New French Yak-9 airborne

Mid September 2020, a new French Yakovlev Yak-9 fighter made its first post restoration flight at La Ferté-Alais, the aerodrome of Cerny. The first flight was made as F-WZOS, but the aircraft will be registered in the historic category as F-AZOS.

The owner of the machine is Jean-Marie Delimboeuf, who acquired it in January 2006. His Yak is painted as Soviet Air Force “6 White”, in the colours of the famous Normandie-Niemen squadron.

F-AZOS was once laid down as a Let C11 trainer (construction number 172612) and flown by the Egyptian Air Force until 1970. The Yak-9 is one of a large batch of this type of aircraft which was acquired by Alain Chapel and Jean Salis of La Ferté-Alais, France in 1985. They sold the trainer to the USA in 1988, where it was rebuilt as a single-seat fighter, registered N9YK, with the colours of Soviet Air Force “11 Red”. It had several owners, until it was bought by Jean-Marie Garric of Harlingen (TX) in 2000. He replaced the original round engine by an Allison in-line and sold the machine to France in 2003.

The fighter was in a non-flyable condition when obtained by the present owner, Michel Defaye. So he decided to go for a deep restoration of his Yakovlev. And the result is amazing to see!

Photos: Philippe Delarbre