72111 YAKOVLEV YAK-27R SOVIET RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT

The Yakovlev Yak-27 is a Soviet fighter jet reconnaissance aircraft from the Cold War period. The machine was built in a spine-wing configuration with a landing gear retracted in flight. The length of the aircraft - in the Yak-27R version - was 18.55 meters with a span of 11.8 meters. The propulsion was provided by two turbojet engines RD-9F with a thrust of 37.2 kN each. The on-board armament consisted of a single 23mm NR-23 cannon. The Yakovlev Yak-27 was a far-reaching development of the Yak-25 machine. Compared to its predecessor, it differed primarily in improved aerodynamics, the use of more modern engines, a different shape of the front part of the fuselage and a quite significantly changed wing structure. The prototype of the fighter version (marked as Yak-121) became the basis for the creation of, among others, the Jak-27K version, which was able to carry K-8 missiles and had the Sokół-2K council. This version, however, did not enter production because it turned out to be less successful than the Su-9 aircraft. On the other hand, the prototype of the reconnaissance version (designated Yak-122) entered production under the designation Yak-27R. A total of 180 aircraft of this version were built, and they were first presented in 1961.