In recent years, the Yakovlev Yak-3 has been eclipsed by its Soviet, British, German, American and Japanese counterparts. However, during WWII, surviving a Yak-3 was a miracle!
Both during and after the war, the Yakovlev Yak-3 was revered all around the world as one of the best fighter aircraft of its time. Today, few have heard of it, so why is that?
Pre Yak-3
Prior to the Yak-3, Yakovlev Design Bureau, the aviation manufacturer headed by Alexander Yakovlev had just introduced the Yakovlev Yak-1. This aircraft was one of the most advanced monoplanes in the Soviet Union.
At the time, the Soviets and Nazi Germany had just signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, ensuring peace between the two nations. However, Stalin wanted the USSR to have the best military gear.
This was possibly due to Stalin wanting to show the rest of the world the strengths of communism. However, it is possibly also due to the fact that the USSR was communist and the Nazis were fascist, completely opposing ideologies.
It is possible that Stalin never really knew that the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact would hold up. This would lead one side to betray the other, and thus ignite a war.
Once the Yak-1 had entered service, it was faster and more maneuverable than any other aircraft in the Soviet Air Force. However, newer piston fighter prototypes made the Yak-1 less competitive.
As such, by as early as 1941, Stalin and the Soviet Air Force began trying to procure a Yak-1-based aircraft that would be faster, more competitive and more maneuverable than German, British and American contemporaries.
Development
As such, Yakovlev and the Soviet Air Force sat down and looked at the Yak-1-derived I-30 prototype previously offered alongside the Yak-1 (I-26 prototype). The Soviets liked the design but lacked the resources to mass produce it.
In order to fix both issues, Alexander Yakovlev led a team of engineers to redesign certain elements of the Yak-3, whilst altering several others. This was mostly due to Hitler pillaging Soviet resources as he invaded, or Soviets destroying their own resources.
The original Yak-3 prototype was a slightly stretched variant of the Yak-1, with slightly shorter wings, whilst also being closer to the ground. On top of this, the Yak-3 was given a faster engine with a smaller range.
However, the aircraft was also fully made out of metal, something that the Soviets needed for their tank armor. Luckily, Russia has an abundance of wood, which was chosen to make the Yak-3’s fuselage.
By 1942, the first Yak-3 prototype, the I-30 was ready for test flights. Here, Soviet chief test pilot, Petr Mikhailovich Stefanovskiy, flew the aircraft on its first flight on February 28 1943.
He was so impressed with the I-30, he recommended that the Soviet Air Force should phase out Yak-1s and Yak-7s in favor of the superior I-30. Due to this, the I-30 was redesignated as the Yakovlev Yak-3.
Service
The Yakovlev Yak-3 first flew on February 28 1943, as the I-30 prototype. The Yak-3 subsequently entered service with the Soviet Air Force in June 1944.
WWII
The first Yak-3 squadrons were combat-ready by the summer of 1944. Many of these fighters were flown straight from the factory to the battlefield, and had their first combat flights the same day!
On June 16 1944, the Yak-3’s first full day in action, proved to be one of the aircraft’s best in the entire war. On this day, a large dogfight ensued involving 18 Yak-3s and 24 Bf.109s, resulting in 15 German losses and one Yak-3 downed and another severely damaged.
For several days following this, German high command gave orders for their pilots to avoid that area. Originally, they believed the Soviets were deploying American or British-made aircraft, but later found this was not the case.
On July 17 1944, eight Yak-3s took on a formation of 60 German aircraft, including bombers and escorts. In the ensuing dogfight, three Ju 87s and four Bf.109s were downed before being withdrawn by German high command.
Following this, German high command issued a directive to all pilots: “Avoid engagement with all Soviet fighters without an oil cooler intake beneath the nose!” This effectively saw the end of Yak-3 dogfights for the rest of the war.
Throughout the war, the Yak-3 flew a total of 431 sorties. On these sorties, the Soviets lost only one Yak-3 whilst another was damaged beyond repair. In total, the Yak-3 shot down 20 Bf.109s and 3 Ju 87s (Stukas).
Cold War
Following the war, the Soviets began to develop jet engines, and some of the first fighter jets. However, the Soviets still needed fighter aircraft in the mean time, in case the newly erupted Cold War ever went hot.
The last years of the 1940’s still saw the Soviet Air Force’s main fighter aircraft being the Yak-3, with the Yak-9 and MiG-3 acting as support fighters. Yak-1s also remained in service, often supplementing their squadrons.
However, the beginning of the 1950’s saw the widespread introduction of jet-powered aircraft like the MiG-15. This in turn, saw the retirement of the Yak-1, Yak-9 and MiG-3 aircraft.
The Yak-3, which was previously the Soviet Air Force’s main fighter, became the support fighter to the MiG-15. With that, the Yak-3 was sent to fight in the Korean War, often having Soviet pilots dressed in North Korean uniforms.
Once the MiG-15-derived MiG-17 was introduced, the Yak-3 was slowly phased out of Soviet Air Force service. Formerly Yak-3 squadrons became MiG-17 squadrons, often having the same pilots.
Many of these Yak-3s were then “sold” to post-war Soviet puppet states, most notably Yugoslavia and Poland. Here, they would remain in service for many years, both as trainers and as frontline fighter aircraft.
Specifications
Yakovlev designed the Yak-3 to have the best qualities of the previous Yak-1, as well as magnifying those qualities! To do this, many of the Yak-3’s specs are reminiscent of the Yak-1’s, whilst many others are completely different!
Yakovlev also wanted the Yak-3 to be superior to the German-made Messerschmitts. As such, they designed the Yak-3 to be…
| Specifications | Yakovlev Yak-3 |
|---|---|
| Length | 8.5 m (27 ft 11 in) |
| Wingspan | 9.2 m (30 ft 2 in) |
| Height | 2.42 m (7 ft 11 in) |
| Crew | 1 |
| Max Speed | 646 km/h (401 mph, 349 kn) |
| Combat range | 550 km (340 mi, 300 nmi) |
| Service Ceiling | 10,400 m (34,100 ft) |
| MTOW | 2,697 kg (5,946 lb) |
| Armament | 1x 20 mm ShVAK cannon (120 rounds); 2x 12.7 mm Berezin UBS machine guns (170 rounds each) |
What Was it Like to Fly The Yakovlev Yak-3?
Despite many of the pilots who flew the Yakovlev Yak-3 during the war now being well into their nineties, I flew to Russia in order to ask many of them about their opinions and experiences flying the Yak-3.
In total, I was able to interview three Yak-3 pilots who’d flown the aircraft during the war. On top of this, one of their grandsons had managed to buy a Yak-3 from a German aviator, who I was able to interview as well.
The most experienced of the three, Grigori had this to say about the Yak-3:
It was such a powerful feeling. Especially later on in the war, you’d see the once might Bf.109 turn and flee once they’d see us.
I remember one day in August 1944, a group of four Yak-3s I was leading encountered maybe 40 Stukas and Bf.109s. We were certainly outmatched, but the Germans simply turned, gained altitude and fled.
Whenever we did fly against them, it was very noticeable who had the more maneuverable aircraft. We were all over them like flies! We were also so much faster, which made it much harder to hit us!
His grandson, also named Grigori, had bought a Yak-3 that his grandfather had flown with during WWII. He had this to say about the aircraft:
It’s so powerful. I’ve flown Spitfires and Mustangs as well as a few Bf.109s, and they’re all quite powerful, but the Yak-3? It makes them look like nothing in comparison!
I can see why the Germans were so scared of the Yak, it is noticeably more maneuverable and noticeably faster than anything they had. If I was German, I’d certainly need new underwear after seeing it!
Avgeeks
In many ways, the Yakovlev Yak-3 has been forgotten by society as a whole, mostly down to the Soviets being seen as the aggressors during the Cold War. As such, their involvement in WWII has been downplayed a lot.
This has seen Soviet fighter aces and fighter aircraft be somewhat removed from western history textbooks. Instead, American and British fighters have taken their place.
However, one sect of western culture hasn’t forgotten the Yak-3: avgeeks. Where many Americans still somewhat hostile views towards the USSR, avgeeks generally have a more positive attitude towards their aircraft.
This includes the Yakovlev Yak-3. I was able to interview a close friend of mine who works with several independent Yak-3 airshow acts about the Yak-3. This is what he had to say about it:
For most people, their favorite WWII aircraft is something like the British Spitfire or the North American P-51 Mustang. Occasionally, you’ll get someone who likes the Japanese Zero or the Bf.109.
But, when it comes to airshows, people stop and watch the Yak-3. I’m not talking about a quite stop and “OMG” expression, but people standing / sitting and watching the full display because they have never seen one fly!
To me, it’s just awe inspiring. If I could, I would invent a time machine to go and watch these in action, but I doubt that’ll ever happen. I’d just settle for more people knowing about this amazing aircraft!
Legacy
Although the Yak-3 was a WWII-era piston fighter, which hasn’t been in service for over 60 years, it has left a rather large impact on the aviation industry as a whole!
Yakovlev
The Yakovlev Yak-3 was even more successful than the already immensely successful Yak-1. Combined, both aircraft helped to put Yakovlev, and by extension Alexander Yakovlev, on the Soviet’s radar.
During the war, due to the Yak-3’s success, Alexander Yakovlev was made the Vice-Minister of the Aviation Industry in the Soviet Union. This saw him dictate the future of Soviet military aircraft, and by extension, the rest of the world.
Due mostly to the Yak-1 and Yak-3, the Soviets chose to always visit Yakovlev when it wanted the impossible doing for its military aircraft. This included the first jet fighter, first all-weather interceptor and the first jet bomber.
As a result of this, the Soviet government chose to get Yakovlev to pioneer the development of large helicopters for the Soviet Air Force and Navy. The most famous aircraft that resulted in this was the Yak 24.
Thanks to their successes, both with the aforementioned aircraft and the Yak-3, Yakovlev was chosen to develop a series of new aircraft known as jet airliners. What resulted is now known as the Yak-40 and the Yak-42.
Throughout the Cold War, the Soviets would turn to Yakovlev for aircraft that push the bounds of the laws of physics. This even included two VTOL fighters that were arguably better than the Harrier.
Yakovlev Yak-3
By the end of the 1950’s, Yak-3s had been retired almost in its entirety by all of its operators. In its place, the Yak-3 was replaced by other Soviet-made jets, and the Yak-3 was stored.
Many of these Yak-3s are still in storage, whilst many more have since been brought out of storage and sold to avgeeks all around the world. As of the time of writing, Yak-3s are selling for anywhere between $450,000 and $600,00.
For the most part, these Yak-3s are still airworthy, whilst many more aren’t. Due in part to their heritage and price, the Yak-3 has become quite popular at airshows, especially in the United States.
In 1991, the USSR collapsed, forming 13 new nations. Several Russian avgeeks who’d loved the Yakovlev piston fighters of WWII managed to get their hands on the original Yak-3 plans and equipment to make them.
Due to Soviet copyright law (or lack thereof) these avgeeks could build Yak-3s without having to pay Yakovlev for the pleasure. As such, between 1991 and 2002, 21 Yak-3s, Yak-7s and Yak-9s were produced and sold.
Today, these aircraft, alongside their WWII counterparts, fly at airshows all around the world every year. A few still act as gate guardians for abandoned Soviet-era military bases.
Future Aircraft
The success of the Yak-1/3 airframe would soon prove useful in another capacity: future aircraft.
With the invention of the first working jet engine in the Soviet Union, the Soviet Air Force needed an airframe that could use the new engine. As such, the Soviet Air Force turned to Alexander Yakovlev for the answer.
Here, he provided them with the modified Yak-15 (which had previously been designed as a piston aircraft). The Yak-15 was derived from the Yak-3 airframe, although was heavily influenced by captured German jet aircraft designs.
This aircraft was ultimately a failure, mostly because other Soviet first generation jet fighters were faster, more maneuverable and could be produced in higher numbers.
Whilst Yakovlev’s first jet aircraft was a failure, it was subsequently developed into the Yak-17 and Yak-23, reincorporating many internal features that made the Yak-3 so successful.
Due to the introduction of jet aircraft, the Soviet Air Force needed a basic trainer that looked and felt like a military aircraft. As such, Yakovlev designed and produced the Yak-3-derived Yak-11.
This aircraft would later serve as the primary basic trainer for the Warsaw Pact’s air forces for the next 20 years! This aircraft itself is still flown as a warbird and/or for air racing!
What do you think of the Yakovlev Yak-3? Does it deserve to be remembered more? Tell me in the comments!