Yakovlev 50

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by Ron Peterka, NASA no. 869

Aleksandr Sergieyevich Yakovlev began designing aircraft in Russia in the 1930's and by the end of WWII he was renowned for the performance of his military fighters and light bombers. The YAK-18 was the predecessor to the YAK-50 and both were designed to be basic flight trainers. Thousands of each were built to train Russian pilots.

In 1966 the YAK-18 won the International Aerobatic Championships in Moscow. The YAK-50 also won an International Championship. The YAK-50 was a higher performance, single place, tail dragger, that was in turn redesigned into a tandem two seat, tricycle gear version dubbed the YAK-52. A number of the two place YAK-52s have been imported and sold in the U.S. as a high performance personal aircraft.

Both the YAK-50 and 52 are hauled aloft by 360 HP Vendeneyev nine cylinder radial engine spinning a 96 inch constant speed two bladed prop. Performance is excellent.

The tapered wing spans 30 feet 8 inches with about 161 square feet of area and the fuselage length is 25 feet 6 inches. Elevators are generously sized, as is the rudder. The YAK-52 is equipped with flaps for a shortened landing roll.

The gear on the YAK-50 retract aft into the wing with almost half the wheel protruding. Wheels up landings produce very little structural damage. In an article for AOPA PILOT magazine it was reported that a tricycle geared YAK-52 (whose landing gear retracts forward) landed wheels up, breaking the prop of course, and was put back into service in just over an hour with a new prop. Apparently Russian regulations did not require an engine inspection after a sudden engine stoppage like the FAA does here in the U.S.

A 1/4 scale model would have a 91.5 inch span and an area of approximately 1550 square inches with a 12 inch diameter cowl. A 1/5 scale version would span 74 inches, have a wing area of 950 square inches and a 9.5 inch diameter cowl. The moments should be excellent for a model with a longish tail and the engine mounted fairly far forward.

Researching a color scheme for the YAK-50 may be a problem, but since a number of these aircraft have been imported, the YAK-52 should be easier. An article in the September 1994 AOPA Pilot has full color pictures of a YAK-52 in a striking Red and White color scheme. Bob Banka may have others available.