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The RedwingRC 50cc Yak 55 comes in a heavy cardboard box that protected it well during shipping. Click image to enlarge |
RedwingRC 50cc Yak 55 - Segment 1
Makes your shop look smaller and your piloting look better
Text, photos and video by Tom Hintz
Posted - 3-26-2015
I have always liked the looks of the YAK airplanes. I had a Pilot 26% YAK 54 Russian Thunder ARF that was a good plane but the YAK 55 is the one that I kept coming back to. Now the RedwingRC 50cc Yak 55 takes my YAK experience to a whole new level with its slender tail section and pure aerobatic-specific design. Add the design tweaks made by the RedwingRC team and this version of the venerable YAK 55 promises to be the best yet.
The Basics
The RedwingRC 50cc Yak 55 has an 89-inch (2260 mm) wingspan and is 80-inches (2035 mm) long. The 1433 sq. in wing area and expected all up weight of 15.7-lbs gives us a light 17.5-oz per square foot wing loading. Low speed capabilities will be limited by our stick-thrashing prowess way more than any limitations of the RedwingRC 50cc Yak 55.
The RedwingRC 50cc Yak 55 is listed as a 50 to 60cc plane so unlike the masses I will explore the lower end of the power spectrum (this time) and install my DA-50R that has very little time on it. If anything I might lose a bit of straight up performance but the RedwingRC 50cc Yak 55’s expansive flight envelope and trim flying weight means that it will remain a hyper-active aircraft capable of virtually any maneuver I can dream up.
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There were few wrinkles to iron out (left) but I did go over all of the edges and seams just in case. I also went over all of the joints I could reach (right) with thin CA again, just to be safe. Click images to enlarge |
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Out of the Box
The RedwingRC 50cc Yak 55 comes packed in a double-layer cardboard box that kept it in perfect condition on its way to my shop. I inspected everything closely and could not find any damage. All of the included components were in still-sealed bags and I would find out later I had the correct number of hardware pieces as well.
What You Get
The RedwingRC 50cc Yak 55 comes with a substantial carbon fiber main wing tube that passes through a carbon fiber (not cardboard) tube that anchors if in the airframe. We also get main landing gear and a tail wheel bracket that are also made from carbon fiber. Something I was not expecting was a full set of carbon fiber servo arms that are the correct size for the RedwingRC 50cc Yak 55, exceedingly tough and very light. You even get bolts and locking nuts for mounting then to those round servo wheels we never used before.
Control Horns
The RedwingRC 50cc Yak 55 features double, fiberglass control horns that get epoxied into pre-cut slots. As always we make sure to get epoxy down into the slots but there is one additional step needed on the pull-pull rudder control horns. Despite the heft of the rudder the control hons touch inside and hold them out a bit. I used a large side cutter to trim off one segment from each control arm leg. That allows both sides to sit flush with the surface. After fitting to be sure everything was right I added epoxy and then set all the control surfaces aside while the epoxy cured. A nice touch is the ball in coming installed between each control arm pair. It is way better to install them with the loosely installed to help keep them aligned as the epoxy sets up. Also the exposed portion of each control arm is painted a color that relates to its position in the plane. We are looking a bit more professional all the time.
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You get a very complete hardware set (left) with the RedwingRC 50cc Yak 55. When hinging watch for clipped hinges (right) where they can run into the carbon fiber tube in the horizontal stabilizer. Click images to enlarge |
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Hinges
The RedwingRC 50cc Yak 55 uses tough pin style hinges and we do have to epoxy them in place. I know some want this done at the factory but in many cases it is easier for us to do it ourselves. Plus, I know that I will take my time and get lots of epoxy in the holes….
Here again the hinge installation process I very straight forward with one warning. When you remove the hinges watch for clipped ends. They trim some of the pin hinges because they contact the spar tubes in the horizontal stabilizers.
As I installed the control surfaces I made sure that I had the smallest gap possible, wiped away excess epoxy and set them aside to cure. I use masking tape to make sure that the hinges do not back out as they sometimes do if the hole is air tight.
Next up is installing the servos, landing gear and engine so I can begin figuring out the location of everything to get the CG right. Stay tuned.
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When adding epoxy to the hinges I tape the surface in place (left) just to be sure they don't push away before the epoxy sets up. Click image to enlarge |
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RedwingRC 50cc Yak 55 Segment 2 - Click Here
RedwingRC 50cc Yak 55 Segment 3 - Click Here
RedwingRC 50cc Yak 55 Maiden 1 - Click Here
See the RedwingRC 50cc Yak 55 product page – Click Here
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