Yakovlev Yak-42

By Patrick Mondout

Yakovlev developed the Yak-42 as a replacement for the early Tu-134s on Aeroflot's short-haul routes. It also replaced Ilyushin Il-18 an Antonov An-24 aircraft on such routes.

The first of the three prototypes (each with a different wing configuration) flew on March 7, 1975. With so much work yet to be done on the wings, it wasn't until September 6, 1980 that the first passenger flew on the new Yak-42.

After a horizontal stabilizer jackscrew failed due to metal fatigue on a new Yak-42 in 1982 (resulting in the deaths of all 132 on board), all were grounded until design changes could be implemented. The aircraft returned to the skies in October 1984 after modifications to the wings, though only about 200 were ever produced.

Yakovlev Yak-42 at a Glance
Engines	3 Ivchenko Progress D-36 turbofans
Cruising Speed	505
Passengers	120 (100 standard)
Range	960 miles
Span	114ft 5.25in
Length	119ft 4.5in
Height	32ft 3in
Weight	57,100
Built	Approximately 200
NOTE: Refers to first model; revisions usually hold more passengers and are more efficient.

Share Your Memories!

What do you remember about the Yakovlev Yak-42? Were you a member of the flight crew on one? Have you any interesting stories to share? Share your stories with the world! (We print the best stories right here!)

		Your Memories Shared!

"Yak-42 is a really uncomfortable airplane compared to Tu-134 and Tu-154 and pretty much any other plane. It has a lot of people packed into a small cabin, so the seats are spaced very closely together (yes, with knees hitting the back of the seat in front) and are narrow too. They were not were reliable too. The local fleet of the city where I lived included 3 Yak-42s used for flights to Moscow and one of them used to burn in flight on multiple occasions, sometimes involving an emergency landing at another airport mid-way, other times the crew would be able to put it out (luckily, never happened to me, even though I've flown on that plane a few times). That plane was not even old - they entered service in the late Awesome80s and the burning accidents started at about the same time. I believe all of those Yak42-s have been scrapped by now, while even the older Tu-134 and 154 have been refurbished and still fly. They were slow too, took about 25% more time than Tu to fly the same distance." --Sergey