Yak 52 Wingtip Rib - Repro, Port or Starboard
In the unfortunate event of a gear up, the Yak 52’s wingtip rib often seems to take the brunt of the damage. (The next most frequent casualties are ailerons & the outer aileron support bracket).
If you and your mechanic are facing Yak 52 wingtip repair, TYC Is here to help.
These Port and Starboard Yak 52 wingtip ribs have been hand-formed from over a steel pattern, developed from a scan of a new factory part. .
They are supplied clear anodized with Dichromate coating for best paint adhesion.
When closing up the wing tip, dimpling the flange on these ribs is recommended to complement legacy rivet holes in the wing skin, which at the tip is just .025”’thick.
We had best luck with CR3242-5-2 Cherry Max rivets, formed examples are shown here. The condition and size of the legacy rivet holes in the skin will have a lot to do with the choice - your mechanic will have their own preference.
These ribs have the recessed formed hole - but without the four nut plates.
(Our field research revealed that both the orientation and bolt circle diameter of these nut plates vary from one Yak to the next, so we have left them for you to create!
One purpose for that hole, by the way, is to accept a stout bar to take the weight of the outer portion of the wing during separation from the fuselage. You will notice other aligned holes in adjacent inboard ribs.
This hole is also convenient for mounting wingtip Skybeacon ADS-B devices.)
After the emotions of the moment have subsided, actual gear-up airframe damage is rarely as bad as it looks.
Kudos to those prepared keep another of our Yaks in the air after the unimaginable happens.