In 1943, the design bureau of Alexander S. Yakovlev developed a prototype of a new version of the UT-2 aircraft with an enclosed engine and cockpit. It became the basis for the Yak-18 aircraft designed in 1946. This machine was similar in layout to the UT-2, but featured a metal construction. The fuselage truss was welded from steel tubes, and the wings had a duralumin skeleton. The airframe was covered with fabric and had retractable undercarriage. The Yak-18 prototype, test-flown that same year, was ordered into serial production in 1947.
The first public presentation of a production specimen took place in 1948, during the 21st Poznan International Fair. The Yak-18 proved to be a very successful design, mass-produced and exported to many countries. Among the successes of this aircraft were several speed records and an altitude record set in 1954 (6,311 m). Between 1947 and 1957, a total of 5,680 Yak-18 and Yak-18U (with nosewheel) aircraft were produced in the USSR and Hungary.
In 1957, a new, redesigned version of this airframe was developed, designated Yak-18A. It received a new engine and metal fuselage skinning. Single-seat variants of this aircraft were designated Yak-18P, Yak-18PM and Yak-18PS. By 1975, a total of 8,334 Yak-18 aircraft had been produced. In Poland, Yak-18s of various versions were used between 1950 and 1978, initially in the military and later in aero clubs.
The specimen with serial number EM 005 was produced in 1956 in Hungary – at the Sportárutermelő Vállalat (Sports Equipment Factory) in Esztergom. In August 1957 it was delivered to Poland for the Aero Club of the Polish People’s Republic and was registered as SP-AOP. After flying 1,555 hours and two overhauls, it was transferred to the Museum’s collection in 1973. Under an agreement with the Museum signed in 2000, the “Polish Eagles” Foundation carried out a thorough overhaul of the aircraft, restoring it to airworthy condition and re-registering it as SP-YYY. The aircraft received the livery worn by Yak-18s in the military air force. It is currently the only airworthy specimen of this type in Poland. Apart from it, only a few machines of this type remain airworthy worldwide.
| Wingspan | 10.6 m |
| Length | 8.0 m |
| Takeoff weight | 1160 kg |
| Maximum speed | 235 km/h |
| Ceiling | 3350 m |
| Range | 780 km |
| Armament | – |
| Engine | radial Shvetsov M-11 FR with a power output of 160 hp (118 kW |
