Yak-8 (Yakovlev)

During the Great Patriotic War, the design bureau headed by A.S.Yakovlev presented a series of single-engine fighters and twin-engine light bmbers and transport aircraft. Conveniently, the single-engine aircraft had odd numbers [eg, Yak-1, Yak-3, etc], while the twin- engine aircraft had even numbers [eg, Yak-2, Yak-4, etc]. Not surprisingly, this simplicity did not last long.

The Yak-8 is an eight-seater passenger plane (six passengers) with two M-11FM (M-11M) engines of 145 hp each. (with VISh-327 screws), created on the basis of the Yak-6 staff aircraft. Wooden construction with canvas. The fuselage in its middle part (where the cockpit) - semi-monocoque with frame frames with a wall height of 80 mm, with a plywood skin of 2 mm outside and inside, so it was a very rigid plywood box. Nose and tail parts - as in the Yak-6. The two-spar wing is one-piece, wooden, like the plumage, the covering is everywhere linen. Chassis - retractable in engine nacelles, wheels 600X180 and 220X110 mm.

The design was fairly light and rational, but tests showed that for the accepted dimensions of the aircraft the power was insufficient, which was to be expected, since the Yak-8 was designed for M-12 engines with 190 hp, but they were not received. Installing the M-11FM was a forced decision. However, the speed was quite high - 248 km / h and the disadvantages of the Yak-6 were eliminated.

The Yak-8 aircraft passed state tests and was recommended in the series, but was not actually built due to the general trend of switching to metal passenger planes.