It doesn’t occupy the same kind of mindshare as a F-4 Phantom or a Sopwith Camel but for many pilots trained in the eastern bloc, the Yak-52 is probably the aircraft they first flew. And apparently its coming to DCS.

Trainer and aerobatic performer

First flying in 1976 the Yak-52 is a all-metal follow up to the Yak-50 primary trainer aircraft. Simple a robust with a 360hp Vedeneyev M-14P 9-cylinder radial engine and fitted with conventional Soviet aircraft controls of the time. The aircraft has also performed at airshows in aerobatic displays.

It’s coming to DCS?

Yeah, apparently it is. An entry on Kanstantsin Kuzniatsou Soundcloud page tipped everyone off. Better known to the community as ‘BTD’, Kanstantsin is the man responsible for virtually all of the in-game menu music and trailer music in DCS.

DCS Community Manager SiThSpAwN then posted a tiny bit of extra info:

This is for a professional contract now, more information will come later about a game version.

Don’t expect it soon but it looks like there will eventually be a consumer level DCS version of the Yak-52.

It probably didn’t get the hype that the AV-8B did this week but for people who enjoy flying no matter what the aircraft is, this might be an interesting future addition to the hangar.