The Yakovlev AIR-6, constructed during the 1930s, was a light utility aircraft originating from the Soviet Union.
This particular aircraft, designed by Alexander Sergeyevich Yakovlev, featured a single engine and a high-wing monoplane configuration.
A total of 128 units were manufactured.
In 1932, Alexander Sergeyevich Yakovlev, a Soviet aircraft designer who served as an engineering supervisor at the Polikarpov OKB, developed the AIR-5.
This aircraft was a five-seat high-wing monoplane featuring a steel-tube fuselage and a wooden wing.
It was equipped with an American Wright J-4 Whirlwind radial engine, providing a power output of 149 kW (200 hp).
Despite the successful completion of State acceptance trials, the AIR-5 did not enter production due to the unavailability of a suitable domestically produced engine to replace the imported one.
Yakovlev, on the other hand, devised a smaller aircraft with a similar configuration to the AIR-5.
This aircraft, known as the AIR-6, was intended to be a lightweight utility plane and was equipped with a readily available 75 kW (100 hp) Shvetsov M-11 engine.
The AIR-6 adopted many structural elements from the AIR-5, including its high-wing monoplane design.
Additionally, it incorporated landing struts from the Polikarpov U-2 and tail surfaces from the Tupolev I-5 fighter.
The cockpit of the AIR-6 was enclosed and accommodated a pilot and one or two passengers in a tandem seating arrangement.
In October 1933, the AIR-6 prototype successfully completed state acceptance trials after its maiden flight in 1932.
Unfortunately, a design flaw in the Yakovlev AIR-7 sport aircraft led to an accident, resulting in Yakovlev’s dismissal from the Polikarpov design bureau.
Consequently, the production plans were postponed until Yakovlev was granted permission to establish his own design bureau.
Eventually, production commenced in 1934.
A fleet of 128 AIR-6s was manufactured, some of which were modified with floats, while 20 were specifically configured as ambulance aircraft. Specifications Crew One Capacity One or two passengers Length 7.8 m (25 ft 7 in) Wingspan 12.08 m (39 ft 8 in) Wing area 19.8 m2 (213 sq ft) Empty weight 616 kg (1,358 lb) Gross weight 961 kg (2,119 lb) Powerplant 1 × Shvetsov M-11 five-cylinder radial engine, 75 kW (100 hp) Performance Maximum speed 168.5 km/h (104.7 mph, 91.0 kn) Cruise speed 130 km/h (81 mph, 70 kn) Range 715 km (444 mi, 386 nmi) Service ceiling 4,600 m (15,100 ft) Time to altitude 6.6 min to 1,000 m (3,300 ft) Sources Yakovlev Aircraft Since 1924 – Bill Gunston & Yefim Gordon. OKB Yakovlev, A History of the Design Bureau and its Aircraft-Yefim Gordon, Dmitriy Komissarov & Sergey Komissarov. Soviet Aircrafts Illustrated-A.S.Yakovlev. The History of Soviet Aircraft from 1918-Vaclav Nemecek. Soviet AF Fighter Colours 1941-45-Erik Pilaeskii. Soviet Combat Aircraft of the Second World War, Vol 1, Single Engined Fighters-Yefim Gordon and Dmitri Khazanov. Early Soviet Jet Fighters, The1940s and early 50s-Yefim Gordon. Soviet Secret Projects, Fighters Since 1945-Tony Buttler & Yefim Gordon. Soviet Secret Projects, Bombers Since 1945-Tony Buttler & Yefim Gordon. Soviet Aircraft of Today-Nico Sgariato. Modern Soviet Fighters-Mike Spick.
