The next type of purpose designed aerobatic monoplane to be registered in New Zealand was the Alpine Fighter Collection's Yak 50 ZK-YAC.
The Yak 50 was designed by Sergei Yakovlev in the 1970s and is a single seat aerobatic aircraft with exceptional handling and a rugged airframe (but see below). Power was from a Vedeneyev MP 14 radial engine of typically 400 HP which gave a very good power to weight ratio. A Yak 50 was flown to two World Aerobatic titles - in 1976 and 1982. However, the stresses of unlimited aerobatics were such that the Russian team Yak 50s airframes were typically scrapped after about 50 flight hours, and there were numerous cases of main spar failure until modifications were made.
The length of the Yak 50 was 7.8 metres (25 feet 7 inches), the wingspan was 9.5 metres (31 feet 2 inches and the wing area was 161.5 square feet. Empty weight was 750 Kg (1,658 pounds) and MAUW was 910 Kg (2,006 pounds)
ZK-YAC (c/n 852904) was first registered in New Zealand to the Alpine Fighter Collection of Wanaka on 28/3/96, and it is photo'd above Wanaka on 25/3/96. It was manufactured in 1985 as LY-ANQ and later was sold to the UK as G-BWCF, being registered as such on 25/4/95.
The above photo was taken at the 1998 Wings Over Wanaka airshow on 10/4/98. ZK-YAC didn't say long in New Zealand as it was cancelled on 15/6/98 and exported to Australia and registered as VH-YAY on 18/6/98, and where it is still current with Flying Fighters Pty Ltd of Sunnybank in Queensland.
The Yak 50 was designed by Sergei Yakovlev in the 1970s and is a single seat aerobatic aircraft with exceptional handling and a rugged airframe (but see below). Power was from a Vedeneyev MP 14 radial engine of typically 400 HP which gave a very good power to weight ratio. A Yak 50 was flown to two World Aerobatic titles - in 1976 and 1982. However, the stresses of unlimited aerobatics were such that the Russian team Yak 50s airframes were typically scrapped after about 50 flight hours, and there were numerous cases of main spar failure until modifications were made.
The length of the Yak 50 was 7.8 metres (25 feet 7 inches), the wingspan was 9.5 metres (31 feet 2 inches and the wing area was 161.5 square feet. Empty weight was 750 Kg (1,658 pounds) and MAUW was 910 Kg (2,006 pounds)
Sir Minty and team, you may be interested to read about the fate of the former YAC and her brethren. There is some news from last month a little down the page: http://rnzaf.proboards.com/thread/3603/happened-impounded-aircraft?page=1
ReplyDeleteSad stuff, especially the Sea Fury and Yak-3 - both ex-Kiwi machines too.