (ZMKB Progress) D-36 Series 13 × Lotarev (ZMKB Progress) D-36 Series 13 × Lotarev (ZMKB Progress) D-36 Series 13 × Lotarev (ZMKB Progress) D-36 Series 13 × Progress D-436M3 × Lotarev (ZMKB Progress) D-36 Series 13 × Lotarev (ZMKB Progress) D-36 Series 13 × Lotarev (ZMKB Progress) D-363 × Lotarev (ZMKB Progress) D-363 × Lotarev (ZMKB Progress) D-36 Series 1
Thrust per engine——63.7 kN118 kN Best value in this row63.7 kN—63.7 kN63.7 kN63.7 kN63.7 kN—63.7 kN63.7 kN——63.7 kN
Length————36.4 m Best value in this row—36.4 m Best value in this row—————————
Wingspan————34.9 m Best value in this row—34.9 m Best value in this row—————————
Height————9.8 m Best value in this row—9.8 m Best value in this row—————————
Wing area————150 m² Best value in this row—150 m² Best value in this row—————————
Empty weight——————33,000 kg—————————
MTOW——57,500 kg64,600 kg54,000 kg—57,500 kg———66,000 kg Best value in this row—————
Top speed————810 km/h Best value in this row—810 km/h Best value in this row—————————
Cruise speed————750 km/h Best value in this row—740 km/h—————————
Service ceiling——————9,600 m—————————
Initial climb rate——————13 m/s—————————
Range———5,000 km Best value in this row2,790 km—4,000 km—————————
Ferry range——————4,000 km—————————
Combat radius0 km Best value in this row0 km Best value in this row0 km Best value in this row0 km Best value in this row0 km Best value in this row0 km Best value in this row0 km Best value in this row0 km Best value in this row0 km Best value in this row0 km Best value in this row0 km Best value in this row0 km Best value in this row0 km Best value in this row0 km Best value in this row0 km Best value in this row0 km Best value in this row
Range conditions———An estimated 5,000 km with maximum fuel and regulatory reserves.2,790 km practical range; 1,530 km with the normal payload.—4,000 km with maximum fuel. The D (Dahl'niy, long-range) comes from enlarging the fuel capacity of the original Yak-42, which reached 2,790 km.————Avionics adapted to international routes; entered service in July 1981 on the Leningrad-Helsinki run.————
ArmamentNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNone
Max weapons load0 kg Best value in this row0 kg Best value in this row0 kg Best value in this row0 kg Best value in this row0 kg Best value in this row0 kg Best value in this row0 kg Best value in this row0 kg Best value in this row0 kg Best value in this row0 kg Best value in this row0 kg Best value in this row0 kg Best value in this row0 kg Best value in this row0 kg Best value in this row0 kg Best value in this row0 kg Best value in this row
Payload————14,500 kg Best value in this row—13,500 kg————————12,000 kg
Cargo capacity—Test airframe with no passenger service.120 seats, with a 39-seat VIP version also offered. Enlarged wing tanks, enclosed luggage racks and drop-down oxygen masks.130 to 180 passengers. The programme stopped in 1997 with roughly 30 % of the design done; its line led to the Irkut MC-21.90 to 126 seats depending on layout; 14,500 kg maximum payload and 10,500 kg normal payload.—Up to 120 economy seats (102 in a two-class layout) and a maximum commercial payload of 13,500 kg carried in two underfloor holds.Yak-42D derivative with western AlliedSignal/Honeywell avionics, a widened cabin door for jet bridges and in-flight deployable spoilers.Cabin given over to the Russian weather service's atmospheric monitoring instruments rather than to passengers.Conversion carrying large underwing pods for electro-optical sensors; no passenger service.Stretched Yak-42 fuselage with a DC-10-style centre engine installation and a cruciform tail. Never built.—Airframe dedicated to flight-testing the radar of the Yakovlev Yak-141 fighter; no commercial use.——Proposed freighter with a 2.5 × 2.0 m cargo door and a 12,000 kg maximum load: six pallets over the floor and eight below it. It never left the study stage.
Crew2 Best value in this row2 Best value in this row2 Best value in this row—2 Best value in this row2 Best value in this row2 Best value in this row2 Best value in this row2 Best value in this row2 Best value in this row2 Best value in this row2 Best value in this row2 Best value in this row2 Best value in this row2 Best value in this row2 Best value in this row
Passengers——120180 Best value in this row120—120120——168120————
Units built——————105—————————

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Images

Yakovlev Yak-42
Yakovlev Yak-42 airliner at VDNKhDmitry Ivanov. (CC BY SA), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
RA-42333 Yakovlev Yak-42 Monument KZN 2024-07-19 2757Mike1979 Russia (CC BY SA), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Yakovlev Yak-42 ANparfaits (CC BY SA), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Moscow, VDN Kh, Yak-42 aircraft (634)"Moscow, VDNKh, Yak-42 aircraft (634)" by Максим Улитин is licensed under CC BY 3.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.
Yakovlev Yak-42
Moscow, VDN Kh, Yak-42 aircraft"Moscow, VDNKh, Yak-42 aircraft (26049562435)" by Gennady Grachev from Moscow, Russia is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/.
Yakovlev Yak-42
Yakovlev Yak-42"Yak-42D" by Dmitry Terekhov is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/.
Yakovlev Yak-42
Yakovlev Yak-42D CockpitAnton Bannikov (GFDL), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Ada Air (Donbass - Eastern Ukrainian Airlines) Yakovlev Yak-42D UR-42377Kambui (CC BY), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Yakovlev Yak-42D — 134aq - Air Commerce Yakovlev 42D; UR-42377@ZRH;23 06 2001Aero Icarus from Zürich, Switzerland (CC BY SA), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Yakovlev Yak-42D — 130bi - Air Commerce Yakovlev 42D; UR-42377@ZRH;29 04 2001Aero Icarus from Zürich, Switzerland (CC BY SA), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Lion Airlines Yakovlev Yak-42D SimKok Chwee Sim (CC BY SA), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Avioimpex Yakovlev Yak-42D SpijkersPaul Spijkers (GFDL), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Elbrus Avia Yakovlev Yak-42D Ates-1Aktug Ates (GFDL), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Rus Jet Yakovlev Yak-42D ParfaitsPavel Adzhigildaev (CC BY SA), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Alania Yakovlev Yak-42D Parfaits 2Pavel Adzhigildaev (CC BY SA), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Kuban Airlines Yakovlev Yak-42D Aladyshkin 1Vsevolod Aladyshkin (CC BY SA), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Tavria Yakovlev Yak-42D Karpezo 1Dmitry Karpezo (CC BY SA), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Donbassaero Yakovlev Yak-42D RyabtsevSergey Ryabtsev (GFDL), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Lviv Airlines - Yakovlev Yak-42DMarek Ślusarczyk (Tupungato) www.wyprawa.info (CC BY), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Georgian Airways Yakovlev Yak-42D OsokinGleb Osokin (CC BY SA), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Yakovlev Yak-42D — EP QFB Yakolev Yak 42D Pars Air QeshmAeroprints.com (CC BY SA), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Yakovlev Yak-42D — EP QFA Yakolev Yak 42D Fars Air QeshmAeroprints.com (CC BY SA), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
EP QFB Yak-42D Fars Air Qeshm DXB 20MAR10Ken Fielding (CC BY SA), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Smolensk built Yak-42 preserved at Smolensk (Sm AZ, early 1980s)Dennis G. Jarvis (CC BY SA), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Самолёт ЯК-42Д и здание Аэропорта СаратовИринаЯ (CC BY SA), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Smolensk built Yak-42 (c/n 422075380) preserved at Smolensk, rear
Yakovlev Yak-42
Smolensk built Yak-42 (c/n 422075380) preserved at Smolensk, nose
Yakovlev Yak-42
Самолёт ЯК-42Д возле здания Аэропорта СаратовИринаЯ (CC BY SA), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Smolensk built Yak-42 (c/n 422075380) preserved at Smolensk, side view
Yakovlev Yak-42
Yakovlev Yak-42D saratov airDimanych04 (CC BY SA), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Yak-42D - MAKS 2015 part 4 16Vitaly V. Kuzmin (CC BY SA), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Smolensk built Yak-42 (c/n 422075380), last pre series aircraft, preserved at Smolensk
Yakovlev Yak-42
Izhavia Yakovlev Yak-42D Beltyukov 2Alex Beltyukov (CC BY SA), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Izhavia Yakovlev Yak-42D Aoki-1Toshi Aoki (CC BY SA), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Yak-42 CCCP-42369 (Aeroflot) at Lviv, 1995G B_NZ (CC BY SA), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Izhavia Yakovlev Yak-42D MaksimovMaxim Maksimov (CC BY SA), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Yak-42 CCCP-42311 (Aeroflot) at Yegoryevsk technical schoolAeroprints.com (CC BY SA), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Izhavia, RA-42380, Yakovlev Yak-42DAnna Zvereva from Tallinn, Estonia (CC BY SA), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Yak-42 CCCP-42533 (Aeroflot) at Kriviy Rig technical schoolAeroprints.com (CC BY SA), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Izhavia, RA-42455, Yakovlev Yak-42D (17275981040) (3)Anna Zvereva from Tallinn, Estonia (CC BY SA), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Kras Avia Yakovlev Yak-42D (RA-42340) at Naryan Mar AirportAliona Tsarkova (CC BY SA), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Yak-42 CCCP-42304 (Aeroflot) preserved at VDN Kh, MoscowPeter Bakema (GFDL), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Yak-42 CCCP-42304, first production aircraft, preservedAlan Wilson from Stilton, Peterborough, Cambs, UK (CC BY SA), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
yak-42dDmitry Terekhov from Odintsovo, Russian Federation (CC BY SA), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Yak-142 RA-42424, Lukoil AviaAlan Lebeda (GFDL), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
yak-42dDmitry Terekhov from Odintsovo, Russian Federation (CC BY SA), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Yak-142 RA-42424 in Lukoil Avia coloursLeonid Faerberg (transport-photo.com) (GFDL), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Yak-42 CCCP-42529 (Aeroflot) at Helsinki Vantaa, 1981-82Paavo Saari (CC BY), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Yak-142 (c/n 4520421502016, RA-42424), Moscow Sheremetyevo (3)Alex Beltyukov (CC BY SA), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Yak-42 early series CCCP-42306 (Aeroflot) at Le Bourget 1981Michel Gilliand (GFDL), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Yak-142 (c/n 4520421502016, RA-42424), Moscow Sheremetyevo (2)Pavel Adzhigildaev (CC BY SA), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Yak-142 (c/n 4520421502016, RA-42424), Moscow Sheremetyevo (1)Pavel Adzhigildaev (CC BY SA), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Yak-142, LukoilLuc Willems (GFDL), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Yak-142 RA-42424 of Lukoil at Moscow SheremetyevoAeroprints.com (CC BY SA), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Yak-142 (RA-42424) at ILA Schönefeld, 1994André Gerwing (CC BY SA), vía commons
Yakovlev Yak-42
Yakovlev Yak-42LL (Yak-42E LL) with the D-236 propfan on the pylon, AeroflotMichel Gilliand (GFDL), vía commons

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