Solo aerobatics in Yak

A

AcroGimp

Cleared for Takeoff
Joined
Aug 30, 2013
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1,480
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San Diego, CA
Display Name
AcroGimp
Home Airfield
KSDM, KMYF, KSEE
Finally have the Yak systems all sorted and stable so I have started to play with solo acro - really fun machine now that I can enjoy it. The big old radial just chugs right around, like a tractor, stick forces are nice and overall performance is pretty good when considering it weighs over a ton, empty.


'Gimp
 
Very nice!!!
 
Cool John. I'd like an acro hop in one of those. Any contest plans yet with it?
 
whifferdill said:
Cool John. I'd like an acro hop in one of those. Any contest plans yet with it?
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If you are ever out this way you're welcome to grab a hop.

Thinking I might try Primary at Borrego in October (IAC 36 Borrego Akrofest) to get my feet wet and then train up for Sportsman in '16 depending on what the Known ends up looking like. I recently got a promotion to Director, Product Support Engineering and gained a week of vacation so I will have a little more flexibility from a scheduling standpoint.

Need lots of ground coaching since we know that what feels OK in the plane might look like crap on the ground, and vice-versa - and I am only just now comfortable enough with the plane to explore acro.

Several of us warbird/form types at KSEE (Yak-50, Yak-52, Nanchancg CJ-6, T-34 and a Gerat Lakes) are thinking about a little competitive acro as well as starting on formation acro (not me yet) - this has to be one of the best places on Earth to be a pilot.

'Gimp
 
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AcroGimp said:
If you are ever out this way you're welcome to grab a hop.
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Thanks John, will do!

AcroGimp said:
Thinking I might try Primary at Borrego in October (IAC 36 Borrego Akrofest) to get my feet wet and then train up for Sportsman in '16 depending on what the Known ends up looking like.
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Cool. Have you seen the CIVA Yak 52 sequences? Difficulty level about in between IAC Intermediate and CIVA Advanced. Shouldn't have any trouble with any IAC Sportsman sequence. Guaranteed everyone will enjoy watching you fly a contest.
 
whifferdill said:
Thanks John, will do!



Cool. Have you seen the CIVA Yak 52 sequences? Difficulty level about in between IAC Intermediate and CIVA Advanced. Shouldn't have any trouble with any IAC Sportsman sequence. Guaranteed everyone will enjoy watching you fly a contest.
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Yes, the CIVA Yak-52 competitions look great, and very challenging for someone like me. The plane is remarkably capable for a flat-bottomed airfoil, in the right hands (read that not mine). Gennady Elfimov and another guy whose name escapes me can fly the Yak like nobody's business (the guys here in SoCal get Gennady to come over once every year or two for an advanced clinic). I've seen video of Gennady doing a damn impressive rolling circle in a bone stock DOSAAF Yak-52 as well as some fantastic Lomcevaks - it is a hell of a lot of performance per dollar (or pound).

'Gimp
 
Nice ,glad to see you enjoying the plane.
 
That is very, very cool. Thanks for posting John. How does the Yak-52 performance, and build quality compare to the CJ-6?
 
stearmann4 said:
Gimp,

You buy Brandon Webb's 52'?

Mike-
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Affirmative - great running plane - had my first taste of Basic Fighter Manuevers (BFM) or dogfighting yesterday with a former Navy Aggressor pilot in back seat, he was from the Squadron I pay tribute to with the markings I put on the Yak, VFC-13 'Saints'.

-15-BFM-1_zpsqchueuek.jpg


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Too much fun.

'Gimp
 
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Anthony said:
That is very, very cool. Thanks for posting John. How does the Yak-52 performance, and build quality compare to the CJ-6?
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Good questions.

Performance breaks down to 2 things, Acro/Air Combat and Other.

Acro/Air Combat, no contest, Yak is superior due to essentially no dihedral and in stock form 75 more horsepower, I can pull +7/-5 limit loads, at gross weight, the CJ is limited to I think +5/-3 or -4 and is more stable with the dihedral it has.

Other performance - the CJ has more wing so gets off the ground slightly better (although I am off and climbing at 1500-1800 FPM in about 800 feet usually), is cleaner so cruises faster, and with only 285 horsepower to feed is more economical to run.

The Yak is an industrial tool, typical Russian design approach, button head rivets everywhere, way overbuilt, and heavy. The CJ is more elegant, flush riveted and slightly more comfortable in the cockpit.

Depends on mission - mine is acro, formation, and now BFM/ACM so the Yak is the appropriate tool. If someone wants a bit more practicality, still agile and aerobatic with a touch more creature comfort the CJ is the way to go.

'Gimp
 
I had my first aerobatic experience yesterday. Flying in a T34A chasing around a Yak50. I now know why you guys do it. It was a great time and I look forward to doing something like that again.
 
AcroGimp said:
Affirmative - great running plane - had my first taste of Basic Fighter Manuevers (BFM) or dogfighting yesterday with a former Navy Aggressor pilot in back seat, he was from the Squadron I pay tribute to with the markings I put on the Yak, VFC-13 'Saints'.

-15-BFM-1_zpsqchueuek.jpg


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Too much fun.

'Gimp
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I was in the SEAL Teams with Brandon. I cut my warbird formation and acro teeth on a T-34 I was partners in at Gillespie. Did a lot of flying with some local CJ guys out of Ramona too. That was about 15 years a go. Good times.

Mike-
 
AcroGimp said:
The Yak is an industrial tool, typical Russian design approach, button head rivets everywhere, way overbuilt, and heavy. The CJ is more elegant, flush riveted and slightly more comfortable in the cockpit.

Depends on mission - mine is acro, formation, and now BFM/ACM so the Yak is the appropriate tool. If someone wants a bit more practicality, still agile and aerobatic with a touch more creature comfort the CJ is the way to go.

'Gimp
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Great info. That clears up a lot. Thanks Gimp!

I now want both. :D
 
Anthony said:
Great info. That clears up a lot. Thanks Gimp!

I now want both. :D
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My friend Curtiss has a Super CJ which bridges the gap a bit - it is a nice CJ-6 with a 400hp M-14PF in place of the 285hp Housai, and it goes like stink. Amazing climb, great sound and no idea how much faster but faster as well.

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The Tiger Squadron guys from Torrance all fly Super CJ's and the planes are really impressive. Inverted is not as good as the Yak because of the dihedral in the Nanchang wing but that much power transforms the performance of the baseline plane.

'Gimp
 
^^^^^Very cool! Great pic. I like that the CJ fully retracts, but I'm not sure how much difference it makes with drag. I like the simplicity of the Yak system, however, and understand the reasoning behind it knowing some Russian equipment as I do.
 
The Yak goes down for conditional and a couple mods this week so I took it out yesterday for a acro fun flight.


'Gimp
 
That looks like a very nice Yak you have there Gimp. Just curious, after all the discussions on the biplane forum about Eagles and other biplanes what made you choose a nose dragger Yak over a biplane?
How you like that M14?
 
pigpenracing said:
That looks like a very nice Yak you have there Gimp. Just curious, after all the discussions on the biplane forum about Eagles and other biplanes what made you choose a nose dragger Yak over a biplane?
How you like that M14?
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Thanks Pigpen, love your Model 12.

Really came down to being introduced to the Red Star owners and to formation flying last year ('14) at the All Red Star event in Porterville and then 'the right deal-right time' where a friend wanted to move to a Yak-50 and made an offer to take over the -52 I could not say no to. SoCal has an amazing Red Star Pilot's community, I fly with 3-5 guys regularly, formation, aerobatics, formation aerobatics - it is an amazing environment here.

An Eagle would be great for the reduced fuel burn but overall the Yak has been a great plane, lots of character, great performance, super strong and very aerobatic actually.

I really like the M-14. It is a production to go flying compared to a flat engine as you now know from your Model 12 (unless you have all the Kimball goodies like sump drain, shutoff valve, etc.), but the sound and smell and raw power are hard to beat.

'Gimp
 
Awesome I look forward to riding in the Yak. Very cool Warbird indeed!
 
This is awesome... exactly what I hope to be doing in about a year, once I get back to the US!
 
So do you sing the song Yakety Yak don't talk back when doing acro in the Yak?
 
looks like a fun airplane, how much maintenance on them?
 
Love both planes and super fun! Had chance to fly a Yak and it was great. If I found one with updated avionics and long range fuel tanks it would be a sweet ride.
 
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