3D Performance in a small electric requires a lot of thrust and smooth power delivery, not to mention a nimble airframe. See how ElectriFly’s EP version of the Yak-55M delivered in our 5X5 review.
Summary
We’ve been excited about testing the Yak-55M since we first saw it in Chicago last fall. After having assembled and flown the Yak, we’re still excited. When we look through our stable of aircraft, we have our favorites that fit in each classification. The Yak 55M now owns the 50″ 3D electric slot.
For those flyers looking to try built-up balsa aerobatics and want a stable, rugged platform that can do it all, the Yak is a great choice. Just plan on picking up some lead to weight the tail down or find some way to shave weight off the nose to achieve dead-on CG. We found ourselves wanting more battery life after every flight so don’t expect much run-time out of the specified 2200 mAH pack. We recommend trying to make a 3500 mAh pack work just so you can spend more time in the air. Believe us, you won’t want the fun to stop!
As a platform, the Yak is very, very stable and on low rates with some expos dialed-in, you’ll love the graceful handling. This is perhaps one of the best aerobatic trainers we’ve seen so far in the electric space, so if you’ve always wanted to try more adventurous flight, don’t hesitate. Pick up the Yak and start carving some lines.
ElectriFly picked just the right combination with this one.
Build Notes
Tail Weights
Once we completed our build and checked the C.G., we found that no matter how far we shifted the battery back in the tray, the Yak was still nose heavy. Being an aerobat, we wanted the Yak’s C.G. dead-on center, so we applied some self-adhesive lead weights to both sides of the fuselage under the leading edge of the horizontal stabilizers.
 We applied (4) 7g weights, (2) on each side |
 The battery placement is limited by the wing spar |
Re-gluing Joints
Whenever we assemble a built-up balsa ARF kit, we’ve found it wise to always check the glue joints, specifically around the motor mount, the firewall, fuselage bulkheads, battery tray, and servo trays. Our Yak needed some thin, regular CA wicked into several of these joints. During our inspection, we found that with just a little pressure, we could separate the joints. This may have resulted in an airframe failure during flight, so we attached a capillary tube to a bottle of thin CA and in under a minute, we knew the YAK would be solid as a rock, flight after flight.
Carefully wick a small amount of regular thin CA into any loose joints
So this is going to be my next plane. My question is how big of a battery can I put in so I can acheive a longer flight time. 4s 6s recomended is 4s 3200. Couldnt i put like a 4s 5000