A little background first.

The Sukhoi was originally designed to better compete against our Pitts Specials, the Extras, and the Laser 200 in FAI fullscale aerobatic competition. It has proven to be an excellent design for it's purpose and will soundly trounce those that fly against it when it's flown by a capable pilot. The Sukhoi is VERY expensive to produce and purchase, which was the reason for the creation of the Yak 55. The Yak costs a competitor about 70-80% of what a Sukhoi would, and will ALMOST equal the Sukhoi in performance, making the win or lose difference between the two planes generally come down to differences in skill between the respective pilots.

There are actually quite a few differences between the full scale Sukhoi and the Yak 55-SP. One is the 55 rudder shape and depth. It drops below the bottom of the fuselage in a rounded shape and is narrower at the top. Looks cool! The Yak cowl is a bit smaller in diameter and fits tighter to the engine. The visual distance from the front of the wing to the front of the cowl is much shorter on the Yak 55. The tip shape of the main wing on the Yak pulls back a little more at the trailing edge. The fuselage is narrower, but is flatter and a little higher behind the canopy. The Yak has wheel spats, the Sukhoi typically has none. The Sukhoi sits higher on it's gear than the Yak. The gear on the 55-SP is significantly different from just about any other plane. It's made from tubes rather than flat stock, and the legs are straight. And finally the Yak 55 is overall a bit smaller than a Sukhoi. Side by side the differences between the two planes is quite apparent.

The performance of either plane is best described as--- WOW!!! Funny thing about either plane. Both have been severly under represented in model aviation. The Sukhoi has had a much better showing, but for the most part has always been shorted in design and poorly proportioned when done as a model. The small ones were always a bit of a handfull. That changed with the introduction of the W/H 35% Sukhoi!! The Yak 55-SP has been done almost not at all with the exception of Comp Arf, with the emphasis going to the Yak 54, which does not perform nearly as well. The 54 is much easier to produce as a kit due to it's basic shape, wing planform, and landing gear. Want to be different at the field? Want to fly the tails off the Extras? A 55-SP or Sukhoi would usually be the only one there, and kick some serious butt.

As far as Yaks go, I aways thought that the 54 was butt ugly. That's why I never got one. OTH, the looks of the 55-SP kinda tickles my fancy[8D]

Tom, it's all on you now The basics are already there with the Sukhoi. Some mods in the front, re-position the wing, the gear, the horizontal stabs, and the rudder would be all it takes to bring one to market. I think it would move rather well in 35%, and do so-so in 40% simply because of the lower number of people that purchase 40% planes. Not everyone has, needs, or wants a trailer to get their planes to the field.