• Ilyushin Il-2(Shturmovik)
• Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Goudkov LaGG-3
• Lavochkin La-5
• Lavochkin La-7
• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3
• Polikarpov I-16
• Yakovlev Yak-1
• Yakovlev Yak-3
• Yakovlev Yak-7
• Yakovlev Yak-9

Crew: Two, pilot and rear gunner

• Length: 11.6 m (38 ft 1 in)
• Wingspan: 14.6 m (47 ft 11 in)
• Height: 4.2 m (13 ft 9 in)
• Wing area: 38.5 m² (414 ft²)
• Empty weight: 4,360 kg (9,610 lb)
• Loaded weight: 6,160 kg (13,580 lb)
• Powerplant: 1× Mikulin AM-38F liquid-cooled V-12, 1,285 kW (1,720 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 414 km/h (257 mph)
• Range: 720 km (450 mi)
• Service ceiling 5,500 m (18,000 ft)
• Rate of climb: 10.4 m/s (2050 ft/min)
• Wing loading: 160 kg/m² (31.3 lb/ft²)
• Power/mass: 0.21 kW/kg (0.13 hp/lb)

Armament

• 2x fixed forward-firing 23 mm VYa-23 cannons, 150 rounds/gun
• 2x fixed forward-firing 7.62 mm ShKAS machine guns, 750 rounds/gun
• 1x manually aimed 12.7 mm Berezin UBT machine gun in the rear cockpit, 150 rounds
• Up to 600 kg (1,320 lb) of bombs and/or 4x RS-82 or RS-132 rockets

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The Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Goudkov LaGG-3 was a Soviet fighter aircraft of World War II. It was a refinement of the earlier LaGG-1, and was one of the most modern aircraft available to the Soviet Air Force at the time of Germany's invasion in 1941.

The main deficiency of the LaGG-1 design was power. A more powerful version of its Klimov M-105 engine was tried. The improvement was poor and without an alternative powerplant, the only solution was to lighten the airframe. The LaGG team re-examined the design and pared down the structure as much as possible. Fixed slats were added to the wings to improve climb and manoeuvrability and further weight was saved by installing lighter armament. The LaGG-3 replaced the LaGG-1 immediately.

The result was still not good enough although it came close to its rival Bf-109F in performance and was superior in maneuverability. Still, even with the lighter airframe and supercharged engine, the LaGG-3 was underpowered and proved immensely unpopular with pilots. The novel, wood-laminate construction of the aircraft continued to be poor quality (as with its predecessor) and pilots joked that rather than being an acronym of the designers' names (Lavochkin, Gorbunov, and Goudkov) "LaGG" stood for lakirovanny garantirovanny grob ("guaranteed varnished coffin" - лакированный гарантированный гроб). Some aircraft supplied to the front line were up to 40 km/h (25 mph) slower than they should have been and some were not airworthy. In combat, LaGG-3's main advantage was its strong airframe. Although the laminated wood did not burn it shattered severely when hit by high explosive rounds.

The LaGG-3 was improved during production, resulting in 66 minor variants in the 6,258 that were built. Experiments with fitting a large radial engine to the LaGG-3 airframe finally solved the power problem, and led to the superb Lavochkin La-5.

General characteristics

• Crew: One
• Length: 8.81 m (28 ft 11 in)
• Wingspan: 9.80 m (32 ft 1.75 in)
• Height: 2.54 m (8 ft 4 in)
• Wing area: 17.4 m² (188 ft²)
• Empty weight: 2,205 kg (4,851 lb)
• Loaded weight: 2,620 kg (5,764 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 3,190 kg (7,018 lb)
• Powerplant: 1× Klimov M-105PF liquid-cooled V-12, 924 kW (1,260 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 575 km/h (357 mph)
• Range: 1000 km (621 mi)
• Service ceiling 9,700 m (31,825 ft)
• Rate of climb: 14.9 m/s (2,926 ft/min)
• Wing loading: 150 kg/m² (31 lb/ft²)
• Power/mass: 350 W/kg (0.21 hp/lb)

Armament

• 2× 12.7 mm (0.50 in) Berezin BS machine guns
• 1× 20 mm ShVAK cannon
• 6× RS-82 or RS-132 rockets up a total of 200kg (441 lb)

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The Lavochkin La-5 (Лавочкин Ла-5) was a Soviet fighter aircraft of World War II. It was a development and refinement of the LaGG-3 and was one of the Soviet Air Force's most capable types of warplane.

The La-5's heritage began even before the outbreak of war, with the LaGG-1, a promising yet underpowered aircraft – turning a full circle, for example, took 20 seconds. The LaGG-3 was a modification of that design that attempted to correct this by both lightening the airframe and fitting a more powerful engine. Nevertheless, this was not enough, and the lack of power remained a significant problem.

In early 1942, two of the LaGG-1 and -3's designers, Semyon Lavochkin and Vladimir Gorbunov, attempted to correct this deficiency by experimentally fitting a LaGG-3 with the more powerful Shvetsov ASh-82 radial engine. Since the LaGG-3 was powered by an inline engine, they accomplished this by grafting on the nose section of a Sukhoi Su-2 (which used this engine). By now, the shortcomings of the LaGG-3 had caused Lavochkin to fall out of Stalin's favour, and factories previously assigned to LaGG-3 construction had been turned over to building the rival Yakovlev Yak-1 and Yak-7. The design work required to adapt the LaGG-3 to the new engine and still maintain the aircraft's balance was undertaken by Lavochkin in a small hut beside an airfield over the winter of 1941-1942, all completely unofficially.

When the prototype took flight in March, the result was extremely pleasing - the fighter finally had a powerplant that allowed it to perform as well in the air as it had been supposed to on paper. After flying, the LaG-5 (the change in name reflecting that one of the original LaGG designers was no longer with the programme), Air Force test pilots declared it superior to the Yak-7, and intensive flight tests began in April. After only a few weeks, the design was modified further, cutting down the rear fuselage to give the pilot better visibility.

By July, Stalin ordered maximum-rate production of the aircraft, now simply known as the La-5 and the conversion of any incomplete LaGG-3 airframes to the new configuration. While still inferior to the best German fighters at high altitudes, the La-5 proved to be every bit their match closer to the ground. With most of the air combat over the Eastern Front taking place at altitudes of under 5,000 m (16,400 ft), the La-5 was very much in its element. Its rate of roll was excellent.

Further refinement of the aircraft involved a fuel-injected engine, further lightening of the aircraft, and fixed slats to improve all-round performance. This was designated the La-5FN and would become the definitive version of the aircraft. A full circle turn took 18-19 seconds - a beautiful dogfighter. Altogether, 9,920 La-5s of all variants were built, including a number of dedicated trainer versions, designated La-5UTI. Further refinements of the aircraft would lead to the Lavochkin La-7 with a reputation for the aileron turn. Some had three new B-20 cannon in the cowl with a salvo of 3.4 kg per second weight of fire.

Whenever a low flying attacker couldn't be intercepted even by the new Yak-9U, the La-7 would be utilized. The leading Soviet ace of World War II, Ivan Kozhedub (62 kills), flew this fighter when he shot down an Me 262 jet.

A number of La-5s continued in the service of Eastern Bloc nations after the end of the war, including Czechoslovakia.

General characteristics

• Crew: one pilot
• Length: 8.67 m (28 ft 5.33 in)
• Wingspan: 9.80 m (32 ft 1.75 in)
• Height: 2.54 m (8 ft 4 in)
• Wing area: 17.5 m² (188 ft²)
• Empty weight: 2,605 kg (5,743 lb)
• Loaded weight: 3,265 kg (7,198 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 3,402 kg (7,500 lb)
• Powerplant: 1× Shvetsov ASh-82FN radial engine, 1,215 kW (1,630 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 648 km/h (403 mph)
• Range: 765 km (475 miles)
• Service ceiling 11,000 m (36,100 ft)
• Rate of climb: 16.7 m/s (3,280 ft/min)
• Wing loading: 186 kg/m² (38 lb/ft²)
• Power/mass: 0.42 kW/kg (0.26 hp/lb)

Armament

• 2× 20 mm ShVAK cannon, 200 rounds per gun
• 2 bombs up to 100 kg each

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The Lavochkin La-7 (Лавочкин Ла-7) was a Soviet fighter aircraft of World War II. It was a development and refinement of the Lavochkin La-5, and the last in a family of aircraft that had begun with the LaGG-1 in 1938.

By 1943, the La-5 had become a mainstay of the Soviet Air Force, yet both its head designer, Semyon Lavochkin, as well as the engineers at TsAGI ("Central Aerohydrodynamics Institute") felt that it could be improved upon. The LaGG-1 had been designed at a time when it was considered necessary to conserve strategic materials such as aircraft alloys, and had a structure built almost entirely of plywood. With Soviet strategists now confident that supplies of these alloys were unlikely to become a problem, Lavochkin began replacing large parts of the airframe (including the wing spars) with alloy components. Various other streamlining changes were made as well, increasing performance further. The prototype, internally designated La-120 by Lavochkin, flew in November, and was quickly put into production, entering service the following spring.

The La-7 earned itself a superb combat record by the end of the war, and was flown by the top two Soviet aces of the conflict, one of which was Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub. Turning a full circle took 19-21 seconds. The aircraft was also used as a testbed to explore advanced propulsion systems, including a tail-mounted liquid-fuelled rocket engine (La-7R), two under-wing pulsejets (La-7D), and two under-wing ramjets (La-7S). None of these variants proved worth pursuing, and turbojet technology quickly overtook them.

The La-7 was the only Soviet fighter to shoot down a Messerschmitt Me-262, by Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub on one occasion over Germany on February 15, 1945.

Two La-7s from the PLAAF successfully shot down a Cathay Pacific airliner off the coast of Hainan Island in 23 July 1954.

Total production of the La-7 amounted to 5,753 aircraft, including a number of La-7UTI trainers. Those aircraft still in service after the end of the war were given the NATO reporting name Fin. The follow-up model, La-9 despite its outward similarity was a complete reworking of the design.

General characteristics

• Crew: One
• Length: 8.60 m (28 ft 2 in)
• Wingspan: 9.80 m (32 ft 1 in)
• Height: 2.540 m (8 ft 4 in)
• Wing area: 17.5 m² (188 ft²)
• Empty weight: 2,638 kg (5,803 lb)
• Loaded weight: 3,265 kg (7,183 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 3,400 kg (7,480 lb)
• Powerplant: 1× Shvetsov ASh-82FN radial engine, 1,380 kW (1,850 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 680 km/h (423 mph)
• Range: 990 km (615 miles)
• Service ceiling 9,500 m (31,168 ft)
• Rate of climb: 18.3 m/s (3,602 ft/min)
• Wing loading: 38 lb/ft² (187 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.42 kW/kg (0.25 hp/lb)

Armament

• 2x20 mm ShVAK cannon 200 rounds each or
• 3x20 mm Berezin B-20 cannon 100 rounds each
• 200 kg (440 lb) of bombs

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The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3 (Russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-3) was a Soviet fighter aircraft of World War II. It was a development of the MiG-1 by the OKO (opytno-konstrooktorskiy otdel - Experimental Design Department) of zavod (factory) No.1 to fix the issues that had been encountered seen over its development and deployment cycle.

Mikoyan and Gurevich made a large number of modifications to the MiG-1 design following both field use and research in the T-1 wind tunnel belonging to the Central Aero and Hydrodynamtics Institute (TsAGI). These changes were mostly done piecemeal on the assembly line.

These changes included:

• Moving the engine forward 4 inches (100 mm) which improved stability.
• Increase the outer wingpanel dihedral by one degree which also increased stability.
• Introduction of a new water radiator (OP-310), which allows for an additional 55 imp. gallon (250 L) fuel tank.
• Adding an additional oil tank under the engine.
• Venting and piping exhaust gas into the fuel tanks to reduce fire in case of enemy fire.
• Adding 8 mm armor behind the pilot (increased to 9 mm in later models).
• Streamlining supercharger intakes.
• Strengthening the main landing gear.
• Increasing the size of the main wheels to 25.5 x 7.87" (650 x 200 mm).
• Improved canopy, which improved views to the rear and allowed for the installation of a shelf behind the pilot for an RSI-1 radio (later upgraded to an RSI-4).
• Redesign of the instrument panel.
• Upgrade of the PBP-1 gunsight to the PBP-1A gunsight.
• Increase in ammo load for the ShKAS guns to 750 rounds per gun.
• Additional underwing hardpoints added to carry up to 485 lbs of bombs (220 kg), spray containers or 8 RS-82 unguided rockets.

The first aircraft to see all of these changes applied to them was I-200 No.04, which was the fourth prototype of the I-200, which later became the MiG-1. It first flew in late October 1940. Following its successful first flight it was then passed to VVS (Voyenno-voz-dooshnyye seely - Military Air Forces) for State trials.

During this testing, NKAP (Narodnyy komissariat aviatsionnoy promyshlennosti - People's Ministry of the Aircraft Industry) announced that the three zavods building the MiG-3 at the time would be required to build a total of 3600 in 1941.

The first production MiG-3 rolled off the assembly line on December 20, 1940. By March 1941, 10 of these aircraft were coming off the production line every day. It was not long before the type would see combat, claiming a pair of German Junkers Ju 86 reconnaissance aircraft even before the start of hostilities between Germany and the Soviet Union.

By the time of Operation Barbarossa, over 1,200 MiG-3's had been delivered.

During initial testing of production aircraft was found to be inferior to the MiG-1 due to its weight increase, and fuel consumption was well over what Mikoyan and Gurevich were promised by the manufacturer (zavod No.24), but the fuel consumption was actually found to be an issue with the testing of the aircraft and the failure to take into account altitude correction. Mikoyan and Gurevich went as far as arranging for two more flights between Leningrad and Moscow to prove the MiG-3 could fly 1000 km.

However that was not the end of the issues that the MiG-3 encountered during its deployment. Several MiG-3s produced were found to have unacceptable performance at altitude due to oil and fuel pressure. It was also found that pilots attempted to fly the MiG-3 as if it were an earlier aircraft (especially the forgiving Polikarpov I-15, I-153 and I-16's) and which led to several other problems. Soon new oil and fuel pumps were introduced as well as attempts at better pilot training to familiarize them with the MiG-3.

Over the next two years of the MiG-3, several new changes made it into production, including up-gunning to UBS machine guns and ShVAK cannons.

Due to the conditions of battle with the German forces, the MiG-3 was forced into a low altitude and even a ground-attack role, but it was quickly found to be inferior, and withdrawn from this role. The death knell for the MiG-3 was the discontinuation of its AM-35 engine so that Mikulin could concentrate on AM-38 production for the Ilyushin Il-2 Shturmovik. It was eventually used as a reconnaissance plane-its high service ceiling of 40,000 ft and fast high altitude speed made well suited for such a role.

Even with the MiG-3's limitations, Aleksandr Pokryshkin, the second leading Soviet ace of the war with 59 official victories, recorded most of those victories while flying a MiG-3.

General characteristics

• Crew: One
• Length: 8.25 m (27 ft 1 in)
• Wingspan: 10.20 m (33 ft 5 in)
• Height: 3.30 m (10 ft 9⅞ in)
• Wing area: 17.44 m² (188 ft²)
• Airfoil: Clark YH
• Empty weight: 2,699 kg (5,965 lb)
• Loaded weight: 3,355 kg (7,415 lb)
• Powerplant: 1× Mikulin AM-35A liquid-cooled V-12, 993 kW (1,350 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 640 km/h (398 mph, 346 knots) at 7,800 m (25,600 ft)
   
• Maximum speed at sea level : 505 km/h (314 mph, 273 knots)
• Combat range: 820 km (510 mi,443 NM)
• Service ceiling 12,000 m (39,400 ft)
• Wing loading: 155 kg/m² (39.3 lb/ft²)
• Power/mass: 0.30 kW/kg (0.18 hp/lb)
• Climb to 8,000 m (26,250 ft): 10.28 min

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The Polikarpov I-16 was a Soviet fighter aircraft of revolutionary design; it was the world's first cantilever-winged monoplane fighter with retractable landing gear. The I-16 was introduced in the mid-1930s and formed the backbone of the Soviet Air Force at the beginning of World War II. The diminutive fighter prominently featured in the Second Sino-Japanese War^[1], the Spanish Civil War where it was called the Rata or Mosca, and the Battle of Khalkhin Gol.

While working on the Polikarpov I-15 biplane, Nikolai Nikolaevich Polikarpov began designing an advanced monoplane fighter. It featured cutting-edge innovations such as retractable landing gear and a fully enclosed cockpit, and was optimized for speed with a short stubby fuselage (similar to Gee Bee R-1) and a Wright Cyclone radial engine in a NACA cowling. The aircraft was small, light and simple to build.

Full-scale work on the TsKB-12 prototype began in June 1933 and the aircraft was accepted into production on 22 November 1933, a month before it took to the air. The TsKB-12 was of mixed construction using a wooden monocoque fuselage and wings based around a KhMA chrome-molybdenum steel alloy wing spar, dural ribs and D1 aluminum alloy skinning on the center and leading edges, with the remaining portions of the wings fabric covered. Another modern feature were the ailerons which ran almost the entire trailing edge of the wing and also operated as flaps (in the manner of more modern flaperons) by drooping 15°. The cockpit was covered by a 40cm wide canopy which featured an Aldis tubular gun sight which could slide back and forth on runners fitted with bungee cords of rubber. A 225 liter (59.4 US gallon) fuel tank was fitted directly in front of the cockpit. The main gear was fully retractable by a hand-crank. The armament consisted of a pair of 7.62 mm (0.30 cal) ShKAS machine guns in the wings, mounted on the outboard side of the main gear and carried 900 rounds of ammo. These features were proposed at first by Andrei N. Tupolev, however the NII V-VS was more concerned about the stresses a typical combat aircraft was subjected to in combat, and initially considered the risk too great. However TsAGI, with the help of the 3rd Design Brigade under the leadership of Pavel O. Sukhoi and Aleksandr P. Putylov eventually convinced NII V-VS that what was being proposed was not only feasible, but would enhance the aircraft's performance. The TsKB-12 was designed around the Wright Cyclone SR-1820-F-3 nine cylinder radial engine (rated at 710 HP); a license to build this engine was being negotiated. As the license was not yet approved, Polikarpov was asked to settle for the less powerful M-22 (Soviet-built version of the Gnome-Rhone Jupiter 9ASB which itself was a licensed version of the Bristol Jupiter VI ) with 480 hp. This was deemed acceptable because the projected top speed still exceeded 300 km/h (185 mph).

General characteristics

• Crew: One
• Length: 6.13 m (20 ft 1 in)
• Wingspan: 9 m (29 ft 6 in)
• Height: 3.25 m (10 ft 8 in)
• Wing area: 14.5 m² (156.1 ft²)
• Empty weight: 1,490 kg (3,285 lb)
• Loaded weight: 1,941 kg (4,279 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 2,050 kg (4,519 lb)
• Powerplant: 1× Shvetsov M-63 air-cooled radial engine, 820 kW (1,100 hp) driving a two-blade propeller

Performance

• Maximum speed: 525 km/h (283 knots, 326 mph) at 3,000 m (9,845 ft)
• Range: 700 km (378 nm, 435 mi (with drop tanks))
• Service ceiling 9,700 m (31,825 ft)
• Rate of climb: 14.7 m/s (2,900 ft/min)
• Wing loading: 134 kg/m² (27 lb/ft²)
• Power/mass: 346 W/kg (0.21 hp/lb)
• Time to altitude: 5.8 minutes to 5,000 m (16,405 ft)

Armament

• 2× fixed forward-firing 7.62 mm (0.30 in) ShKAS machine guns in upper cowling
• 2× fixed forward-firing 20 mm (0.79 in) ShVAK cannons in the wings
• Six unguided RS-82 rockets or up to 500 kg (1,102 lb) of bombs

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The Yakovlev Yak-1 was a World War II Soviet fighter aircraft and the first among the war's many successful Yakovlev fighters.

Although prior to World War II Yakovlev was best known for building light sports aircraft, the Yak-4 light bomber impressed the Soviet government enough to order the OKB to design a new fighter with a Klimov M-106 V-12 liquid-cooled engine. Formal specifications released on 29 July 1939, called for two prototypes - I-26-1 with a top speed of 620 km/h (385 mph) at 6,000 m (20,000 ft), combat range of 600 km (375 mi), a climb to 10,000 m (32,800 ft) of under 11 minutes, and armament of 2x 7.62 mm ShKAS machine guns and 1x 12.7 mm Berezin BS heavy machine gun, and I-26-2 with a turbocharged M-106 engine with a top speed of 650 km/h (404 mph) at 10,000 m (33,000 ft) and armament of 2x 7.62 mm ShKAS machine guns. The design took full advantage of Yakovlev OKB's experience with sports aircraft and promised agility as well as high top speed. Since the M-106 was delayed, the design was changed to incorporate the Klimov M-105P V-12 engine, with a 20 mm ShVAK cannon in the "vee" of the engine block.

I-26-I first flew on 13 January 1940. The prototype suffered from oil overheating problems which were never completely resolved resulting in 15 emergency landings during early testing. Then, on 27 April 1940, I-26-1 crashed, killing its test pilot Yu.I. Piontkovskiy. The investigation of the crash found that the pilot performed two consecutive barrel rolls at low altitude which was in violation of test flight plan. It was believed that during the first roll, the main landing gear became unlocked, causing it to crash through the wing during the second roll. It has been hypothesized that Piontkovskiy's deviation from the flight plan was caused by frustration that his aircraft was being used for engine testing while I-26-2, built with the lessons of I-26-1 in mind, was already performing aerobatics.

Poor quality of subassemblies provided by different suppliers raised the I-26-2's weight 400 kg (880 lb) above projected figues, which restricted the airframe to only 4.4 G while overheating oil was still a problem. The many defects caused I-26-2 to fail government testing in 1940. Fortunately for Yakovlev, its competitors I-200 (future Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3) and I-301 (future LaGG-3) also failed testing. Requested improvements were incorporated into I-26-3 which was delivered for testing on 13 October 1940. Although it passed on 9 December 1940, the aircraft was still very much unfinished with unresolved engine problems.

At the onset of Great Patriotic War on 22 June 1941, 425 Yak-1 were built, although many of these were en route or still disassembled. It was soon discovered that most air combat took place below 4,000 m (13,000 ft) which placed the new Soviet fighters, designed for high-altitude performance at a disadvantage. Still, the Yak-1 did prove to have a significant advantage over its Soviet competitors. A full circle turn took just 17 seconds in the Yak-1M. The MiG-3, which had the best high-altitude performance, did poorly at low and medium altitudes and its light armament made it unsuitable even for ground attack. The LaGG-3 experienced a significant degradation in performance (as much as 100 km/h (62 mph) on some aircraft) compared to its prototypes due to the manufacturer's inexperience with its special wooden construction which suffered from warping and rotting when exposed to the elements. The Yak-1's plywood covering also suffered from the weather but the steel frame kept the aircraft largely intact.

The aircraft's major problem early in deployment was fuel leaks caused by failure of spot-welded fuel tanks from vibration. Also troublesome was the fact that the canopy could not be opened at high speeds, potentially trapping the pilot in a falling aircraft. As the result, some pilots had the sliding portion of the canopy removed altogether. The notoriously unreliable and short-ranged radio equipment was also frequently removed to save weight. Like most early carburetor-equipped engines, M-105 could not tolerate negative G forces which starved it of fuel.

Nonetheless, the Yak-1 was well-liked by its pilots. Twenty-four of these aircraft were sent to the elite all-female 586 IAP whose pilots included the world's only female aces with 11 (Katya Budanova) and 12 (Lydia Litvyak) victories. Yak-1s were also the first aircraft of the 1st Polish Fighter Regiment "Warsaw" (Polish: 1 Pułk Lotnictwa Myśliwskiego "Warszawa") and French Normandie-Niemen squadron.

The importance of this type in World War II is usually underestimated; the Yak-1's successors: the Yak-7, Yak-9 and Yak-3 were essentially the same aircraft design with modifications, it was simply the Soviet naming conventions which saw them labelled as different types; but judged by the same standards by which one names all Spitfires, Bf 109s or Fw 190s, they were the same type. Were this naming convention used, the Yak piston engined fighter would rank as the most produced fighter aircraft type in history, at over 36,000 in total exceeding by a few hundred its partner on the Eastern Front the IL-2 Shturmovik.

General characteristics

• Crew: One
• Length: 8.5 m (27 ft 11 in)
• Wingspan: 10.0 m (32 ft 10 in)
• Height: m (ft)
• Wing area: 17.2 m² (185.1 ft²)
• Empty weight: 2,394 kg (5,267 lb)
• Loaded weight: 2,883 kg (6,343 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: kg (lb)
• Powerplant: 1× Klimov M-105PF V-12 liquid-cooled engine, 880 kW (1,180 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 592 km/h at altitude (368 mph)
• Range: 700 km (435 miles)
• Service ceiling 10,050 m (33,000 ft)
• Rate of climb: 15.4 m/s (3,038 ft/min)
• Wing loading: 168 kg/m² (34 lb/ft²)
• Power/mass: 0.31 kW/kg (0.19 hp/lb)

Armament

• 1x 20 mm ShVAK cannon
• 1 x 12.7 mm Berezin UBS machine gun. One-second salvo weight of fire 2 kg (4.4 lb) with both the cannon and the machine gun using high-explosive ammunition.

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The Yakovlev Yak-3 (Russian language: Як-3) was a World War II Soviet fighter aircraft regarded as one of the best fighters of the war. It was one of the smallest and lightest major combat fighters fielded by any combatant during the war, and its high power-to-weight ratio gave it excellent performance.

The origins of the Yak-3 went back to 1941 when the 1-30 prototype was offered along with the I-26 as an alternative design to the Yak-1. The I-30, powered by a Klimov M-105P engine, was of all-metal construction, using a wing with dihedral on the outer panels. Like the early Yak-1, it had a ShVAK 20 millimeter cannon firing through the prop spinner and twin ShKAS 7.62 millimeter machine guns in the nose, but was also fitted with a ShVAK cannon in each wing. The first of two prototypes was fitted with a slatted wing to improve handling and short-field performance while the second prototype had a wooden wing without slats, in order to simplify production. The second prototype crashed during flight tests and was written off. Although there were plans to put the Yak-3 into production, the scarcity of aviation aluminum and the pressure of the Nazi invasion led to work on the first Yak-3 being abandoned in the late fall of 1941.

In 1943, Yakovlev designed the Yak-1M which was a smaller and lighter version of the Yak-1. A second Yak-1M prototype was constructed later that year, differing from the first aircraft in plywood instead of fabric covering of the rear fuselage, mastless radio antenna, reflector gunsight and improved armor and engine cooling. The chief test pilot for the project Piotr Mikhailovich Stefanovskiy was so impressed with the new aircraft that he recommended that it should completely replace Yak-1 and Yak-7 with only the Yak-9 retained in production for further work with the Klimov VK-107 engine. The new fighter, designated theYak-3 entered service in 1944, later than the Yak-9 in spite of the lower designation number. A total of 4,848 aircraft were produced.

The designation Yak-3 was also used for other Yakovlev projects - a proposed but never built, heavy twin-engine fighter and the Yakovlev Yak-7A.

Lighter and smaller than Yak-9 but powered by the same engine, the Yak-3 was a very agile dogfighter and a forgiving, easy-to-handle aircraft loved by both rookie and veteran pilots. Early combat experience showed it to be superior to all Luftwaffe fighters at altitudes below 5,000 m (16,400 ft). It could roll with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 and its turn rate was almost equal to the bf 109. The biggest drawbacks of the aircraft were its short range, the tendency of the glued-on plywood covering the top of the wings to tear away under high-G loads, and poor engine reliability. The pneumatic system for actuating landing gear, flaps and brakes, typical for all Yakovlev fighters of the time, was problematic. Though less reliable than hydraulic or electrical alternatives, the pneumatic system was preferred due to significant weight savings.

The first 197 Yak-3 were armed with a single 20 mm ShVAK cannon and one 12.7 mm UBS machine gun, with subsequent aircraft receiving a second UBS for a weight of fire of 2.72 kg (6.0 lb) per second using high-explosive ammunition.

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 8.5 m (27 ft 10 in)
• Wingspan: 9.2 m (30 ft 2 in)
• Height: 2.39 m (7 ft 11 in)
• Wing area: 14.85 m² (159.8 ft²)
• Empty weight: 2,105 kg (4,640 lb)
• Loaded weight: 2,692 kg (5,864 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: kg (lb)
• Powerplant: 1× Klimov VK-105PF-2 V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine, 962 kW (1,290 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 646 km/h (401 mph)
• Range: 650 km (405 miles)
• Service ceiling 10,700 m (35,000 ft)
• Rate of climb: 18.5 m/s (3,645 ft/min)
• Wing loading: 181 kg/m² (36.7 lb/ft²)
• Power/mass: 0.36 kW/kg (0.22 hp/lb)

Armament

• 1x 20 mm ShVAK cannon,
• 2x 12.7 mm Berezin UBS machine guns

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The Soviet Yakovlev Yak-7 was developed from the earlier Yak-1 fighter, initially as a trainer but converted into a "heavy" fighter. As both a fighter and later reverting to its original training role, the Yak-7 proved to be a capable aircraft and was well-liked by air crews.

In 1939, Alexander Yakovlev designed a tandem-seat advanced trainer, originally designated "I-27" and then "UTI-26", offered along with the original I-26 proposal that became the Yak-1. The "UTI" (Uchebno Trenirovochnyi Istrebitel, translated as: Training Fighter) was intended to give pilots-in-training experience on a high-performance aircraft before transitioning to a fighter. With development work stated in 1940, the UTI-26 differed from its predecessor in its larger span wing being placed farther back for balance as well as having two cockpits with dual controls and a rudimentary communication system. It was armed with a single ShKAS 7.62 millimeter machine gun in the cowling, mainly for use in training, but Yakovlev envisioned a multi-purpose aircraft that could also undertake courier and light transport duties at the front.

The first production aircraft known as Yak-7UTIs retained a retractable main landing gear, but beginning in the summer of 1941, a fixed landing gear variant, the Yak-7V (Vyvozoni for Familiarization) was substituted. The factory reasoned that production would be simplified and that reduced performance would not be detrimental for a trainer. Yak-7UTIs and Yak-7Vs were also equipped with skis for winter operations.

A factory team, on its own initiative, converted an early Yak-7UTI into a "heavy" fighter, with two ShKAS 7.62 millimeter machine guns in the cowling, a ShVAK 20 millimeter cannon firing through the prop spinner and underwing racks for six RS-82 rockets. An armored backrest was added to the pilot's seat as well as armored fuel tanks were fitted. The rear cockpit position was retained, allowing it to accommodate a second seat (without controls) for fast courier and transport duties or a fuel tank for extended range. The additional space could also house bombs or other gear. Although Yakolev did not like the "hybrid" at first, the Yak-7 fighter proved to be very similar to the Yak-1 in overall performance although not as maneuverable. With a "go-ahead" from the Soviet Air Force, the Yak-7 was introduced into the production line and the first batch of 60 reached operational squadrons by the end of 1941.

The Yak-7 proved to be an effective close support fighter although the first two-seaters were considered nose-heavy, consequently, the factory introduced a rear cockpit fuel tank. Pilots complained about the fuel tank's vulnerability since it was unarmoured, and it was usually removed in the field. There were constant changes to the design based on combat observations including a definitive single-seat variant, the Yak-7B which was produced in large numbers.

After the war, some Yak-7V trainers were provided to the Poles and a single Yak-7V was delivered to the Hungarians for familiarization with the Yak-9 fighter.

General characteristics

• Crew: one, pilot
• Length: 27 ft 11 in (8.50 m)
• Wingspan: 32 ft 10 in (10.00 m)
• Height: 9 ft 0 in (2.75 m)
• Wing area: 185 ft² (17.2 m²)
• Empty weight: 5,449 lb (2,477 kg)
• Loaded weight: 6,512 lb (2,960 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: lb (kg)
• Powerplant: 1× Klimov M-105P 1050 hp (783 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 350 mph (560 km/h)
• Range: 401 miles (643 km)
• Service ceiling 30,340 ft (9,250 m)
• Rate of climb: 2,411 ft/min (12 m/s)
• Wing loading: 35 lb/ft² (172.6 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.16 hp/lb (0.26 kW/kg)

Armament

• 1x 20 mm ShVAK cannon
• 2x 7.62 mm ShKAS machine guns

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The Yakovlev Yak-9 was a single-engine fighter aircraft used by the Soviet Union in World War II and after. It was the most numerous Soviet fighter of the war and remained in production from 1942 to 1948, with 16,769 built.

The Yak-9 represented further development of the successful Yakovlev Yak-7 fighter, a production version of the lightened Yak-7DI, taking full advantage of the combat experience with its predecessor. Greater availability of duraluminum allowed for lighter construction which in turn permitted a number of modifications to the basic design.

Yak-9 variants carried two different wings, five different engines, six different fuel tank combinations and seven types of armament configurations.

General characteristics

• Crew: one
• Length: 28 ft 0 in (8.55 m)
• Wingspan: 31 ft 11 in (9.74 m)
• Height: 9 ft 10 in (3.00 m)
• Wing area: 185.1 ft² (17.2 m²)
• Empty weight: 5,170 lb (2,350 kg)
• Loaded weight: 6,858 lb (3,117 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: lb (kg)
• Powerplant: 1× Klimov M-105 PF V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine, 1,180 hp (880 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 367 mph at altitude (591 km/h)
• Range: 845 miles (1,360 km)
• Service ceiling 30,000 ft (9,100 m)
• Rate of climb: 2,690 ft/min (13.7 m/s)
• Wing loading: 37 lb/ft² (181 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.17 hp/lb (0.28 kW/kg)

Armament

• 1x 20 mm ShVAK cannon, 120 rounds of ammunition
• 1x 12.7 mm UBS machine gun, 200 rounds of ammunition