Yak 12 -- am I missing something here?

[QDMQDMQDM]

Mark Jefferies has a Yak 12 flying, on offer for $18K. This seems a very small sum of money for such an aircraft compared to, say, a Wilga. I saw it -- I think it was this aircraft -- at Branscombe last year and thought it was great. It's a flying pickup truck with flowery curtains!

http://www.yakuk.com/yak12pics.htm

What's the catch? Why don't we see more ofthem here?

QDM

[Oscar Duece]

I know MK has one on the G reg (G-PFKD), via a hungarian Jaa type approval. But I heard there is a problem regarding CofA renewal issues.

Plus with that big radial fuel burn is tankers per hour not gallons.:rolleyes:

[Flyin'Dutch']

Q,

Why not ask the man!

If you are seriously interested I am sure he will oblige.

Looks like a fun machine to me.

FD

[QDMQDMQDM]

If you are seriously interested I am sure he will oblige.

Don't want to be more of a timewaster than I already am!

[Flyin'Dutch']

I was just hoping to entice you ingoing to have a look and drop my Swiss plates off here in the Midlands on your way up and have an excuse for some lunch together!

:)

FD

[Say again s l o w l y]

The Lithuanian reg may be part of the reason for the low price. The CAA have given a serious amount of flack recently to those operating a/c on this register. Richard Goode and co. would be able to help on the legalities however as I think they had quite a fight at one point.

[lkingscott]

I used to own a Yak 12M, LY-FKD. Due to the CAA problems it was reregistered as G-PFKD although its UK permit has not been progressed. Last I heard it was going on the French reg as it was the cheapest option. I am pretty sure it is not on the Hungarian, if it was it would have an HA reg.

It was a great plane, I also do not know why Wilgas are so much more popular. The Yak12 lands and takes off shorter, better rate of climb, faster cruise and lower fuel consumption (than the Wilga 2000).

The Wilga 2000 uses a Lycoming 235Hp engine. This uses at least 60 litres per hour (12.5 imp gals per hr). the Ivchenco 260hp engine in the Yak 12M uses 50 litres per hour max and about 0.5 litres of oil per hour. Russian engines are far better than most western engines (weight, fuel consumption, robustnest, build quality) - you just need to remember to keep the oil topped up and fit western spark plugs. Oil consumption is simply due to the fact that this was not a problem for the Russian military so it was never addressed. There is an electric oil scavenger mod for the total loss rocker covers which can almost completely eliminate this for western users.

The Yak has 4 seats, the rear ones fold like an estate car to make a huge loading area like an estate car. There is a rear loading door, originally used for stretchers. Put a milk crate under the tail wheel and you could have a very comfortable double bed in the back, it even had curtains!

It is built like the proverbial brick outhouse and I reckon it was the safest plane I have ever flown for many reasons, most significantly its sturdiness and STOL characteristics. On the original engine, I even flew it on 8 cylinders several times and it continued to climb at 1200ft/min (due to crappy Russian spark plugs and a crappy rebuild, western spark plugs overcome these issues). Normal rate of climb was well over 500m/min (1600ft/min). Rate of descent was over 2000 ft/min with full flaps and side slip and you could plonk it down straight from a side slip with only a few metres roll.

I sold it due to lack of work in the electronics industry. If I had the money, I would go straight out and buy another.

Lisa

One other point.

Due to their entry into the EU, the Lithuanians withdrew the international CofA for most Russian aircraft types. It is therefore virtually impossible to operate this in the UK on a Lithuanian reg.

French appears to be the easiest, but I would have thought that Hungary would provide an ICAO CofA.

PZL built LY-FKD (G-PFKD) and they will not support the type.

Talk to Mark Jeffries. You may be able to do a deal that he puts it on a UK recognised reg for a fixed price.....

A UK permit is now reckoned to cost about £20,000 to obtain since the CAA decided that the aircraft would need to be stripped and inspected before they would provide a permit. Luckily most of them are ex military (unlike the Yak 18 which is why they are all going on HA regs). In the UK an aircraft must either be a homebuilt or ex military type to be allowed onto a permit. Sometime someone will challenge this legally as there is nothing about this in the ANO, it is simply CAA policy.

Lisa

[Oscar Duece]

Lisa

I guess thats why G-PFKD is up for sale also, at only £ 20k.

I did have a good look over it, looked very strong.

ps. Are you still flying that Auster @ Oaksey ?

[FrogPrince]

Although still picking my way through the PPL(A) in between the day job, I'm developing a special interest in the Yak-12 / Gavron 101. (Oh, for the good old days of the Cold War...)

Do the certification issues still exist ?

[QDMQDMQDM]

Ask Mark Jefferies at Yak UK. I would have thought it could go on Hungarian reg.

[FrogPrince]

Yes, I will.

:ok:

(Then maybe I can graduate to an An-2 in a few year's time.)

;)