What kind of plane did Alexander Sergeevich Yakovlev create? Biography. Aircraft designer Alexander Sergeevich Yakovlev

Yakovlev is the author of the memoir “The Purpose of Life. (Notes of an aircraft designer)", which went through several editions and translated into many foreign languages. In the book, Yakovlev talks about his life path, outlines the main stages of development domestic aviation in peacetime and during war. He writes about working together with designers and test pilots, about meetings with prominent figures of the party and state, and with military leaders. He talks about working meetings with Stalin, describes the relationship between the leader and his closest associates, and shares his impressions of him.

Yakovlev recalls: “Stalin was slightly below average height, built very proportionately, stood straight, did not slouch. I have never seen a blush on him; his complexion is gray-sallow. The face is covered in small pockmarks. The hair is combed smoothly back, black, with strong gray hair. The eyes are grey-brown. Sometimes, when he wanted, they were kind, even without a smile, but with a smile they were captivatingly affectionate. Sometimes, in anger, they are shrill. When I got irritated, small red spots appeared on my face.

Stalin, in everything that concerned him personally, looked extremely simple. He was usually dressed in a gray woolen paramilitary jacket. Civilian trousers, made of the same fabric, are tucked slouchily into very soft chevron boots with thin soles, almost without heels. Sometimes he wore the same trousers untucked. During the war years he often wore a marshal's uniform.

Stalin spoke in correct Russian, but with a rather noticeable Caucasian accent. The voice is dull, guttural. Gestures, as well as movements and gait are moderate, not impetuous, but expressive...

Stalin's working day began, as a rule, after three o'clock in the afternoon. He finished work no earlier than two or three in the morning. Regardless of when work ended, often at 5-6 o’clock in the morning, Stalin went to spend the night at a nearby dacha. As far as I remember, he always drove a black Packard - several of these cars were bought in America before the war. The car had an armored body and thick greenish bulletproof glass. On trips around the city and outside the city, Stalin was always accompanied by two cars with security.

During meetings and conversations, Stalin walked gently along the office. Walks from end to end, listening to what they say, and then sits down on the one standing in the partition between the windows large sofa. He sits on the very edge of it, smokes and starts walking again. Listening to the interlocutor, he rarely interrupts him and gives him the opportunity to speak.

As a rule, Stalin's daily discussion of the most important state affairs was conducted in a narrow circle of people, without any notes or transcripts, accompanied by a free exchange of opinions, and the final decision was made after Stalin himself, as they say, drew the line. Of course, his personal opinion was always decisive, but it was formed under the influence of the statements of those present.

Stalin did not tolerate fussiness. If he made a decision, said it, instructed it, it must be done exactly on time, without delay. And everyone around him knew this. To achieve his goal, Stalin did not stop at the most drastic measures” (Yakovlev A.S. The Purpose of Life. Notes of an Aircraft Designer. M., 1974. P. 460-462).

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And here’s how Stalin, judging by Yakovlev’s memoirs, characterizes his nominee Yezhov: “Yezhov is a bastard! A decomposed man. You call him at the People's Commissariat - they say: he left for the Central Committee. You call the Central Committee and they say: he left for work. You send him to his house - it turns out he’s lying dead drunk on his bed. He killed many innocents. We shot him for this.”

“After such words,” writes Yakovlev, “the impression was created that lawlessness was happening behind Stalin’s back. But at the same time, other facts gave rise to opposing thoughts. Could, say, Stalin not know what Beria was doing? (Ibid. p. 249). By the way, Yakovlev is perhaps the only famous aircraft designer in the USSR who was not repressed under Stalin. Moreover, being the leader’s referent, he contributed to the release of some scientists from prison. You can read about this in his memoirs.

But there is another point of view. Designer L. Kerber recalls: “We were all tormented by the question, who contributed to the arrest of Tupolev? This question still worries many aviation workers... There is no doubt that the arrest could not have happened without Stalin’s sanction, but in order to obtain it, the authorities needed to accumulate materials... The most active informant about the “dubious” aspects of Tupolev’s activities was A. WITH. Yakovlev. He had his own original method: denunciations are generously scattered throughout the pages of his books. Further facts are borrowed from them. Absent-minded - they do not convince of Tupolev’s malicious intentions. Put together, they look different” (Kerber L.L. Tupolev. St. Petersburg, 1999. P. 171).

A.S. Yakovlev was married to pilot, world record holder Ekaterina Mednikova.

Yakovlev Alexander Sergeevich (1906-1989).

Born on April 1 (March 19 - old style) 1906 in Moscow in the family of an employee. Russian. My father served as head of the transport department at the oil company Nobel Brothers Partnership. Mother was a housewife. In 1914 he entered the preparatory class of the private men's gymnasium of N.P. Strakhov. After the October Revolution, the gymnasium was merged with a girls’ school, became a state school and received the name “Unified Labor School of the 2nd Stage.”

At school, I developed an interest in technology and, in particular, aviation. In 1921, he built a flying model of a glider and successfully tested it in the school hall. There were other enthusiasts at the school, and in 1922 Alexander organized an aircraft modeling club.

Without leaving school, in 1919-1922 he worked as a courier, then as a student in the archives, and as secretary to the head of a department at Glavtop, an organization that distributed all types of fuel. In August 1923, after graduating from school, he organized the first school branch of the Society of Friends of the Air Fleet (ODVF) in Moscow. Aviation enthusiasts, and there were about 60 of them at the school, built models, and then began making a glider.

Since 1924, Yakovlev worked first as a worker, then as a mechanic in the flight squad of the Air Fleet Academy (AVF) named after N.E. Zhukovsky. In the same year, he built his first aircraft - the AVF-10 glider. Despite numerous requests and appeals, he was not accepted into the academy, due to his “non-proletarian origin.” In 1927, Yakovlev built his first aircraft - AIR-1. In July 1927, the first Soviet world records were set on this aircraft - flight range (1420 km) and flight duration (15 hours 30 minutes). For these achievements, A.S. Yakovlev was enrolled as a student at the Air Force Academy without competition. While studying at the Academy, he did not stop building aircraft. In 1927-1931, under his leadership, 8 types of aircraft were created - from AIR-1 to AIR-8, one of which (AIR-6) was built in a large series.

In 1931, after graduating from the academy, he entered the Menzhinsky aircraft plant No. 39 as an engineer, where in August of the following year he organized a light aviation group - his future design bureau. A group of enthusiasts, working under the leadership of A.S. Yakovlev, achieved recognition and in January 1934 was transferred from OSOAVIAKHIM to the state aircraft industry as an independent design and production bureau, which soon became plant No. 115.

The first aircraft created at the new location, AIR-9, was shown at the Paris Aviation Show in the fall of 1934. Later, on its basis, the UT-2 aircraft was created for initial training for Air Force flight schools and flying clubs, which was produced in 1938-1948. In 1935, A.S. Yakovlev became the chief designer. In subsequent years, the OKB created several more light sport aircraft: UT-1, AIR-11 and AIR-12.

In 1939, the OKB built its first combat vehicle - the twin-engine bomber BB-22 (Yak-2 and Yak-4), the speed of which exceeded the speed of the best fighters of that time. The Yak-2 and Yak-4 were mass-produced, but essentially turned out to be Yakovlev’s design failure, due to design features These vehicles met the Great Patriotic War practically uncombat-ready. In January 1940, he simultaneously worked as Deputy People's Commissar of the Aviation Industry for Experimental Aircraft Construction and Science

On January 13, 1940, the I-26 fighter (Yak-1 prototype) took off. The plane received highly appreciated, and the chief designer became one of the first Heroes of Socialist Labor.

Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated October 28, 1940 for outstanding achievements in the field of creating new types of weapons that increase defense power Soviet Union Yakovlev Alexander Sergeevich was awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor with the Order of Lenin and the Hammer and Sickle gold medal.

During the Great Patriotic War Based on the Yak-1, the Yak-7 (1941), Yak-9, Yak-3 (1943) and over 30 of their production variants and modifications were created - in total, more than 30 thousand aircraft were produced. They accounted for two-thirds of the fighters produced during the war. Each "yak" had a number of modifications, differing best characteristics. Replacing wood with metal in the structure and improving aerodynamics made it possible to increase flight speed. The latest modification of the Yak-3 had a speed of up to 720 km/h; it was also the lightest fighter of the Second World War. The armament was increased, from 20 mm guns on the Yak-1 to 37 mm and 45 mm on the Yak-9. The flight range increased, up to 2200 km for the Yak-9DD. Until July 1946, A.S. Yakovlev, while heading the Design Bureau, simultaneously worked as Deputy People's Commissar of the Aviation Industry for Experimental Aircraft Construction and Science (in 1946 - Deputy Minister for general issues). Major General of the Aviation Engineering Service (11/10/1942). Lieutenant General of the Aviation Engineering Service (12/27/1943).

From 1956 until his retirement, A.S. Yakovlev was the general designer of the OKB. IN post-war period aviation was re-equipped with jet technology. The Yak-15 fighter became the first jet aircraft to enter service in the USSR. It was followed by the Yak-17UTI, Yak-23, Yak-25 - the first Soviet all-weather interceptor, the high-altitude Yak-25RV, the first supersonic reconnaissance aircraft Yak-27R, the Yak-28 family of supersonic aircraft, including the first Soviet supersonic front-line bomber. Landing vehicles entered service - the Yak-14 glider and the Yak-24 helicopter - the most load-lifting in the world in 1952-1956.

By a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated July 12, 1957, Alexander Sergeevich Yakovlev was awarded the second gold medal “Hammer and Sickle” (No. 49/II) for outstanding achievements in the creation of new aviation equipment and the labor heroism shown. Became twice Hero of Socialist Labor.

Along with combat aircraft, the Yakovlev Design Bureau also produced equipment for civilian use. A whole generation of light-engine aircraft was created: the Yak-11 and Yak-18 trainers, the multi-purpose Yak-12, the first jet trainer aircraft in the USSR, the Yak-30 and Yak-32. Flying the Yak-18P, Yak-18PM, Yak-18PS and Yak-50 since 1960, Soviet pilots have repeatedly won first places at the World and European aerobatics championships.

Since 1968, the Yak-40 has been carrying passengers - the only Soviet aircraft certified according to Western airworthiness standards and purchased by Italy, Germany and other countries. Later, the 120-seat Yak-42 was created, which was highly economical.

In 1967, the first Soviet vertical take-off and landing aircraft, the Yak-36, was demonstrated at the parade in Domodedovo, and since 1976, the Yak-38 vertical and short take-off and landing combat aircraft—the world's first carrier-based VTOL aircraft—have been in service with Kiev-class cruisers.

On August 21, 1984, A.S. Yakovlev retired at the age of 78. In total, under his leadership, over 200 types of aircraft were created, of which more than 100 were serial, on which 86 world records were set at different times.

Hero of Socialist Labor - Hammer and Sickle Medal twice (1940, 1957);
-10 Orders of Lenin;
-order October Revolution;
-2 Orders of the Red Banner;
-Order of Suvorov 1st and 2nd degree;
-2 Orders of the Patriotic War, 1st degree;
-Order of the Red Banner of Labor;
-Order of the Red Star
- six-time winner of the Stalin Prize (1941, 1942, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1948);
- laureate of the Lenin Prize (1971).
- laureate of the USSR State Prize (1977).

Alexander Yakovlev (center) with his comrades studying an aircraft engine in the school club “Young Friends of the Air Fleet”, 1923.

A.S. Yakovlev at the AIR-2 aircraft. 1928

A.S. Yakovlev at the AIR-4 aircraft. 1930

IV World Aerobatics Championship. A.S. Yakovlev talks near the Yak-50 sports aircraft with the winners of the championship - V.A. Ovsyankin (left) and G.G. Korchuganova. Moscow, August 12, 1966.

List of sources:
Alexander Sergeevich Yakovlev. Website "Heroes of the Country".
Memoirs of A.S. Yakovlev. "The purpose of life."
A.S. Yakovlev. Stories of an aircraft designer.

Academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences (1976), twice Hero of Socialist Labor, ten-time holder of the Order of Lenin, Member of the USSR Armed Forces in 1946-1989, Stalin’s adviser on aviation issues.

Biography

Family

Alexander Sergeevich Yakovlev was born on March 19 (April 1), 1906, in the city of Moscow, in the family of an employee. Father - Sergey Vasilyevich, graduated from the Moscow Alexander Commercial School. After completing his studies, he served in the transport department of the oil company Nobel Brothers Partnership. Mother - Nina Vladimirovna, housewife. The Yakovlev family comes from the serf peasants of Count Dmitriev-Mamonov. Alexander Sergeevich’s grandfather, Vasily Afanasyevich, ran a candle shop in Moscow at the Ilyinsky Gate and had a contract to light the chandeliers of the Bolshoi Theater.

Career

In 1919-1922 he worked as a courier while continuing to study at school. From 1922 he built flying model airplanes in a school club. In the 1920s, Yakovlev was one of the founders of Soviet aircraft modeling, gliding and sports aviation.

In 1924, Alexander Yakovlev built his first aircraft - the AVF-10 glider, which was awarded as one of the best Soviet gliders at all-Union competitions. The AVF-10 made its first flight on September 15, 1924, now this date is celebrated as the birthday of the Yakovlev Design Bureau.

From 1924 to 1927, Yakovlev worked first as a worker, then as a mechanic in the flight squad of the Air Force Academy. N. E. Zhukovsky. Despite numerous requests and appeals, he was not accepted into the academy, due to his “non-proletarian origin.” In 1927, Yakovlev built the AIR-1 light aircraft.

In 1927 he was enrolled in the Academy. Zhukovsky, which he graduated in 1931. In 1931 he entered the aircraft plant No. 39 named after him as an engineer. Menzhinsky, where in August 1932 he organized a light aviation group.

On January 15, 1934, Yakovlev became the head of the production and design bureau of Spetsaviatrest Aviaprom, and from 1935 to 1956 - chief designer.

From January 11, 1940 to 1946, he was simultaneously Deputy People's Commissar of the Aviation Industry for New Technology, and from March 1946, Deputy Minister of Aviation Industry (for General Issues). From 1956 to 1984 - General Designer of the Yakovlev Design Bureau.

In total, the OKB created over 200 types and modifications aircraft, including more than 100 serial ones:

light aircraft for various purposes: sports, multi-purpose, including jet
fighters of the Great Patriotic War
first Soviet jet fighters and interceptors
landing gliders and helicopters, including the world's largest helicopter in the 1950s, the Yak-24
family of supersonic aircraft, including the first Soviet supersonic bombers, reconnaissance aircraft and interceptors
the first short and vertical take-off and landing aircraft in the USSR, including a supersonic one, which has no analogues
reactive passenger aircraft
unmanned aerial vehicles

Since 1934, OKB aircraft have been continuously in large-scale production and operation. In total, more than 70 thousand Yak aircraft were built, including more than 40 thousand aircraft during the Great Patriotic War, in particular, 2/3 of all fighters were Yakovlev aircraft. The OKB's aircraft were awarded the Lenin, State and six Stalin Prizes. They have become widespread in our country and abroad. A. S. Yakovlev donated the Stalin Prize of the first degree (150,000 rubles) in March 1943 to the Defense Fund for the construction of a fighter for himself best pilot Soviet Air Force.

Aircraft

Under the leadership of Yakovlev, OKB 115 produced over 200 types and modifications of aircraft, including more than 100 serial ones. Since 1932, OKB aircraft have been continuously in large-scale production and operation. Over 70 years, 70,000 Yak aircraft were built. During the Great Patriotic War, 40,000 Yak aircraft were built for the front. Yakovlev Design Bureau set 74 world records on its aircraft.

During the Great Patriotic War the following people flew on Yakovlev's planes:

Soviet pilot ace A.I. Pokryshkin - very briefly, preferring the all-metal P-39 Aircobra
pilots of the Normandy-Niemen regiment
twice Hero of the Soviet Union Arseny Vasilyevich Vorozheikin - 46 out of 52 aircraft shot down (6 on I-16 at Khalkhin Gol)
Marshals Koldunov Alexander Ivanovich (46 victories) and Savitsky Evgeniy Yakovlevich (22), the latter being the only flying commander of the air corps (even some regiment commanders did not fly in the Red Army after 41 years).

Criticism of activities

Yakovlev was one of the few Soviet designers who were not injured during the period mass repression thanks to a special trusting relationship with Stalin. In his memoirs, A. S. Yakovlev gives the following dialogue with Stalin:

Naturally, such relations with Stalin caused a stream of criticism against Yakovlev after his death. Designer L. Kerber recalls:

It should be noted that Kerber is mistaken in this case, since Tupolev was arrested in 1937, and Yakovlev began to be summoned to the Kremlin only in 1939, it is also worth noting that Yakovlev began writing books in the post-war years. Therefore, denunciations could not be scattered on the pages of his books.

Yakovlev understood that in his post as Deputy People's Commissar for Experimental Aircraft Construction he could become the object of accusations of bias and “overwriting” other aircraft designers.

This is what happened later. It was noted [by whom?] that Yakovlev played a fatal role in the fate of some possibly promising developments of other aircraft designers of his time, in particular, he completely canceled Moskalev’s SAM-13 project in the spring of 1941, the RM-1 project in 1946, RK-800 (Sliding wing 800 km/h) in 1940, SK-1 and SK-2 in 1940, etc. In many[which?] modern sources the sad role of Yakovlev in the fate of the promising I-180 aircraft designed by N. N. Polikarpov is noted. After Chkalov's death, the plant's management and a number of designers were subjected to repression, but testing of the I-180 continued, but the aircraft was never put into production. In mid-1940, by the time state tests of the I-180 were completed, the I-200 (future Mig-1/-3), I-301 (LaGG-1/-3) and I-26 (Yak-1) were accepted for serial production. . It should be noted that this version seems doubtful simply because of the discrepancy in dates - at the time of the I-180 crash and the death of Chkalov, December 15, 1938, Yakovlev had nothing to do with the leadership of the USSR aviation industry and held the post of one of the general designers of aviation design bureaus. He was appointed to the post of Deputy People's Commissar for Experimental Aircraft Construction only at the beginning of 1940, and thus could not be responsible for the difficulties that arose during the creation of the I-180 fighter in 1938-1939. It can be assumed that it was the image of “Stalin’s favorite” that became the reason for the demonization of Yakovlev’s image by workers in the USSR aviation industry after the death of the leader - the excellent aircraft designer turned out to be a bad apparatchik and managed to make many ill-wishers among the leaders of the Soviet aviation industry.

Bibliography

Stories of an aircraft designer:: M., 1957
50 years of Soviet aircraft construction:: M., 1968
The purpose of life (notes of an aircraft designer) :: Ed. 2nd, supplemented, M., Publishing House of Political Literature, 1969, 623 pp. with illustrations,
Soviet aircraft:: Publishing house. 3rd. M., 1979;

Awards

For outstanding services to the Motherland, Yakovlev was awarded the following awards:

Soviet:

Hero of Socialist Labor - Hammer and Sickle Medal twice (1940, 1957);
Order of Lenin ten times;
Order of the October Revolution;
Order of the Red Banner twice;
Order of Suvorov 1st and 2nd degree;
Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree twice;
Order of the Red Banner of Labor
Order of the Red Star
six-time Stalin Prize laureate (1941, 1942, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1948);
laureate of the Lenin Prize (1971);
USSR State Prize laureate (1977);

French:

Order of the Legion of Honor, "Officer" degree (French: Officier de l "Ordre national de la L?gion d"Honneur);

International:

FAI Gold Aviation Medal.

Memory

In Moscow, in the Aviator Park, a bronze bust of Yakovlev was installed.
The names of Yakovlev are:
- Experimental Design Bureau 115 (OKB 115)
- Moscow machine-building plant"Speed";
- Aviakonstruktor Yakovlev Street (formerly 2nd Usievich Street) in the Airport district (since 2006) in the Northern Administrative District of Moscow.

Bust of Yakovlev in Moscow

Russian postage stamp, 2006

(1906-1989) Soviet aircraft designer

Alexander Sergeevich Yakovlev was born in Moscow, his father was an employee of the Nobel company. While still at school, Alexander became interested in aviation and organized first a modeling and then a gliding club. In 1923, the young man began working as a carpenter in the aviation workshops of the Air Force Academy. He helped make gliders, so he was included in the group of mechanics that worked at the competitions in Koktebel. There Yakovlev met and became friends with the future aircraft designer Sergei Ilyushin, who was then a student at the Academy.

Ilyushin advised him to build his own glider, helped him make the project and necessary calculations. In 1924, at the same competition in Koktebel, the design created by Alexander Yakovlev already received a prize.

Having finished high school, he wanted to go to the Air Force Academy. But this required at least some military experience. With the help of Ilyushin, the young man managed to get a job in the training workshops of the Academy. At the same time, he begins to work at the Central Aerodrome in Moscow, preparing aircraft for training flights. Alexander liked sports airplanes most of all; soon he passed the exam to become a motor mechanic and, together with a group of like-minded people, began to build his own car. Ilyushin and V. Pyshnov again help him in this.

The aircraft was built in 1927 and successfully passed flight tests. In the same year, Alexander Yakovlev made a sports flight along the route Moscow - Sevastopol - Moscow, setting a world record for flight range and duration.

Now he received the necessary experience and could enter the Military Engineering Academy named after Nikolai Zhukovsky. In parallel with his studies, Yakovlev continued to design aircraft. In 1929, he built a two-seat sports plane AIR-3 and named it “Pioneer Truth”, since the plane was built with money raised by young aviation enthusiasts.

Soon, Alexander Sergeevich Yakovlev’s plane took part in the flight Moscow - Mineralnye Vody, during which two world records were set for two-seater aircraft - for non-stop flight range and average speed.

From that time on, Alexander Yakovlev completely focused on designing small aircraft. As his thesis, he proposed the design “ air car" - a four-seater aircraft with a shortened mileage.

After graduating from the Academy in 1931, Yakovlev began working as an engineer at the V. Menzhinsky plant and continued to design light aircraft for Osoaviakhim.

A team of like-minded people rallies around the designer. In 1933, Alexander Yakovlev’s group was given a factory for the production of beds. In this building he organized his own design bureau for the design of light and training aircraft.

The models he developed became the main training aircraft in flying clubs and military pilot schools. The planes of the talented designer take part in flights almost every year, setting new records. They are distinguished by their ease of maintenance and high flight performance.

In 1935, Alexander Sergeevich Yakovlev participated in the international aviation exhibition in Milan, where the successful design of his AIR aircraft was noted.

On next year he again went abroad, this time to France. He was included in a group of engineers who were supposed to participate in the purchase of sports aircraft from Renault. During this trip, Yakovlev visited the factories of famous French designers Bleriot, Renault and Messier.

Returning to Moscow, he learned that aircraft designers should restructure their work to design military aircraft. He immediately got to work and, based on his developments, created a reconnaissance aircraft.

Alexander Yakovlev constantly met with test pilots and among them he found his destiny. In 1938, he met pilot E. Mednikova, and they soon got married. After the war, their son Sergei was born, who later also became an aircraft designer.

In the spring of 1939, Alexander Yakovlev began designing his first fighter, and already in 1940 the Yak-1 fighter successfully passed tests and was put into service.

As a specialist, Alexander Sergeevich Yakovlev enjoyed such enormous authority that even Joseph Stalin listened to his advice. Since 1938, he appointed him as his consultant on military issues. At the beginning of 1940, he was appointed Deputy People's Commissar of the Aviation Industry for Science and Experimental Construction. At the same time, on Yakovlev’s initiative, a decision was made to organize a flight test institute in the city of Zhukovsky.

IN pre-war years Yakovlev, as part of a group of engineers, traveled to Germany more than once to familiarize himself with German aviation technology. He visited the factories of various German designers and observed the organization of design work and production.

During the war he continued to design fighter aircraft. The Yak-3 aircraft he created was recognized as the lightest and most maneuverable aircraft of this time.

Along with this work, in 1942, Alexander Yakovlev began developing an aircraft with a jet engine. In May of the same year, an experimental model of the Yak-3 fighter with a liquid jet engine went for testing. But the plane was unsuccessful; the engine was too difficult to control and inconvenient to maintain.

Already at the end of the war, when Alexander Yakovlev had the opportunity to use a turbojet engine, he created the Yak-15 fighter, which for the first time in the history of aircraft construction underwent full-scale tests in a wind tunnel. In April 1946, the state commission accepted the aircraft, and its mass production soon began.

In parallel with jet aircraft, Yakovlev was engaged in the design of aerobatic machines. On one of these Yak-15 aircraft, test pilot P. Stefanovsky performed a series of aerobatic maneuvers, thereby proving that jet aircraft can be used for aerial acrobatics and flights in extreme conditions.

In the spring of 1946, Alexander Yakovlev left the post of Deputy People's Commissar and devoted himself entirely to design work. Based on his previous developments, he creates the Yak-25, an all-weather interceptor fighter.

Soon after the end of the tests, the designer had to significantly change the direction of his work. The government commissioned him to develop a utility helicopter.

Using the expertise of Russian-born American designer Igor Sikorsky, Alexander Yakovlev created the Yak-24 twin-rotor cargo helicopter, which could carry forty passengers or approximately four tons of cargo. But the helicopter carriage turned out to be Yakovlev’s only such development. After Stalin's death, his design bureau was refocused on creating light aerobatic aircraft.

In 1957, Yakovlev tested the Yak-18A aircraft, on the basis of which the world's first special aerobatic aircraft was created. He could fly both in a normal and inverted position. These machines were used by the majority of participants in the World Aerobatics Championship, held in August 1966 at the Tushinsky airfield in Moscow. Currently, this aircraft remains the best aerobatic machine in the world. It is used by professional athletes in 63 countries.

At the same time, Alexander Sergeevich Yakovlev led the development of new models of high-speed fighters. He created the Yak-28 supersonic fighter with variable sweep wings and a vertical take-off and landing aircraft.

In the early sixties, Yakovlev Design Bureau once again reoriented: it began to engage in design passenger aircraft. Already in 1966, the first sample of the Yak-40 was tested, which, unlike the larger models of passenger airliners Tu-104 and Il-62, was intended to operate on short airlines.

Thanks to its light weight, the Yak-40 could take off from both concrete and dirt airfields. It became the prototype for a family of small passenger aircraft. In February 1972, Alexander Yakovlev's plane made a demonstration flight around globe. It captivated many and was immediately purchased by many countries.

Yakovlev releases new option the Yak-42 aircraft, which could operate on both short- and long-haul airlines.

In 1976, Alexander Sergeevich Yakovlev became an academician and soon retired.