Flight testing of Yak-152 will be started in summer 2016

Flight testing of Yak-152 light trainer aircraft developed for Russian Aerospace Defense Forces will be started in summer 2016, Voenno-promishlenniy Courier reports with reference to Deputy CEO of Yakovlev Design Bureau on Flight Testing, Hero of Russia, Roman Taskaev.

«By the end of first half of 2016 the first vehicle of the type should enter the flight testing stage. Another flying prototype should join the flight test program in the second half of 2016. The third prototype will be assembled for static tests,” the source said.

According to him, “the aircraft’s powerplant has already been chosen” and its testing is in progress. Irkutsk Aviation Plant (part of Irkut Corporation) is preparing to launch the production of Yak-152, Ramenskoye design center is developing control system for Yak-152.

After the first test flights the flying prototypes should be moved to Zhukovskiy (airfield of Gromov Flight Research Institute), where test pilots of Yakovlev design bureau will prepare these vehicles for state testing.

In 2014 Yakovlev design bureau won the tender for development of Yak-152 aircraft for Russian Ministry of Defense; the project is designated “Ptichka-VVS”. The vehicle should be put into service before November 25th 2016. The value of this contract is 300 million rubles. It was reported earlier that Russian Ministry of Defense is going to purchase 150 Yak-152 aircraft.

It is expected that the new two-seat aircraft will be powered by a piston diesel engine and fitted with retractable landing gear and ejection seats. This aircraft will help cadets learn to pilot the Yak-130 jet quicker and easier, after that they will start piloting combat jets.