What's the purpose of the wing 'stingers' on Yak-28s?

[msxyz]

This photo shows them well:

Photos: Yakovlev Yak-28 Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net

Notice the two long 'stingers' near the end of each wing, protruding forward. I know that small dipoles are installed in pairs on the wings for radio direction finding, but these things seems a bit too.. huge to be just some kind of elaborate and overdone antenna fairings.

Some sources call them 'shock generators' although I don't understand what benefit would gain the wing from such a structure. It's intesting to note, also, that the wing itself uses both fences and a prominent dog tooth on the leading edge (barely visible in the linked image)... an odd beast this Yak plane!

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

The Yak-28 had bicycle landing gear with outrigger wheels near the wingtips. I think those are the fairings for the wingtip gear.

Here is another pic that shows them gear down.

 

[razor1uk]

The forward ends of one of them could also be the early Soviet inflight refuling probe - they did at one time use wingtip probes IIRC...

 

[Matt308]

The Yak-28 was a long range bomber interceptor, as I recall. They might very well be high frequency (HF) antennas for long range comm in oceanic and remote area operations.

 

[Snowman]

It were just a flutter dampers.

 

[msxyz]

Indeed, the Yak-28 has a tandem landing gear, so it has outrigger wheels housed in small nacelles. Maybe their mass also acts as flutter damper, but neither aspect accounts for their peculiar shape.

Wingtip refuelling probes? They look too sharp, like giant needles.

 

[steve51]

Matt308,
I agree with you that they look like antenna although I don't know for sure. The Yak had an extensive electronic suite with direction finder unit, marker beacon receivers, etc. Late models had data links. In one incident, they used their radar to track a defecting biplane aircraft over the Black Sea and direct a Mig 17 to make a gun kill.

 

[Matt308]

If those stingers are RF related they are low frequency and not radar related.

 

[tomo pauk]

It were just a flutter dampers.

This might be the likely answer. The MiG-25 had the same.

 

[herman1rg]

The wing-mounted engines and bicycle-type main landing gear (supplemented by outrigger wheels in fairings near the wingtips) were widely spaced, allowing most of the fuselage to be used for fuel and equipment.

 

[gumbyk]

They are there, as you said, msxyz, as 'shock generators', also termed an 'aerospike'
During supersonic flight, they generate a shockwave ahead of the aircraft. (ususally they are on the nose, so the whole aircraft is contained behind the cone of the shockwave).
In this case, my thought is that it would have something to do with protecting the ailerons from an attached shockwave, causing problems with control.

 

[msxyz]

They are there, as you said, msxyz, as 'shock generators', also termed an 'aerospike'
During supersonic flight, they generate a shockwave ahead of the aircraft. (ususally they are on the nose, so the whole aircraft is contained behind the cone of the shockwave).
In this case, my thought is that it would have something to do with protecting the ailerons from an attached shockwave, causing problems with control.

interesting explanation. I wonder if their presence has something to do with the fact that engines are slung below the wings, in pods.

 

[gumbyk]

interesting explanation. I wonder if their presence has something to do with the fact that engines are slung below the wings, in pods.

It could be. There may be some interaction between the nose and engine pods.

 

[nuuumannn]

A snippet from Yakovlev Aircraft since 1924;

"Apart from increased chord the wingtips were similar to those of the Yak-27R but with the forward extensions of the undercarriage fairings again lengthened and made pure cones housing mass balanceing and anti flutter masses."

Yaks grazing...

 

[Matt308]

I'm voting for anti-flutter. That's the best explanation I have seen.

 

[msxyz]

Apparently some Yak-28s are up for sale to anyone rich or fool enough who wants one in the garden. I doubt these beast can be made to fly again, not to mention obtaining an air worthness and safety certificate from civil aviaton authorities.

I'd like to have one in my backyrd though. This and a large swimming pool in which I could dock a cold war era submarine