Ukrainian World War I-style drone hunter is back in action – Forbes

A plane costing no more than a few hundred dollars per hour of flight is an effective way to shoot down drones.

After a four-month absence, a Ukrainian World War I-style drone-killing propeller plane may be back in action over Odessa. Forbes military columnist David Axe writes about this.

The Yak-52 piston-engine trainer, a Soviet relic from the 1970s, reportedly returned to the skies over the Black Sea port city to pursue Russian reconnaissance drones.

“The pilot in the front seat and, presumably, a shotgun-wielding gunner in the back seat – used up 1,000 liters of fuel and was forced to land for additional fuel in the middle of the fight,” said “Kale”, a Ukrainian sailor in Odessa.

In five hours of maneuvering, the Yak-52 reportedly shot down at least one Orlan drone. It is noted that an aircraft costing no more than a few hundred dollars per hour of flight is an effective way to shoot down drones, which themselves cost about $100,000.

“There has been no official confirmation of the Yak-52's return to flight since the aircraft last appeared over Odesa in July. But, on the other hand, there was never any official information about the daring Yak-52 patrols over the port city,” the analyst writes.

What is surprising to him is that the Yak-52 reportedly burned 1,000 liters of fuel during its supposed long flight over Odessa on Tuesday. The most capacious version of Yakovlev's training aircraft has a maximum fuel capacity of 280 liters.

“If the Ukrainian pilots did burn about three full tanks of fuel, returning to base at least twice for refueling, they must have been flying at full speed – gaining altitude, diving and turning – to target the Orlans” , – wrote Aks.

How the Yak-52 shoots down RF drones

In the three months since May, the piston plane  shot down at least 10 Russian drones. Fans of this attack aircraft posted videos and photos of the Yak-52 in action and on the ground. The growing number of downed records aboard the old trainer testified to its effectiveness as a drone hunter.

After the Yak-52 became world famous this summer, Russian forces apparently tried to destroy the plane by launching missiles at what may have been its base airfield back in July. The subsequent disappearance of the Yak-52 from social networks probably meant that the plane was badly damaged and was being repaired in the fall.