Part of a new generation of acrobatic aircraft from the Yakovlev design bureau which has a long line of aircraft designs since 1937 with the UT-2/AIR-10, the Yak-54 is a development of the single-seat Yak-55M, designed by Chief Constructor Dmitry Drach and Lead Engineer Vladimir Popov.[1] It first flew 23 December 1993.
It was produced by Saratov Aviation Facility in cooperation with JSV "Gorky U-2" up to 2005, when the production moved to the Arsenyev Aviation Company "Progress" facility in Arsenyev.
Specifications (Yak-54)
Data from Brassey's World Aircraft & Systems Directory 1996[2]
General characteristics
Crew: one
Capacity: one passenger (not carried for competitions)
Length: 6.91 m (22 ft 8 in)
Wingspan: 8.15 m (26 ft 9 in)
Wing area: 12.890 m2 (138.75 sq ft)
Max takeoff weight: 990 kg (2,183 lb) two-seat (850 kg (1874 lb) for single seat operation)