Aero L-59 Super Albatros vs Yakovlev Yak-40

ASupport aircraft

Aero L-59 Super Albatros

Military trainer aircraft COIN

Credit

Michal šenki · Public domain · Resized · Public domain · Source ↗ · Modified

BSupport aircraft

Yakovlev Yak-40

Regional jet / VIP transport

First system

Second system

At a glance

Side by side

Length comparisonOne shared metre scale

Aero L-59 Super AlbatrosL-59E · Length

12.2 m

Length source ↗

Yakovlev Yak-40Yak-40 · Length

20.36 m

Length source ↗

Lengths retain their source configuration and measurement scope.

Measured figures

Head to head

19 of 30 rows sourced on both sides

12.2mL-59E · Length

20.36mYak-40 · Length

LengthScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

12.2 m

L-59E · Length

Single source

12.20 m (40 ft 0 in)^[source]

20.36 m

Yak-40 · Length

Single source

20.36 m (66 ft 10 in)^[source]

9.54mL-59E · including tip tanks

25mYak-40 · Wingspan

WingspanScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

9.54 m

L-59E · including tip tanks

Single source

9.54 m (31 ft 4 in) (including tip tanks)^[source]

25 m

Yak-40 · Wingspan

Single source

25.0 m (82 ft 0 in)^[source]

4.77mL-59E · Height

6.5mYak-40 · Height

HeightScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

4.77 m

L-59E · Height

Single source

4.77 m (15 ft 8 in)^[source]

6.5 m

Yak-40 · Height

Single source

6.50 m (21 ft 4 in)^[source]

15.5t

MassScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

4,030 kg

Empty; L-59E · includes gun

Single source

7,000 kg

Maximum take-off; L-59E · Max takeoff weight

Single source

4,030 kg (8,885 lb) (includes gun)^[source]

7,000 kg (15,432 lb)^[source]

9,400 kg

Empty; Yak-40 · Empty weight

Single source

15,500 kg

Maximum take-off; Yak-40 · Max takeoff weight

Single source

9,400 kg (20,723 lb)^[source]

15,500 kg (34,172 lb)^[source]

2L-59E · Crew

3Yak-40 · two pilots, one flight mechanic

CrewScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

2 people

L-59E · Crew

Single source

2^[source]

3 people

Yak-40 · two pilots, one flight mechanic

Single source

3 (two pilots, one flight mechanic)^[source]

865km/hMaximum; L-59E · at 5,000 m (16,000 ft)

550km/h

SpeedScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

865 km/h

Maximum; L-59E · at 5,000 m (16,000 ft)

Single source

865 km/h (537 mph, 467 kn) at 5,000 m (16,000 ft)^[source]

550 km/h

Cruise; Yak-40 · at 7,000 m (23,000 ft) (max. cruise)

Single source

Mach 0.7 ( IAS )^[source]

550 km/h (340 mph, 300 kn) at 7,000 m (23,000 ft) (max. cruise)^[source]

2,000km

1,800kmYak-40 · Range

RangeScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

2,000 km

L-59E · at 7,000 m (23,000 ft) (with maximum internal and external fuel)

Single source

2,000 km (1,200 mi, 1,100 nmi) at 7,000 m (23,000 ft) (with maximum internal and external fuel)^[source]

1,800 km

Yak-40 · Range

Single source

1,800 km (1,100 mi, 970 nmi)^[source]

21.6kNL-59E · 1 × Lotarev DV-2 turbofan thrust

14.7kN

ThrustScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

21.57 kN

L-59E · 1 × Lotarev DV-2 turbofan thrust

Single source

1 × Lotarev DV-2 turbofan , 21.57 kN (4,850 lbf) thrust^[source]

14.7 kN

Yak-40 · 3 × Ivchenko AI-25 turbofan engines thrust each

Single source

3 × Ivchenko AI-25 turbofan engines, 14.7 kN (3,300 lbf) thrust each^[source]

18.8m²L-59E · Wing area

70m²Yak-40 · Wing area

Wing areaScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

18.8 m²

L-59E · Wing area

Single source

18.80 m 2 (202.4 sq ft)^[source]

70 m²

Yak-40 · Wing area

Single source

70.00 m 2 (753.5 sq ft)^[source]

11,800mL-59E · Service ceiling

8,000mYak-40 · Service ceiling

Service ceilingScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

11,800 m

L-59E · Service ceiling

Single source

11,800 m (38,700 ft)^[source]

8,000 m

Yak-40 · Service ceiling

Single source

8,000 m (26,000 ft)^[source]

28m/sL-59E · 5,510 ft/min

8m/sYak-40 · 1,575 ft/min

Rate of climbScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

28 m/s

L-59E · 5,510 ft/min

Single source

28.0 m/s (5,510 ft/min)^[source]

8 m/s

Yak-40 · 1,575 ft/min

Single source

8.00 m/s (1,575 ft/min)^[source]

Bars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.

Configuration

Details

Aero L-59 Super Albatros and Yakovlev Yak-40 configuration
Specification	Aero L-59 Super Albatros	Yakovlev Yak-40
Type	Military trainer aircraft COIN^[source]	Regional jet / VIP transport^[source]Yak-40
Manufacturer	Aero Vodochody^[source]	Yakovlev^[source]Yak-40
Status	Out of production, in service^[source]	In limited service^[source]Yak-40
Primary users	Czech Air Force Egyptian Air Force Tunisian Air Force^[source]	Motor Sich Airlines Vologda Aviation Enterprise Aeroflot (former)^[source]Yak-40
Number built	80^[source]	1,011 (according to some sources, 1,013)^[source]Yak-40
Manufactured	1986–1996^[source]	1967–1981^[source]Yak-40
First flight	30 September 1986^[source]	October 21, 1966^[source]Yak-40
Developed from	Aero L-39 Albatros^[source]	—
Variant	Aero L-159 ALCA^[source]	—
Fuel capacity	1,537 L (406 US gal; 338 imp gal) including tip tanks^[source]	3,910 L (860 imp gal; 1,030 US gal)^[source]
Stall speed	185 km/h (115 mph, 100 kn) (flaps down)^[source]	—
Guns	one GSh-23L cannon in under-fuselage pod^[source]	—
Hardpoints	four underwing hardpoints with a capacity of inner hardpoints 500 kg (1,100 lb)capacity, outer hardpoints 250 kg (550 lb)^[source]	—
Country of origin	Czechoslovakia^[source]Inventory Origin column; table 1, row 26, cell 2; revision 1374778711; retrieved 2026-10-01	—
National origin	—	Soviet Union^[source]Yak-40
Introduction date	—	September 1968 (Aeroflot)^[source]Yak-40
Developed into	—	Yakovlev Yak-42^[source]Yak-40
Capacity	—	32 passengers^[source]
Aspect ratio	—	9:1^[source]

FORCETALLY

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Aero L-59 Super Albatros

Yakovlev Yak-40

Type

Military trainer aircraft COIN^[source]

Regional jet / VIP transport^[source]Yak-40

Manufacturer

Aero Vodochody^[source]

Yakovlev^[source]Yak-40

Status

Out of production, in service^[source]

In limited service^[source]Yak-40

Primary users

Czech Air Force Egyptian Air Force Tunisian Air Force^[source]

Motor Sich Airlines Vologda Aviation Enterprise Aeroflot (former)^[source]Yak-40

Number built

80^[source]

1,011 (according to some sources, 1,013)^[source]Yak-40

Manufactured

1986–1996^[source]

1967–1981^[source]Yak-40

First flight

30 September 1986^[source]

October 21, 1966^[source]Yak-40

Developed from

Aero L-39 Albatros^[source]

—

Variant

Aero L-159 ALCA^[source]

—

Fuel capacity

1,537 L (406 US gal; 338 imp gal) including tip tanks^[source]

3,910 L (860 imp gal; 1,030 US gal)^[source]

Stall speed

185 km/h (115 mph, 100 kn) (flaps down)^[source]

—

Guns

one GSh-23L cannon in under-fuselage pod^[source]

—

Hardpoints

four underwing hardpoints with a capacity of inner hardpoints 500 kg (1,100 lb)capacity, outer hardpoints 250 kg (550 lb)^[source]

—

Country of origin

Czechoslovakia^[source]Inventory Origin column; table 1, row 26, cell 2; revision 1374778711; retrieved 2026-10-01

—

National origin

—

Soviet Union^[source]Yak-40

Introduction date

—

September 1968 (Aeroflot)^[source]Yak-40

Developed into

—

Yakovlev Yak-42^[source]Yak-40

Capacity

—

32 passengers^[source]

Aspect ratio

—

9:1^[source]