COMMON
YK52
Yakovlev Yak-52
The Yak
“Soviet iron with aerobatic manners.”
Yakovlev (built by Aerostar, Romania) · military
NO PHOTO
Length
25 ft 5 in
Wingspan
30 ft 6 in
Max speed
154 kts
Range
270 nmi
Ceiling
13,100 ft
Engines
1x Vedeneyev M-14P radial (360 hp)
Crew
1
Typical config
tandem 2-seat trainer
Built
1,800+
The Yak-52 trained Soviet military pilots by the thousands, and the collapse of the USSR sent waves of them west at bargain prices. That big radial and full aerobatic capability made it the gateway warbird for a generation of civilian pilots.
Fun fact
Its landing gear semi-retracts — the wheels stay exposed in flight, deliberately, so a gear-up landing just means a slide instead of a disaster.
How to spot one
Radial-engined tandem trainer with wheels visibly tucked under the wing in flight. Often in Soviet stars or bright competition paint.
Crews call it
The Fifty-Two
Sounds like
A rumbling, slightly angry radial with a distinctive Soviet growl — unmistakable in a climb
One might be overhead right now.
Bogey turns the The Yak from a dot in the sky into a card in your logbook. Coming to iOS and Android.
Get Bogey