Yakovlev Yak-52 For Hire at Henstridge Airfield

Description

The Yakovlev Yak-52 (Russian: Яковлев Як-52) is a Soviet primary trainer aircraft which first flew in 1976. It was produced in Romania from 1977 to 1998 by Aerostar, as Iak-52, which gained manufacturing rights under agreement within the former COMECON socialist trade organisation[1]. The Yak-52 was designed as an aerobatic trainer for students in the Soviet DOSAAF training organisation, which trained civilian sport pilots & military pilots.

A descendant of the single-seat competition aerobatic Yakovlev Yak-50, the all-metal Yak-52 is powered by a 268 kW (360 hp) Vedeneyev M14P nine-cylinder radial engine. Our aircraft have all been lightened & have the upgraded M14PF 298 kW (400 hp) engine & have been fitted with a three-blade propeller.

Since the aircraft was designed to serve as a military trainer, the development of the aircraft incorporates a number of features to be found on the early post-war fighters: notably the cockpit tandem layout (instrument panel, seat design, cockpit opening system), tail design, tricycle landing gear, fuselage mixed construction (monocoque with steel tube construction), inner flaps, controls position, access panels on sides of the fuselage, even the location of the radio antenna & overall dimensions of the airplane, which extensively match the Yakovlev Yak-17 UTI jet fighter trainer (NATO code name Magnet).

The aircraft has inverted fuel & oil systems permitting inverted flight for as long as two minutes.

At 998 kg (2,200 lb) empty weight, the Yak-52 is responsive & very capable as an aerobatic aircraft. Yet it is also easy to fly & l&. It has been used in international aerobatic competition up to the Advanced level. It is stressed to +7 & –5 Gs, rolls (to the right) at 180 degrees/second & is capable of every manoeuvre in the Aresti catalog.

The Yak-52, like most Soviet military aircraft, was designed to operate in rugged environments with minimal maintenance. One of its key features, unusual in western aircraft, is its extensive pneumatic system. Engine starting, landing gear, flaps, & wheel brakes are all pneumatically actuated. Spherical storage bottles for air, replenished by an engine driven compressor, are situated behind the rear cockpit & contents displayed on the instrument panels. The operating pressure is between 10 & 50 bars (145 & 725 psi) & an emergency circuit is reserved for lowering the undercarriage if the normal supply is exhausted or the compressor fails. Additionally both main & reserve bottles can be charged from a port on the ground with compressed air, usually from a Scuba type air bottle. The ground steering/braking arrangement, especially, takes some adjustment for flyers accustomed to hydraulics, because the aircraft uses differential braking controlled by rudder pedals & a h& operated lever on the control stick.

The tricycle landing gear is retractable, but it remains partially exposed in the retracted position, affording both a useful level of drag in down manoeuvres & a measure of protection should the aircraft be forced to l& “wheels up.”

Our Yak 52 Conversion course consists of a minimum of 5 block hours & costs £2112. It includes ground school on the basic systems, all landing fees, helmet, parachute, flying suit & tea/coffee for the duration of the course.

The course consists of:

-Ground school

-Walkaround teach including how to refill the air, oil, pulling through

-Taxiing

-Circuits

-PFLs

-Stalling

-Descent Management

-Engine Management

-Slow Flight

-Steep Turns

-Constant Speed Propeller

-Retractable Undercarriage

-Turbo & Superchargers

-Emergency Drills

The course can be completed as part of our AOPA Aerobatic Course which is 10 block hours. A lot of the above is covered in the aerobatic course & circuits would be included too. The AOPA Aerobatics Course costs £4230 & any additional training after to reach solo standard would be charged at £420 an hour. Please note we cannot guarantee any student will meet the standards required in the times quoted, what we can guarantee is quality instruction & facilities to aid learning.