Diesel Powered Yak-152 Basic Trainer’s First Flight Later This Year

Russia’s Yak-152 basic trainer aircraft will make its maiden flight later this year.

Irkut will carry out two flight trials of the aircraft later this year. The development of Yak-152 aircraft was ordered by the Russian ministry of defense, Irkut said in an email to Defenseworld.net Monday.

The aircraft is powered by a single German based Raikhlin Aircraft Engine Developments (RED) A03T 500 hp diesel engine and equipped with MTV-9-E-C/CL250-29 propeller.

The all-metal aircraft has a low-winged aerodynamic design and retractable tricycle landing gear with nose wheel. The cockpit is performed in tandem arrangement with a trainee in the front. Irkut displayed a scaled model of Yak-152 at the recently concluded Singapore Airshow.

The prototypes are being developed at a plant in the city of Irkutsk. It is the place where the Su-30 fighters and Yak-130 combat training aircraft are serially manufactured today.

The training facility includes, Yak-152 piston aircraft for initial training, Yak-130 combat training aircraft for advanced training, computer based classrooms, flight simulators and a system of objective control of the training level.

The training facility also allows organizing a full cycle of combat aircraft pilots training from initial to the use of weapons. The training complex allows training fighter pilots of "4+" and "5" generation without purchasing additional training aircraft.

According to the Deputy Minister of Defence of Russia Yury Borisov, purchase of 150 of Yak-152 aircraft is planned for the Aerospace forces of Russia.

In addition, the DOSAAF - Russian state organization specializing in the training of future pilots - has announced its intention to buy 105 of Yak-152 aircraft.

Yak-152 will be offered to operators of the Yak-130 and other interested buyers.