Washing Machine Charlie; A Notorious Yak.
Continuing the North Korean theme, the latest aeroplane on my site is the Yakovlev Yak-18. An unassuming aeroplane with a somewhat surprising war record, the Yak-18 is a classic example of the age old rule to keep it simple. This can be seen in the aircraft's construction and features, such as its compressor driven pneumatic system that raises and lowers the undercarriage and flaps, operates the brakes and engine starter and its welded steel tube structure covered in fabric. Initial production of these aeroplanes were tail draggers, simply known as 'Yak-18s'. These were followed by tricycle undercarriage configured machines titled Yak-18As. First flying after the end of World War Two, Yak-18s notoriously saw service in the hands of the DPRK during the Korean War as nuisance raiders, attacking targets of opportunity by night. Flying low to conceal themselves from radar, they typically dropped small bombs and mortars before retreating into the darkness back across into DPRK held territory. The nickname 'Washing Machine Charlie' comes from its five cylinder 160hp M-11FR radial engine, which those on the receiving end of its nightly sojourns claimed sounded like clothes washing machines of the day. One notable success for the Yaks was a raid against a fuel dump near Incheon in June 1953, which destroyed five and a half million gallons of fuel. On the night of 15 June, Yaks and assorted other raiders dropped bombs in the centre of Seoul, near President Rhee Syng-man's official residence. This Korean People's Army Air Force (KPAAF) Yak-18 is on display in the enormous War Memorial of Korea in Seoul, although how it came to be in the south is not recorded. It is believed that Yak-18s still serve with the KPAAF in small numbers as ground attack machines in a unit populated entirely by women! Nothing should suprise about the 'Hermit Kingdom'. Click on the image to go to the Yak-18 walkaround page.
