RC-Factory, maker of the Flash, has come up with something new. Here’s what it looks like.

11/19/09 update: here's a link to the E Zone review of the Yak 54 by Jon Barnes

David Kyjovsky and RC-Factory EPP Yak 54 Review

8/14/08 update: here's a link to a new Zak West video of the Yak:

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showt...1#post10342325

11/22/08 update: Northeast Sailplanes is now carrying the Yak.

http://www.nesail.com/detail.php?productID=5804

8/4/09 update: Here's a general list of modifications that have been done by various Yak owners (compiled courtesy of "Leadfeather"). These (and other mods) are discussed starting at Post #830.


1) Stronger motor mount; either a stronger wagon wheel or a mod to a traditional type motor mount. If you never crash you can ignore this one.

2) Main landing gear bracing for those less than perfect landings.

3) Plastic wall plugs to reinforce motor mount screws into foam

4) Battery cut into fuse foam once battery location is nailed down. cg at 10 cm from leading edge.

5) Reinforce ailerons (not actually totally clear on this one). Also check wing/aileron for warping

6) Larger main wheels, probably more important for rough field flying.

7) Reinforced tail wheel assembly, sterrable tail wheel, for those guys who taxi to the strip at their flying field.

8) Light weight (and extended) tail skid in lieu of tail wheel for those flying off of grass/rough fields.

9) Push rods to replace pull pull on tail feathers.

I actually got the kit (with no instructions) before David Kyjovsky of RC-Factory sent me the photo of the completed airframe that I posted above. As you can see from the parts, the assembly is very similar to the Flash except for the cowl. In fact, I was quite puzzled until David sent me the photo! I was trying to figure out what that “wagon wheel” motor mount was about, as well as that extra rectangular piece of foam. The photo, of course, was worth 1,000 words, and it revealed an interesting combination of a profile fuse with a big, round cowl. I am very curious to see how it flies and how it compares with the Flash.

When can we get one? Its not on the RC Factory website

Mike

Speaking of comparisons, I happened to have a Flash still in the box, so I took these photos to show the differences between the two planes. The wings are identical. The Yak rudder and elevator are smaller. The “backbone” on the Yak is slightly wider, which will give the Yak a slightly larger wingspan. The Yak fuse has less side area than the Flash. The LG, hardware, and CF spars are identical.

That’s all for now. Bill Sheppard (oldcoot88) and I will be putting this together in the next week or so, and I will have more pics and a flight report. And in case anyone is wondering about the graphic on the wings and fuse, the “backwards” R is the way that the “ya” sound is written in the Cyrillic alphabet, so that’s Russian for “Yak.” (No, I didn’t know that either until David explained it to me.)

Shame about the landing gear, I would have liked something a little more robust.

Mike

Originally Posted by Mike Smart

When can we get one? Its not on the RC Factory website

I suspect it's still in the testing stage, but only David can answer that question. I'm sure he will chime in here eventually and let us know about availability. In the meantime, I will try to get you some flight reports. (A tough job, but someone has to do it. )

Neil

Yes, the CF LG is a bit flimsy, but I have actually found that two kevlar thread "guy wires" have been all I have needed to make my Flash LG work great. We will probably use the same method here. More robust might = more weight.

Neil

Awesome. I almost bought another flash, but now I think I will wait.

What is the purpose of the cowl other than for looks? One of the great things about the flash is that it is so easy to tape back together. I have broken off the motor mount more times than I can remember.

I am betting that when/if I get the yak, my cowl won't last too long.

Where are the tests flights going to be????

Hi huantran:

Yes, I see you are a local. I live in SF, but I mainly fly at Rancho San Antonio Park in Los Altos Hills. Shoot me a PM if you'd like to get together down there sometime. It's a great place to fly.

Neil

The cowl is more than just decorative -- it is also motor mount support. This plane really has to have the motor mounted behind the firewall (or major reworking done) since the whole thing locks together very nicely.

I'm sure this will become clearer as Neil posts more pictures. I got to look at the kit at RSA. I was dubious about the mounting system at first glance, but when you bone it out the whole thing looks like it ought to work pretty well!

Proof's in the pudding though.


Dave

Ok, that's cool. I haven't bought an EPP planes in months (years?) but I will own this one. Give us all the dirt, Neil!

subscribed

That round cowl is definitely a neat idea.

Originally Posted by Neil Morse

I suspect it's still in the testing stage, but only David can answer that question. I'm sure he will chime in here eventually and let us know about availability. In the meantime, I will try to get you some flight reports. (A tough job, but someone has to do it. )

Neil

It is a tough job Neil, but how come you get to do it?

Mike