Testimonial

For quite some time, I’d been toying with the idea of fitting a model with floats. Somehow, I never really got around to it; I didn’t have the right model for it either. Admittedly, fitting a Yak 54 with floats isn’t exactly the traditional way to get into seaplane flying. But since my passion lies primarily with aerobatic aircraft, I figured it should work. With a bit of uncertainty but a lot of confidence, I took the plunge and ordered a set of floats. I’ve now mounted them on my Yak 54.

One fine day, when there was hardly any wind and the sun was shining, I—or rather, my Yak—had to give it a try. Once I reached the cold water, I turned on the transmitter, slid the battery into the fuselage, and just like that, the plane was floating on the water. A Yak like that looks kind of funny in the water. After a few cautious attempts at floating, I took the plunge. I gently applied throttle, and lo and behold, as if on rails—or rather, on floats—the plane accelerated straight out onto the water. After a short while, the floats rose slightly out of the water, the water resistance decreased, and the model took off. Joy reigned, as one might say. After a few nice flybys, I turned in for landing, eased off the throttle, and began my descent. The water came closer and closer, and I was able to set the Yak down gently. It was a wonderful experience to bring everything home safe and dry.

After the first few flights with the floats, I realized that the center of gravity wasn’t quite right anymore. It was a bit too far back; the plane was “tail-heavy.” To counteract the problem, I milled out the motor bulkhead a bit. This allows the battery to be placed further forward. I also shortened the floats at the rear by about 6 cm. Now the center of gravity is about 12 cm behind the nose strip—just like with the landing gear—and it’s just right. The floats are now about 70 cm long. The float set I used was originally designed for the Multiplex Mentor. With the modifications described, however, they fit my Yak perfectly.

The Yak 54 is made of EPP. When selecting the components, I

I made a conscious effort to ensure it was suitable for everyday use. The price should be kept as low as possible—

The plane will be ready to fly in just a few hours. The parts fit together well, and assembly is moving along quickly. The kit includes all the small parts. The components listed here (motor, ESC, servos, etc.) are a perfect fit for this model. Mounting the floats requires a bit of manual dexterity. The float set I assembled includes all the necessary parts.

The Yak 54 offers plenty of fun both on land and on water. The model is very versatile. I think the floats will also perform well as skis in the winter. We’ll see what happens. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the eflight team for their kind support.

Available at www.eflight.ch
. For more information, visit www.michel-hauser.ch