On 11 March 1947, the Council of Ministers of the USSR adopted a resolution ordering the development of a new frontline fighter. As it later turned out, the team of designers led by Mikoyan and Gurevich performed best, creating the swept-wing MiG-15 fighter. The production of jet aircraft in the USSR was made possible in 1947 thanks to access to the most advanced British turbojet engines in the world. Great Britain enabled the Soviets to purchase the excellent “Nene” and “Derwent” aircraft engines, designed and produced by Rolls-Royce.
Alexander Yakovlev and his team also began implementing the USSR Council of Ministers’ resolution, but he had a negative attitude towards the swept wing, considering this aerodynamic solution uncertain and its future difficult to predict. For the new aircraft, he preferred a straight wing with a laminar profile, which his team of designers had already experimented with (Yak-19). He hoped that this solution, combined with a lightweight airframe and a high-thrust engine, would achieve a good end result. His views fell on fertile ground among certain decision-makers sceptical of technical novelties, who feared that if the swept wing concept failed, they might be left without a modern fighter. Yakovlev began developing two designs with a straight laminar-profile wing. Officially, work proceeded on the Yak-25 with a pressurised cockpit, while unofficially work continued on the Yak-23, which had a “redan” layout similar to that used earlier in the Yak-15 and Yak-17. Both projects used the same British RR “Derwent V” engine, whose production was launched in the USSR under the designation RD-500.
Ultimately, however, it was decided to pursue the Yak-23 concept. This choice was certainly influenced by its lower weight and the prospect of reducing it further. This was possible by abandoning the pressurised cockpit, limiting the self-sealing of fuel tanks and armour protection. Air brakes were also eliminated, which reduced the fighter’s capabilities in manoeuvre combat. The “redan” layout of the airframe allowed the engine and pilot’s cockpit to be placed close to the centre of gravity, also reducing losses at the air intake and jet exhaust. It also enabled fuller utilisation of the powerplant’s capabilities and improved the aircraft’s dynamics. The semi-monocoque fuselage construction represented a significant technological advance over Yakovlev’s previous designs. The Yak-23 had a tricycle undercarriage with a nosewheel. It was armed with 2 cannons cal. 23 mm; under the wingtips, 2 auxiliary fuel tanks could be carried (provisions were also made for hanging two bombs there).
At the end of 1948, the decision was made to begin production of the Yak-23 at the factory in Tbilisi. Between 1948 and 1950, 310 machines of this type were built there. The aircraft was intended to perform fighter missions at altitudes up to 10,000 m (MiG-15s were to fight at higher altitudes). In 1950, the Yak-23 underwent military trials. Military pilots took a liking to this fighter; its advantages outweighed its shortcomings. It had excellent handling characteristics, a high rate of climb, aerobatics could be performed on it, and it could use unpaved airfields. The ease of ground maintenance was highlighted, thanks to excellent access to the engine and other equipment. The Yak-23 was suitable for pilots of average skill who could quickly master its handling. In 1950, work began on a trainer aircraft based on the Yak-23. Three prototypes with different cockpit configurations were tested, but none of them entered production.
In the early 1950s, a decision was made to export the Yak-23 to countries of the so-called “socialist bloc.” It entered service with the military air forces of Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Poland and Romania. The largest foreign recipient of Yak-23 aircraft was Poland. In 1951, 90 fighters of this type were delivered to the Polish air force. They remained in service until the mid-1950s. Initially, Yak-17W aircraft were used for training on the Yak-23, and later the UTI MiG-15 was also used. The Yak-23 became the first jet-powered fighter to enter service with the fighter regiments of the Polish military air force. At the aviation works in Mielec in 1950, preparations were made for licensed production of the Yak-23. In reports, the fighter was referred to as G-3. Full production documentation was delivered from the USSR, and assembly jigs were ready. Preparations were halted after obtaining permission from the Soviets for the licensed production of the MiG-15 in Poland.
In November 1957, at the Institute of Aviation in Warsaw, an international rate-of-climb record was broken on a Yak-23 fighter transferred there. The aircraft received the civilian registration SP-GLK. This feat was accomplished by test pilot Andrzej Ablamowicz.
| Wingspan | 8.73 m |
| Length | 8.16 m |
| Takeoff weight | 3384 kg |
| Maximum speed | 923 km/h |
| Ceiling | 14800 m |
| Range | 1330 km |
| Armament | described in text |
| Engine | turbojet RD-500 with 1590 kG thrust |
