Airworld 1:3:35 YAK 11 Build

YAK 11 is airborne!

LMCOP test flying requirements and permit to fly has been issued ,the model has now had over 1HR in the air!.

"The things Dreams are made of"

While attending a MFHB Warbirds over Awatoto a couple of years ago and after much deliberation around the BBQ, the Yak project was born!.

This is a collaborative project with clubmates and associates all of whom bring their particular expertise to make this a truly unique build.

With many bespoke engineering projects in the build I have lent heavily on the Hansen Aerspace Divison 'AKA" Mr Dimmo not to mention Carl (micro machining maestro) & Phil (CNC Magician) for their R&D and engineering expertise!.

Chewing the fat and designing new parts and better solutions for a safe reliable and easy to maintain airframe is a very time consuming but enormously rewarding process when surrounded by the right people. 

Drawing upon my 45 years of aeromodelling and competition experience, mentors I have been fortunate enough to work alongside over the years and expert modellers currently engaged in high end large model builds willing to share their knowledge and experience (cheers Craig!) has ensured the desired outcome. 

I have been fascinated by what I can only describe as the brutal elegance of Yakovlev aircraft design and engineering since being able to get up close to a bunch of eastern bloc aircraft while competing in an F3A world Championships in Poland 1997.

It is my firm belief that armed with an adjustable wrench and a large screwdriver most if not all field maintenance could be carried out on these aircraft.

The collection on display included the base commanders personal Polikarpov PO-2 (Nato code name "Mule") biplane used for joy rides around the airbase the competition was held on in Deblin. The Po-2 has a Shvetshov (same engine manufacturer as the Yak) M-11 5 cylinder radial poking out a thumping great 115hp!

After scouring the internet for suitable colours schemes I came across a single seater in camouflage that fit the bill nicely, registration F-AZNN (currently the only Yak flying with original Shvetsov Ash-21 760hp 7 cylinder radial).

The aircraft has an interesting history as part of the Advanced Trainer Yak 11 built in Czechoslovakia by LET in 1948 constructor number 25111/05 for the Czechoslovakian Air Force and subsequently transferred to Egypt (it was believed never to have been flown).

The airframe was acquired in 1982 as part of 41 derelict Yak 11 that had been located in the Egyptian desert dissassembled and shipped to La Ferte'-Alais and became Pierre Dague's who decided to convert it to a single seater.

Modifications including removal of front seat and radio equipment, new fairings, new cockpit canopy and replacement of fixed tail wheel with a retracting one from a donor Yak 3 (as a result of the modifications a significant amount of weight was removed from the airframe).

Restoration to flying status took three years and 3500 man hours, the original Ash-21 was also restored to "as new" condition.

Following the first flight May 16 1987 from Cerny La Ferte'-Alais airfield Pierre Dague's Yak was registered F-AZNN. The colours chosen for the aircraft were that of Marcel Lefevre's Yak 3, a French ace of the famous Normandy-Niemen Squadron fighting with the Soviets on the Russian theatre of operations (hence NN in the registration).

Tragically Pierre was killed in a mid-air whilst flying a T-28 Trojan September 8 1991 during an air show in St Rambert d'Albon.

The aircraft was eventually sold to it's current owner George Perez in the late nineties. Since 2012 George Perez has his Yak based at Melun Villaroche airfield with France's Flying warbirds.F-AZNN (also know as "White 14") continues to make regular displays at air shows across Europe.

We have been fortunate enough to have made contact with the owner Geirge Perez and the curator/caretaker of Frances Flying Warbirds Harold Ludwig. They have generously provided the history of the airframe and various pictures of details we wanted to get just right on the model.

The Yak is a high end composite kit produced by Air world in Germany and is at 1:3'35 scale with a wing span of 2.8m and will be powered by a Moki S300 5 cylinder radial and is a CAT 2 registered project with MFNZ and will comply with all LMCOP (large Model Code of Practice) requirements. 

I hope some of the pics and information provided might serve as some inspiration for other projects and continue to help promote the Hobby in some way.

Enjoy,

Happy building & Flying!