YAK 52 first flight

B

Bill1200

Filing Flight Plan
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Apr 9, 2008
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25
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Redding,Calif.
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Bill1200
Took lesson in 52 yesterday. Very cool, very....umm, well Russian. Handles nice. The hand brake took some getting used to. Did some simple stuff, loops, rolls, stall, T/O, landings. Looking forward to more, seriously thinking of getting one, just love the whole dirty,noisy radial engine thing.
 
They are really cool aren't they?
 
I've had mine for 7 months now and it just keeps getting better and better! Aerobatics, formation flying, ACM and ramp appeal!
 
I like the CJ-6 also.
 
I fly out of Deer Valley, AZ (KDVT). I believe we have 24 CJ6s, 2 Yak-52s and 2 Yak-50s based there. The whole north ramp can really get to rumbling on the weekends!
 
Well, took the biggg plunge, made an offer for a 52 in Georgia, pending pre-buy to be done at GESOCO. Means flying it back to N. Calif from Georgia. Planning 1hour 30min to 1 hour 45min legs, along southern route to avoid rockies/sierras. Any comments from owners welcome.
 
Bill1200 said:
Well, took the biggg plunge, made an offer for a 52 in Georgia, pending pre-buy to be done at GESOCO. Means flying it back to N. Calif from Georgia. Planning 1hour 30min to 1 hour 45min legs, along southern route to avoid rockies/sierras. Any comments from owners welcome.
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That is great!!! You will have a blast. What's it like to maintain the radials? Any gotchas? Well, you'll still have to deal with a pass in New Mexico but it won't be bad. We need pics!

CONGRATULATIONS!

:cheerswine:
 
Bill1200 said:
Well, took the biggg plunge, made an offer for a 52 in Georgia, pending pre-buy to be done at GESOCO. Means flying it back to N. Calif from Georgia. Planning 1hour 30min to 1 hour 45min legs, along southern route to avoid rockies/sierras. Any comments from owners welcome.
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Not an owner but I do have several hours in CJ-6s and a few in a Yak-52. If you have the stock fuel system, you should definitely stick with a 1.5 hour maximum leg until you have flown enough of them to determine exactly how much fuel you have left after that. I assume you've learned to deal with the, let's say "innovative" design, and have a good understanding of all the pneumatics. You might want to carry an extra bottle of compressed air and the appropriate fittings to recharge the airplane's bottles. Otherwise if you manage to lose air you won't be able to start the engine and it's unlikely that you'll find anyone able to help at an airport along your route. I think a 70 CuFt SCUBA tank would suffice. You might want to bring along your own metric tools as well for the same reason.

BTW there's a guy in WI that offers a removeable belly tank to extend your range. The one I flew had that added and it really made cross country flying much more practical.

One tidbit I learned about these planes is that the little barber poles on the wings that indicate the gear position
can become loose (they screw on) and when loose enough they will prevent the gear from coming all the way down! This is slightly less of a concern on the 52 than on the 6 since the 52's wheels are still partially extended when up, but it's still worth checking.
 
Bill, PM me your email address and I will send you a number of documents for operating, maintaining and understanding the 52. I'll also provide you with a link to a Yak/Nanchang/M14 forum that will provide you with any additional information that you may need as well as a forum to get any other questions that you might have answered. Also, you might want to chaek out FlyRedStar.org. Great association. Watch the video on the home page for what you might have in your future. Congrats on the purchase.
 
Thanks guys, I have been reading everything I can find online, and have ordered the manual from Jefferies in the UK. Thanks for the links, PM sent.
 
Just an update: So far no show stoppers during the inspection. Have 5.5 hrs flying now and starting to feel more comfortable. Mixing up pattern work with aerobatics.....good times! The bank is good to go. Insurance from 3 different quotes, all in the same ballpark. $2000 for the first year then something around $1600/yr. Still trying to figure out where the extra air bottle, extra oil, clothes,etc. are going to fit. Cheers
 
That's all well and good but

:needpics:

Please post more about the experience of flying the Yak when you get a chance.
 
OK, pics from next training session and weather permitting pics from Vermont starting Nov 21 (planned pick up date)
 
Andrew,.. there was a Yak over at Perkiomen for a while,.. some guy that moved here from California had it hangared in the back of the community hangar there. Awsome power,... got to see it fly a few times,... great sound too. Might still be over there.

Not sure what model it was.

Bill,.. very cool that you can purchase and fly one of these. Looking forward to the photos.
 
Rob Schaffer said:
Andrew,.. there was a Yak over at Perkiomen for a while,.. some guy that moved here from California had it hangared in the back of the community hangar there. Awsome power,... got to see it fly a few times,... great sound too. Might still be over there.

Not sure what model it was.

Bill,.. very cool that you can purchase and fly one of these. Looking forward to the photos.
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I haven't nosed around the hangars in some time. Next time one of my bike routes takes me over there I'll duck in for a look.
 
Andrew. Here is something to keep you going. Click on the thumbnail. I think we're all living vicariously through the OP. :smile:
 

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Here's a cell phone pic of the one over at Perkiomen (N10). :thumbsup:
 

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Well, made it back in one piece. 5 days in the cockpit,whew! Got very lucky dodging some weather and surviving a few other dumb mistakes. Not a great plane for night flying BTW. Should have packed a shirt and jacket and left the rest of the space for oil. :) Will post a pic of her at her new home in Redding,cheers.
 
Bill1200 said:
Well, made it back in one piece. 5 days in the cockpit,whew! Got very lucky dodging some weather and surviving a few other dumb mistakes. Not a great plane for night flying BTW. Should have packed a shirt and jacket and left the rest of the space for oil. :) Will post a pic of her at her new home in Redding,cheers.
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Congrats! Glad you got it back safely. Wow, what a Christmas present! :D

What was your typical cruise speed?
 
Congradulations! looking forward to pics and a flight report, or two, or three,.. since you have 5 day's worth :D
 
steingar said:
You'll get lots of attention on the ramp.
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A flight of three landed at Bridgeport, TX as I was waiting for takeoff. Fun to watch, and as I departed one of them said something nice about my taildragger. Evidently Yak pilots are classy guys.
 
I know this is an old thread, but I thought I'd bump it.

We've wanted something Yak'ish for a while but with the fuel costs, etc we had planned on keeping our RV-6.

Well, I found a semi-local guy who has a Yak and is thinking about trading it off on an RV.

Seems I remember reading that in order to fly a Yak, you have to let the FAA know where you plan to be every year?

Can any Yak drivers in here speak to this and maybe some other "gotcha's" of Yak ownership?
 
Not a Yak owner, but my plane is in the same category as the Yak and CJ.

A few years ago (2007) the FAA relaxed the "proficiency area" requirements for experimental/exhibition piston aircraft. Formerly it was 300nm, now is unlimited provided the aircraft's Operating Limitations have been revised to reflect the change. The aircraft's Operating Limitations will have the paragraph citing the 300nm limit deleted if it (the OL) has been revised accordingly. The rules still state an annual letter listing the aviation events to be attended is to be sent to the local FSDO.

If the OL hasn't been revised to eliminate the 300nm limit instructions for doing so can be found at

http://www.warbirds-eaa.org/news/12...try Achieve Major Breakthrough.html#TopOfPage


rules for operating experimental/exhibition category aircraft are in Section 10 of

http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_G...7A09D53FB0D5325586257885004D9E1B?OpenDocument

The 300nm "limit" didn't preclude travel beyond that radius, it merely required prior notification of the local FSDO, which only created paperwork without enhancing safety or efficiency.

Yaks and CJs are creating a grey area, imho, as many are not former military but factory new. I expect the rules to change again.
 
BellyUpFish said:
I know this is an old thread, but I thought I'd bump it.

We've wanted something Yak'ish for a while but with the fuel costs, etc we had planned on keeping our RV-6.

Well, I found a semi-local guy who has a Yak and is thinking about trading it off on an RV.

Seems I remember reading that in order to fly a Yak, you have to let the FAA know where you plan to be every year?

Can any Yak drivers in here speak to this and maybe some other "gotcha's" of Yak ownership?
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I'm not a Yak/CJ owner but I have several hours in them.

Don't run out of air in the bottles and perhaps acquire a SCUBA tank and appropriate fittings for a "jump start" (the starter is pneumatic).

Figure out how to operate the pneumatic brakes and free castering nosewheel somewhere more private than a busy airport to save embarrassment. Brakes are controlled by a single motorcycle type lever on the stick in conjunction with the position of the rudder pedals. Most folks initial attempts (myself included) tend to resemble a wounded duck waddling across uneven ground.

Make sure the barber poles in the wings that indicate landing gear position are screwed in tightly. I know of one plane where one came loose and prevented the gear from fully extending.

Learn to adjust your wings level attitude by watching the left right fuel balance. If you let one wing ride slightly low it will get heavier and heavier as the fuel transfers itself from the high to the low wing.

Join the Yak Pilot's association. Probably a good idea to do that before you start looking for a plane. You'll learn a lot more from them than I can help you with.
 
The CJ6 is a much more usable airplane IMHO. I owned one for 5 years and it was a great airplane. If you want to fly unlimited aerobatics the YAK 52 is the better airplane but has very limited fuel, slow cruise speed around 130mph on 18gph. The CJ has a 21/2 hr range, 145kt cruise on 13gph and will do anything a Decathalon will do. The CJ is also a really nice flying airplane with great control harmony. The CJ also has a much larger parts and maintenance support than the 52. One caveat is if you don't have a mechanic that knows radials and someone to teach you how to properly run one these are probably not an airplane for you. Don
 
A Jeep of course.

CJ-7

89CJ-7.jpg




:D
 
I've seen nanchangs just didn't know that they go by CJ... Thanks
 
Jeanie said:
I've seen nanchangs just didn't know that they go by CJ... Thanks
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Yaks were designed and built in the former Soviet Union. The CJ-6 appears to have been designed by the same person (Yakovlev) but was built in China.
 
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Actually it was a new design that incorporated elements of the YAK 18. Very robust airframe and knee action main gear. Like the Yak it has air start, gear, brakes and flaps. If you can get it started and taxi it it is no problem flying it.
 
Steve said:
some background on the CJ-6A

http://www.yaksource.com/history_of_cj6a_goolsby1.html


now if you want an eastern bloc airplane that cruises 150ktas on 17gph, 90 gallon capacity tanks, is 4 place, and rated for +6/-3 aerobatics and can be had for less than 90k I can suggest one.... ;)
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During my limited time flying a friend's CJ-6 I was impressed by it's flying qualities. The controls are pretty well harmonized and light (much like a Bonanza except that in the CJ they don't get as stiff in high speed dives) and the engine is almost turbine smooth in cruise. It did take a while to get comfortable with the pneumatic brakes and you had to be a little careful handling the gear and flap controls lest you make something go bang! the way pneumatic actuators are fond of doing. And while weird sounding, the pneumatic starter never seemed to be a problem.

I don't recall any of the CJs having 90 gallons of fuel though, IIRC the max was more like 40 gallons total.
 
This and the SF-260 are two dream machines for me.

2f0cb695.jpg


ChinaCJ-6.jpg
 
I'd love to have an SF-260!
 
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