Originally designated Yak-14, this was
a traditional, high-wing, cabin four-seater,
resembling a modernised
AIR-6. Powered by a 145hp M-11FM
engine, the prototype had a braced
wing with two wooden spars, ply ribs
and ply/fabric covering. The fuselage
was based on a truss of welded steel
tube, with fabric covering except over
the nose, door and baggage hatch
which were D1. The tail and ailerons were D1/fabric. The non-retractable
undercarriage was sprung by rubber,
the braked 500 by 150mm main wheels
having spats and the 200 by 80mm
tailwheel being castoring.
Chief engineer on the programme
was G.I.Gudimenko. The military prototype
was flown by programme pilot
F.L.Abramov in January 1945, and
showed unsatisfactory handling. After
repeated (mostly minor) modifications,
and the change in designation to
Yak-10, it passed State testing in June
1945.
Despite the fact that it was not allmetal
it was accepted for production,
and a factory at Dolgoprudnyi outside
Moscow produced forty in 1946.
These were fitted with the 160hp
M-l 1FR engine and were built in two
versions:
Yak-10V (Vyvoznoi, carrier) dual-control
four-seater.
Yak-10S (Sanitarnyi) with seats for a
pilot and medical attendant, and a long
hatch on the left for loading a
stretcher.
In 1946 one aircraft was fitted
with AIR-6 type floats. Designated
Yak-10G (Gidro), it passed its Factory tests,
but no data have been unearthed.
In February 1947 a series aircraft was
fitted with wooden Canadian skis
1,930 by 340mm, each
weighing 20.25kg, and a tail
ski weighing only 1.93kg, so that
the empty weight was even less than
normal.
Bill Gunston & Yefim Gordon "Yakovlev Aircraft since 1924", 1997
