Kent Carlomagno - YAK-11 - "BLYAK MOOSE"
Kent G. Carlomagno's love for aviation has been since he was a young child of five cruising in the baggage compartment of an Ercoupe standing over the controls between his Dad and best friend. Kent soloed at 16 and waited until thirty-one to get his pilot's license.
After attending the Reno Air Races in 1976 and Madera Air Show in 1983, he became obsessed with the quest of possible ownership and flying of World War II aircraft. His first aircraft was an X-P.Q.-13 or military designed Ercoupe painted in the silver with red, white and blue stars and stripes. He flew this to and in air shows from 1988-1994.
He was in a T-28 partnership from 1992-1994 from which he was bought out of after and engine loss and bought his first real War Bird in 1994, "a beautiful NA-50". In 1997, he bought a rare French designed P51-A replica ¾ scale, powered by a Ford engine. In 2001, he bought a second rare aircraft, his YAK-11 "BLYAK MOOSE" and is currently flying it. He has a contagious enthusiasm and passion about flying these precious, one of a kind aircraft. He currently lives in San Rafael, CA and, as a Doctor of Chiropractic.
The Yak-11 or C-11 (C=Czech built) was manufactured between 1944-1955. They were designed as a fighter / trainer and derived from World War II fighters such as the Yak-3 and Yak-9 which use inline engines. The original Moose was somewhat the equivalent of our American T-6 Texan trainer because the original Russian engine sported 700 hp on take-off and 570 hp at cruise; however the YAK-11 had superior performance to the T-6 due to less weight and wing design.

Back
to Static Displays