NZFF

The Yak 3 is flying!!!! The guys at JEM Aviation have created a master piece and all going well the aircraft will appear at Warbirds Over Wanaka next weekend. Preperation and painting is obviously on the top of the list and is a big job.
The restoration is so good that very little else needs to be done apart from the remainder of the test flying schedule so hopefully that flying is trouble free so fingers crossed :-)

So pleasing , another Warbird in the air Not going off shore is it ?

Looking good...is the front portion of the fuse going to be painted or is been left as it is?..can't wait to see your pictures of it with Arthur Dovey's Yak-3

The front section is being prepared and will be quite striking when finished.
Not sure when we will get the pair together for some air to air pictures, both owners are keen just need to make it work some time.

Here is the Yak 3 following the prep and painting. The team at JEM aviation have put in some big days and nights to get this fighter ready for the airshow so take a bow gentlemen!!!.
Few more test flights to go and all going well the Yak 3 will head south to Wanaka later this week.





Short taxi video, showing the new paint job.

http://youtu.be/RImp889BGts

Arrr that's the one Doug was mentioning during our chat this sarvo ... was the Yak3

Some photos ... really make the aircraft look like toys

Ian Warren wrote:

QUOTE (Ian Warren @ Apr 1 2012,11:35 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Arrr that's the one Doug was mentioning during our chat this sarvo ... was the Yak3

Some photos ... really make the aircraft look like toys

And the same one we were having a converstion about a month or so ago

see the intakes close to the fuselage .. room for the pilots feet

Testing and display flying at Wanaka was flawless.
Thought their may have been a bit more excitement in seeing this aircraft finally fly, perhaps not a lot of Yak fans here.

Count me in as a Yak-3 fan...Russia's Spitfire...small, light and agile. If I had the skills I would build an FSX model of one.

Hey Gavin, thanks for sharing the pics mate, I'm a Yak fan as well, love the lines, and the two of them looked fantastic at WoW
We had a debate while sitting in the stands about the coolest machine on the day, two votes out of three were for the Yak, the other was for the Corsair

Dunno what it is about the Ruskies, I played table-top 1:72 war-games using Russian forces as a teenager, love the old T72s etc

Back in the early fifties (19 that is) the USA xxivth landed in South Korea to quell the North Koreans who were moving South after taking Seoul. The xxivth was strafed by aircraft they identified as North Korean Yaks, but it was subsequently revealed that the 'Yaks' were in fact Australian P51's. The pics above illustrate the resemblance between the two.

At the weekend Graeme took me for a flight in the Yak 3 before we went up to get a set of Air 2 Air photos of the Yak on a lovely blue day.
Will posts some more photos when I can and it sure was a great day.
The Yak 3 is a real weapon thats for sure.





The aeroplane will feature in Classic Wings soon, the photos we got were great in the stunning late afternoon light.



Utube link to the flight:

http://youtu.be/rlsvYmEGqAA

Link to the aeroplane on trade me for those out there who might want to become a part owner in this aeroplane. If you have the money and go for a trial flight I would say their would be no turning back. It is one cooooooool aeroplane.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/aircraft/a...n-467942640.htm

Jeez Jeeper Creepers , you Lucky son of a gun ........ That's it .. have to reinstall FS9 just simply to recreate photo .. Sim Ver Real

OK I will Family Hold Back, then, especially as I don't have the Yak!
See how important the canopy frame is... it fills the field of view.
Dunno why FS modellers will waste 100s of polys on wing rivets, and then the VC frame looks like it was made out of a few old sticks.

EDIT: Just looked at the clip, does give a good idea of the flight.
I'd recognize that green roofed hangar anytime...
Certainly is a grunty aircraft, didn't need too much of a run at the loop, did it now?

As an ex-engineer , broomsticks did some off the best work in a factory (sweep the floor and the end of each project).. then to modify them , to rebuild the strength without a weld (metal melting i called it) was a well design tube bender , automatic inherited strength .

Officially jealous!

That looks like ridiculously good fun, cool photos Gavin.