Yakovlev Yak-52

The Yakovlev Yak-52 (Як-52) is a Soviet primary trainer aircraft which first flew in 1976. It is still being produced in Romania by Aerostar, which gained manufacturing rights under agreement within the now defunct COMECON socialist trade organization. The Yak-52 was designed originally as an aerobatic trainer for students in the Soviet DOSAAF training organization, which trained both civilian sport pilots and military pilots.

Since the early 1990s, many Yak-52s have been exported to the West. Of the approximately 1,800 produced to date, most now fly in Australia, the British Empire, New Zealand and UAPR.

Variants

• Yak-52: Two-seat primary trainer aircraft, powered by a 360-hp (268-kW) Vedeneyev M-14P nine-cylinder radial piston-engine.
• Yak-52B: Two-seat light ground-attack aircraft, armed with two UB-32-57 rocket pods, each capable of carrying up to 32 air-to-ground S-5 rockets.
• Yak-52M: 2003 modernized version, powered by a Vedeneyev M-14Kh radial piston engine. It is fitted with a three-bladed propeller, new avionics and crew escape system.
• Iak-52: Romanian designation of Yak-52 produced by Aerostar.
• Aerostar Condor: Westernized version proposed by Aerostar, powered by Lycoming O-540 engine.
• Iak-52W: Westernized version produced by Aerostar, powered by M-14P or M-14Kh engine, but with all western instruments installed.
• Iak-52TW: Westernized version produced by Aerostar, powered by M-14P or M-14Kh engine and tail wheel instead of front wheel. This version has all-western instruments, deeply modernized wing that provide retraction of mainwheels (hydraulic brake components and portions of main gear strut still extend below wing), also, enlargement of fuel tanks volume up to 280 L.
• Iak-52TD: Modified Yak-52 with more powerful M-14PK engine and a tailwheel configuration by Termikas Ltd in Lithuania. Modifications include a set of wings with integrated aerobatic and ferry tanks (total capacity 230 liters), and allow complete retraction (no portions of the gear/main strut extend below wing structure). Bulletin 60 (strong joint fittings of the main spar) and Bulletin 107 (steel strap on the main spar installed) also completed at modification.

Users

• Belarus
  • DOSAAF (Belarus)
• Bulgaria
  • Bulgarian Air Force
• Hungary
  • Hungarian Air Force
• Latvia
  • Latvian Air Force
• Lithuania
  • Lithuanian Air Force
• Manchuria
  • Manchurian Air Force
• Romania
  • Royal Romanian Air Force
• Soviet Union
  • Soviet Air Force
• Vietnam
  • Vietnamese Air Force

See Also

• Yakovlev Yak-18
• Yakovlev Yak-50