Kraków 2020-07-14
Jakowlew Jak-40 nb 032
History airplane Jak-40 nb 032.
There is the Jakowlew Jak-40 nb 032 aircraft in Brzeźnica near Skawina. The aircraft is a private property and it is a copy of the original painting used in the Polish Army until 1993. 19 aircraft of this type were used in Poland. Only the first copy was not operated in the Polish Army. The first plane was bought in 1973.
The first wax pilot trained for this type of machine was a major first class pilot Tadeusz Staroń, who then headed the team training pilots and crew navigators.
The first four copies of the Jak-40 aircraft, immediately after delivery to Poland, were used in the 19th Air Towing Squadron, replacing the withdrawn Iliuszyn IL-28 bomber aircraft in this task. However, it lasted only several months. Then the aircraft were handed over to the 36th Special Air Transport Regiment, which became the only unit operating this type of aircraft in Poland.
The Yakovlev Jak-40 nb 032 aircraft No. 9331129 was manufactured on August 6, 1973. He was delivered to Poland on August 12, 1973. It was the third plane that came to Poland. The plane, after exhausting its service life, was not sent for repair, it only went into private hands and was set up as a monument in Brzeźnica near Skawina. Unconfirmed information indicates that the aircraft was structurally damaged as a result of a hard landing.
18 machines were introduced to the 36th SPLTr. The last two planes were delivered in August 1980. All planes received standard painting similar to the Soviet pattern. Top of the plane is white, blue ribbon along the windows, bottom is gray. The aircraft were intended mainly for carrying important personalities in the country.
In 1988, five Jak-40 machines were leased from 36. SPLTr to LOT Polish Airlines to transport passengers on short European routes. The machines were returned to the army in 1991.
In the 90’s it turned out that 18 Jak-40 machines are far too much for our needs. That is why, at that time, efforts were started to sell unnecessary, not cheap, but very safe aircraft. The oldest machines were sold first. In 1991, several machines were sold to Ukraine.
In the 90s, the aircraft underwent repairs and received new, more attractive, and above all Polish painting. A new Polish painting pattern was developed after the changes introduced in 1993. The chessboard underwent a slight change, which was adapted to the rules of Polish heraldry. We have white and red colors, not red and white. Therefore, the first left upper field should be white. Due to this, Aviation Chessboard was rotated 90 degrees.
The last Jak-40 aircraft ceased service in 2011.
Written by Karol Placha Hetman