Yakovlev Yak-46

Last updated
Yak-46
General information
TypeAirliner
National origin Soviet Union / Russia
Designer
StatusCancelled
Number built0
History
Developed from Yakovlev Yak-42

The Yakovlev Yak-46 was a proposed aircraft design based on the Yak-42 with two contra-rotating propellers on the propfan located at the rear. The specification of the Samara turbofans was in the 11,000 kg (24,250 lb) thrust range. [1] Though proposed in the 1990s, production of the Yak-46 never commenced. [2]

Contents

Design and development

At the 1987 Paris Air Show, the Soviet Union displayed scale models of several aircraft in development, [3] including a 150-seat aircraft powered by two pusher propfans mounted on the rear fuselage. [4] This aircraft was unnamed at the time, but the Soviets disclosed that the Yakovlev Design Bureau was developing the aircraft. [4] Later in 1987, the Soviet civil aviation minister noted that Yakovlev was building a twin-propfan airliner based on its Yak-42 model. [5] In 1989, Yakovlev planned to test the D-236 propfan engine from the Ivchenko-Progress engine design bureau (also known as Progress, Lotarev, Muravchenko, ZMKB, and Zaporozhye) in flight on a Yak-42 testbed aircraft by the end of the year. [6]

Yakovlev revealed details in early 1990 about Yakovlev's propfan design, which was given the name of Yak-46 and planned to enter service in 1997. [7] The Yak-46 and the Yak-42M, a 4-metre stretched derivative (13-foot; 4,000-millimetre; 160-inch) of the Yak-42 that would enter service in 1994, would have fly-by-wire (FBW) controls, an electronic flight instrument system (EFIS), a supercritical airfoil wing of added aspect ratio, span, and sweep, seating capacity of 150 passengers or more, and new engines with thrust reversal capability. However, the Yak-46 would have two unshrouded propfan engines mounted on the aft fuselage, instead of the Yak-42 and Yak-42M's three aft-mounted turbofan engines (that includes one attached to the vertical stabilizer). Yakovlev also proposed an unnamed interim derivative situated between the Yak-42M and the Yak-46, which would be powered by two underwing engines based on the contra-rotating, integrated, shrouded propfan (CRISP) engine concept. Since this derivative required greater airframe changes, Yakovlev was less sure of its eventual production.

The Yak-46 would hold 150-162 seats in a six-abreast, single-aisle configuration, fly as far as 1,540 nautical miles (2,850 km; 1,770 mi), cruise at a speed of 445 to 460 knots (800 to 850 km/h), and be powered by two Lotarev D-27 propfan engines. The 3.8-metre diameter (12 ft; 3,800 mm; 150 in) propfan engines would have contra-rotating propellers with eight blades in front and six blades in back, have a thrust specific fuel consumption of 0.44 lb/(lbf⋅h) (12 g/(kN⋅s)), and deliver 9,700 kilowatts (13,000 hp), resulting in a thrust of 11,200 kgf (24,700 lbf; 110 kN). The fuel consumption per available seat kilometer of the Yak-46 was 13.8 grams per kilometre (0.78 ounces per mile) per seat. This value compared to 14.5 g/km (0.82 oz/mi) for the Yak-46's underwing engine alternative and 21 g/km (1.2 oz/mi) for the Yak-42M, which was already 35-40% more efficient than the Yak-42. At the time, airline interest but no orders were reported for the Yak-46, but Yakovlev was negotiating to sell 200 Yak-42M planes to Aeroflot, [8] which was then the world's largest airline. [9]

By October 1990, the two versions of the Yak-46 were in competition with the 102-126 seat Tupolev Tu-334, which like the higher-capacity Yak-46 had an interim turbofan version and a final propfan version, to replace hundreds of aging Tu-134 airliners at Aeroflot. To prepare for Yak-46 development, Yakovlev created a joint venture with Ivchenko Progress and the Soviet Ministry of Civil Aviation. Aeroflot would help fund a prototype, which would be built starting early in 1991 if the Yak-46 were selected. Annual production would eventually be as high as 100 airliners and would run through 2005. [10]

On March 15, 1991, Yakovlev finally began flight tests of one D-236 propfan engine on a Yak-42E-LL aircraft testbed, making it the first propfan flight test program led by an individual Soviet aircraft design bureau. [11] The testbed appeared on static display at the 1991 Paris Air Show in June. [12] Like the D-27 engine, the D-236 was a contra-rotating system with an eight-bladed front propeller and a six-bladed back propeller. It had a fan diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft; 4,200 mm; 170 in), a power rating of 8,195 kW (10,990 hp), [13] and a thrust rating of 10,500–11,000 kgf (23,000–24,000 lbf; 103–108 kN). The testbed engine was limited to a smaller thrust, though, because the D-236 was more powerful than the Lotarev D-36 engine that it replaced. [14]

To support the development of its Yak-46 concept, Yakovlev flew a Yak-42E-LL testbed aircraft powered in part by a Progress D-236 experimental propfan engine. Yakovlev Yak-42LL, Aeroflot AN0916963.jpg
To support the development of its Yak-46 concept, Yakovlev flew a Yak-42E-LL testbed aircraft powered in part by a Progress D-236 experimental propfan engine.

Meanwhile, conflicting reports appeared about the Yak-46 power plant: one article stated that the D-236 would be the eventual engine, [15] but another article said Yakovlev was deciding between a gearless unducted fan, which would yield a fuel consumption of 12 g/km (0.68 oz/mi), and a less-efficient, but now considered more realistic, ducted fan with an ultra-high bypass ratio between 20 and 27. [11] In August, a report stated that the initial version of the Yak-46, now named the Yak-46-1, would have two Progress underwing power plants resembling the International Aero Engines (IAE) SuperFan engine, while the follow-up version, called the Yak-46-2, would again be aft fuselage-mounted D-27 engines. [16] A Soviet aviation publication named the initial engine as the Progress D-627, a quiet, super-high bypass ratio turbofan. [17] Derived from the D-27, the D-627 had ducted, contra-rotating fans and used a differential gearbox. [18] The D-627 had a takeoff thrust of 11,000 kgf (24,000 lbf; 110 kN); its thrust specific fuel consumption (TSFC) at cruise would not exceed 0.5 lb/(lbf⋅h) (14 g/(kN⋅s)) at Mach 0.8 and 11,000 m (36,000 ft) altitude, equivalent to a speed of 461 kn (854 km/h; 531 mph); and the Yak-46's per-passenger fuel consumption with the D-627 would be 15.5 g/km (0.88 oz/mi). The subsequent version of the Yak-46 would have the same characteristics and performance outlined for the D-27 earlier, but its cruise TSFC after losses would be 0.47 lb/(lbf⋅h) (13 g/(kN⋅s)) at 460 kn (850 km/h; 530 mph) speed. In addition, the Yak-46 would have a planned service life of 60,000 hours, based on an annual average flying time of 3,000 hours. [17] Yakovlev was constructing a wooden mockup of the Yak-46 as of November 1991. [19] By August 1992, it was planning for co-production of the aircraft in South Africa. [20]

As of March 1993, Yakovlev had received one order to develop the Yak-46, which temporarily saved the firm from bankruptcy. [21] In mid-1994, the Progress engine design bureau was looking to create a turbojet derivative of its D-27 to use on the Yak-46. [22] Later that year, it was reported that the Yak-46 would use two Progress D-727 high-bypass turbofan engines, without mention of a propfan aircraft version. [23] In 1996, though, another airliner census still described a Yak-46-1 version with D-727 underwing engines followed by a Yak-46-2 with D-27 aft-mounted engines in a T-tail empennage configuration. Because of engine development issues, neither of the planes would fly before the year 2000. [24]

Specifications

Data from Grazhdanskaya Aviatsiya (Civil Aviation), September 1991. [17]

General characteristics

Performance

See also

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References

Citations

  1. ↑ Gunston, Bill; Gordon, Yefim (1997). Yakovlev aircraft since 1924. US Naval Institute Press. ISBN   978-1-55750-978-9. OCLC   636698350.
  2. ↑ U.S. International Trade Commission. Global Competitiveness of U.S. Advanced Technology Manufacturing Industries. DIANE. ISBN   978-1-4578-2609-2.
  3. ↑ "Soviet Union displays advanced transport designs" . Paris Air Show. Aviation Week & Space Technology . Vol. 126, no. 24. June 15, 1987. pp. 64–65.
  4. 1 2 "Soviets developing advanced aircraft to upgrade civil, military air fleets" (PDF). Paris Air Show. Aviation Week & Space Technology . Vol. 126, no. 25. Le Bourget, France. June 22, 1987. pp. 20–22. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 25, 2019.
  5. ↑ "Soviets doubt new Il-96-300" (PDF). Air Transport. Flight International . Vol. 132, no. 4078. Moscow, Russia, Soviet Union. September 5, 1987. p. 5. ISSN   0015-3710. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 25, 2019.
  6. ↑ Fink, Donald E. (June 5, 1989). "Experimental tractor propfan flight tested on Ilyushin Il-76" . Soviet Aerospace Industry. Aviation Week & Space Technology . Vol. 130, no. 23. Zaporozhye, USSR. p. 51. ISSN   0005-2175.
  7. ↑ "Yakolev plans propfan Yak-42 derivative" (PDF). Technical: Air Transport. Flight International . Vol. 137, no. 4210. April 4–10, 1990. p. 18. ISSN   0015-3710. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 25, 2019.
  8. ↑ Postlethwaite, Alan (May 9–15, 1990). "Yakovlev strikes back: Propfan and other high-technology derivatives of the Yak-42 airliner (NATO codename Clobber) are planned". Flight International . Vol. 137, no. 4215. pp. 61–62, 65–66. ISSN   0015-3710. Gale   A8494186.
  9. ↑ "Catching up" (PDF). Comment. Flight International . Vol. 139, no. 4267. May 22–28, 1991. p. 3. ISSN   0015-3710. Gale   A10813969. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 25, 2019.
  10. ↑ "TU-134 replacement decision due" (PDF). Moscow Aerospace '90. Flight International . Vol. 138, no. 4237. October 10–16, 1990. p. 28. ISSN   0015-3710. Gale   A8987476. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 25, 2019.
  11. 1 2 Rybak, Boris (May 22–28, 1991). "Yakovlev takes propfan lead: While development of fuel-saving propfan engines languishes in the West, work continues in the Soviet Union where recent fuel shortages have underscored the need for new engine technology". Commercial Engines. Flight International . Vol. 139, no. 4267. pp. 27–28. ISSN   0015-3710. Gale   A10813997.
  12. ↑ "Yakovlev displays propfan testbed at Paris Air Show" (PDF). Paris Air Show. Aviation Week & Space Technology . Vol. 134, no. 26. Le Bourget, France. July 1, 1991. p. 44. ISSN   0005-2175. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 25, 2019.
  13. ↑ "Yak propfan pops into Paris" (PDF). Paris Show Report. Flight International. Vol. 140, no. 4272. June 26 – July 2, 1991. p. 16. ISSN   0015-3710. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 25, 2019.
  14. ↑ Abidin, Vadim (March 2008). "ОРЛИНЫЙ ГЛАЗ ФЛОТА Самолет радиолокационного дозора и наведения Як-44Э" [Eagle eye of the fleet: Aircraft radar patrol and guidance Yak-44E]. Oboronnyy Zakaz (Defense Order) (in Russian). No. 18. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 18, 2019 – via A.S. Yakovlev design bureau, Kryl'ia Rodiny (Wings of the Motherland) magazine.
  15. ↑ Norris, Guy (May 22–28, 1991). "Commercial engines". Flight International . Vol. 139, no. 4267. pp. 23, 26. ISSN   0015-3710.
  16. ↑ Lenorovitz, Jeffrey M. (August 26, 1991). "Coup hits as Soviet aerospace industry fights funding and operational problems" . Crisis in the Soviet Union. Aviation Week & Space Technology . Vol. 135, no. 8. Moscow, Leningrad, and Kiev, USSR. pp. 24–25. ISSN   0005-2175.
  17. 1 2 3 Yak-46 airliner profiled. Transportation. Central Eurasia: Baltic and Eurasian States: Interstate affairs (Report). FBIS Report. Vol. FBIS-USR-92-023. Translated by Foreign Broadcast Information Service (published March 5, 1992). September 1991. pp. 94–96. hdl:2027/inu.30000028648115.{{cite report}}: Unknown parameter |agency= ignored (help)
  18. ↑ Kravchenko, Igor Fedorovich; Stepanov, Igor Yuvenalievich; Khustochka, Alexander Nikolaevich (2010). "ГП 'Ивченко-Прогресс': на пороге создания двигателей нового поколения" [GP 'Ivchenko-Progress': On the threshold of creating engines of new generation]. Dvigatel (Engine) (in Russian). Vol. 5, no. 71. pp. 20–22.
  19. ↑ "Yakovlev banks on new transports to ensure design bureau's survival" . Soviet Aerospace in Turmoil. Aviation Week & Space Technology . Vol. 135, no. 20. Moscow, USSR. November 18, 1991. pp. 50–51. ISSN   0005-2175.
  20. ↑ Velovich, Alexander (August 12, 1992). "Dual carriageway". Flight International . Vol. 142, no. 4331. pp. 57+. ISSN   0015-3710. Gale   A12511834.
  21. ↑ Kalinichenko, Natalya; Privalov, Aleksandr; Krizhevskiy, Pavel (March 15–21, 1993). Problems of privatization of aircraft companies viewed. Russia: Economic and Social Affairs. Central Eurasia (Report). FBIS Report. Vol. FBIS-USR-93-045. Translated by Foreign Broadcast Information Service (published April 10, 1993). pp. 67–69. hdl:2027/inu.30000028466971.{{cite report}}: Unknown parameter |agency= ignored (help)
  22. ↑ Taverna, Michael (June 1994). "Russian engine industry in turmoil". Finance, Markets & Industry. Interavia . Vol. 49, no. 579. Moscow, Russia: Aerospace Media Publishing. pp. 26–28. ISSN   1423-3215.
  23. ↑ "Commercial airliners directory" (PDF). Flight International . October 26 – November 1, 1994. p. 54. ISSN   0015-3710. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 25, 2019.
  24. ↑ "Airliners of the world". Flight International . Vol. 150, no. 4552. December 4–10, 1996. p. 70. ISSN   0015-3710.
  25. 1 2 3 Taylor, Michael J. H. (1996). Brassey's World Aircraft & Systems Directory. London, England, UK: Brassey's. pp.  242–243. ISBN   1-85753-198-1. OCLC   33079608.
  26. 1 2 КРАТКИЙ СПРАВОЧНИК ПО РОССИЙСКИМ И УКРАИНСКИМ САМОЛЕТАМ И ВЕРТОЛЕТАМ [Quick guide to Russian and Ukrainian aircraft and helicopters]. Aviatsiia I Kosmonavtika -Moskva-Авиация и космонавтика[Aviation and astronautics] (in Russian). No. 6 (published June 1995). 1995. ISSN   0373-9821.

Bibliography

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