VINTAGE FLYING MACHINES
FLYING MUSEUM
Aerostar Yak-52TW
Since the availability of aircraft from the Eastern Bloc in the late 1970s some hundreds of Soviet-designed aircraft have become available to western pilots. Amongst these has been the Yak 52 series which were excellent aerobatic machines and have some STOL performance with low the operating costs.
Over the years some changes were made to the design of the Yak 52 series, including rounded wingtips, flush riveting and the 298 kw (400 hp) variant of the Vedeneyev M-14PF engine. The type has been known for its sturdiness. It was of all-metal stressed skin construction, the covering using a special aluminium-zinc alloy, said to be stronger
than duralumin. The flying control surfaces were fabric covered, the wing having a split flap, and fuel was carried in two wing tanks. All main services were pneumatically operated, including engine starting, flaps, undercarriage and brakes.
With the fall of the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc, aerospace manufacturers were looking for new lines of revenue. In 2000 the Aerostar facility in Romania modified a Yak52 to tailwheel configuration as the Yak 52TW aimed particularly at the western market. Upgrades were made to the basic Yak-52 such as U.S. manufactured brakes and 400 hp MP-14PF engine and a 3 blade prop. Forty were built and the target market was sport pilot in western countries. The VFM aircraft was built in 2004.