Armament yak 3. Olympiad on the history of aviation and aeronautics

Auto 22.09.2019

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OKB Yakovlev

Yak-3 from the regiment "Normandie-Niemen"

The year 1943 became for A.S. Yakovlev the year of the most fruitful work. It was at this time that many modifications of the Yak-9 were designed there, as well as one of the best Soviet fighters of the war period, the Yak-Z.

If the development of the Yak-9 in the first half of 1943 went mainly in the direction of strengthening its armament and increasing its range, then the design of the new Yak-Z was focused primarily on a sharp increase in flight performance in order to provide it with a decisive superiority in air battles with fighters enemy. Since at the beginning of 1943 there were no new powerful engines suitable for a fighter and mass-produced, the main attention of the designers was focused on improving the aerodynamic and weight perfection of the designed aircraft. The Yak-1 fighter was taken as the basis. A noticeable reduction in aerodynamic drag has been achieved by reducing the size of the wing and improving individual elements layout. No less attention was paid to the weight analysis of the structure. As a result, the weight of the Yak-Z compared to the Yak-1 decreased by almost 200 kg. Engine builders also helped. They carried out the second forcing of the M-105PF engine, increasing the power by 80 hp. The new motor M-105PF-2 (since 1944 VK-10 5PF-2) went into series.

The complex of the carried-out actions has given excellent results. In 1943, during tests, the Yak-Z (under the Yak-1M brand) demonstrated excellent horizontal and especially vertical maneuverability, high speed. It was stable and easily controlled aircraft. Since 1944, the Yak-Z began to be mass-produced.

The actions of the aviation units that were armed with this aircraft were very effective. French pilots of the Normandie-Niemen regiment fought on the Yak-Z, highly appreciating this fighter.

Of course, in terms of tactical use, the Yak-Z did not replace other fighters with greater range and powerful weapons, but perfectly complemented them, embodying the idea of a light, high-speed and maneuverable combat vehicle. The Yak-Z, ideally suited to the conditions of the war on the Soviet-German front, left a bright mark on the history of the world aircraft industry during the Second World War as one of the best examples of a fighter for gaining air superiority.

In 1991, an agreement was concluded between the Yakovlev Design Bureau and the Museum of Flying in Santa Monica, providing for the supply of several aircraft, newly built at a plant in Orenburg using drawings, rigging and templates from the Second World War, but with an American 1240 - strong engine "Allison" .

* Power-to-weight ratio - the ratio of power to weight.

		Yak-9	Yak-9U		La-5	La-5FN	La-7
WWII fighters
Year of issue		1942	1944	1944	1942	1943	1944
Geometry
Aircraft length, m		8,48	8,5	8,5	8,67	8,67	8,67
Wingspan, m		9,74	9,74	9,2	9,8	9,8	9,8
Wing area, m²		17,15	17,15	14,85	17,5	17,5	17,56
Masses, kg
Takeoff weight		2870	3204	2697	3360	3290	3310
Power point
Motor		M-105PF	VK-107A	VK-105PF2	M-82	M-82FN	ASh-82FN
Power, hp		1210	1650	1290	1700	1850	1850
flight data
Max Speed, km/h	near the ground	520	575	567	509/535 *	551/583 *	579/613 *
	on high	599	672	646	580	634	661
	m	4300	5000	4100	6250	6250	6000
Climb time 5 km, min		5,1	4,4-5,0	4,5	6,0/5,7 *	5,3/4,7 *	5,25/4,6 *
Turn time, sec		17-18	19	17	22	19-20	19
Practical ceiling, m		11100	10650	10400	9500	10000	10450
Flight range ** , km		660	675	550	660	590	570
Armament
Number	guns	1	1	1	2	2	3
Number	machine guns	1	2	2	-	-	-

* Using a 10-minute afterburner.
** At 90% of maximum speed.

A photo	Description
	Scheme Yak-3
	Yak-3 in flight. In the cockpit, test pilot V.I. Rastorguev. IN AND. Rastorguev also tested the Yak-3R with a liquid propellant rocket engine (RD-1), developed by the future academician, designer of rocket engines, V.P. Glushko in 1944. The aircraft reached a speed of 820 km/h at an altitude of 7800 m, but on the third test flight, on August 16, 1945, the rocket engine exploded, killing the pilot and destroying the only Yak-3R.
	Yak-3 in standard configuration.
	Three views of the same Yak 3 after the installation of flame arresters. This measure simultaneously slightly increased the maximum speed.

Sources

"The history of aircraft designs in the USSR, 1938-1950." /V.B. Shavrov/
"Planes of Stalin's falcons" /K.Yu. Kosminkov, D.V. Grinyuk/
"Stories of an aircraft designer" / A.S. Yakovlev/

The Messerschmitt Bf.109K-4 will not be able to get away from the Yak-3 in the ground zone when climbing only if the same climb program is observed and special forcing of the "Messerschmitt" DB.605 ASCM / DCM engine with an injection of water-methanol mixture is not applied. For special forcing gives a tangible advantage to the German aircraft in vertical maneuver.
If the Yak-3 had a rate of climb near the ground of 21.5 meters per second (a climb of 5000 meters in 4.5 minutes), then for the Messerschmitt Bf.109K-4, the usual forced boost gave a rate of climb near the ground of 14.1 meters per second (set height of 5000 meters in 5 minutes), and with the MW50 special forcing system turned on, the rate of climb near the ground reached 24.5 meters per second (climb of 5000 meters - about 3 minutes).
The MW50 special forcing system increased the rate of fuel consumption by one and a half times, and the rate of consumption of motor resources doubled or tripled. But special forcing was also used only in special cases and on a relatively a short time. Continuous operation of the propeller unit with the MW50 system turned on was allowed for 10 minutes, no more ... since the engine overheated, after which it required a long cooling (5-10 minutes) before restarting.
In horizontal maneuvering, the use of "hanging" flaps on the Messerschmitt Bf.109K-4 made it possible to reduce the minimum time for a full turn from 22 seconds to 20 seconds. But this was only possible for the most experienced pilots.
The minimum time to complete one full turn by the Yak-3 fighter was 21 seconds (although one can find statements that 18 seconds, but this is too obvious crap), and the Yaks did not have flaps (as well as slats).
--
Andrey Ulbin

Fighter Yak-3.
Year of issue - 1944.
VK-105PF-2 engine, 1240 hp (special forcing is not provided).
Speed: 567 km/h at ground level, 646 km/h at 4100 meters, 624 km/h at 6000 meters, 600 km/h at 7500 meters.
Range 648 km.
Climb at the ground 21.5 meters per second. Climbing 5000 meters - in 4.5 minutes.
The minimum time to complete one full turn is 21 seconds.
Armament: one 20 mm cannon (ammunition 100 rounds) and one 12.7 mm machine gun (ammunition 200 rounds).

Fighter Messerschmitt Bf.109K-4.
Year of issue - 1944.
Engine DB.605 ASCM/DCM, 1800 HP without special boost (2030 hp with special boost in flight).
Speed without special boost: 515 km per hour near the ground, 631 km per hour at an altitude of 4100 meters, 670 km per hour at an altitude of 6000 meters, 710 km per hour at an altitude of 7500 meters.
(Speed with special boost: 580 km/h near the ground, 658 km/h at 4,100 meters, 710 km/h at 6,000 meters, 720 km/h at 7,500 meters.)
Range without special forcing (with 20 percent navigational fuel supply) 645 km.
The rate of climb near the ground without special forcing is 24.1 meters per second. Climb: 5000 meters - in 5.0 minutes without special forcing (in 4.2 minutes with special forcing).
The minimum time to complete one full turn is 22 sec.
Armament: one 30 mm cannon (65 rounds of ammunition) and two 13.2 mm machine guns (300 rounds of ammunition for each machine gun).
--
Andrey Ulbin

Test pilot Hans-Werner Lerche:
“... Goering benevolently looked at me with his blue eyes. It all seemed a bit theatrical to me. I noted his consumptive ruddy cheeks and soft Russian leather boots of some indefinite color. My answer to his questions regarding the Yak-3 was that test flights had not yet begun, but due to the aircraft's extremely light weight, together with its excellent aerodynamic qualities and powerful engine, excellent rate of climb and horizontal maneuverability at low altitudes can be expected in comparison with our Me-109 and FV-190 fighters. I also couldn't help but note the mediocre behavior of the aircraft at high altitudes due to the peculiarities of its engine. These were simple physical laws understandable to anyone who was involved in these matters. Yak, thanks to its excellent aerodynamics, made a good impression, and this could not be ignored. This aircraft, due to low engine power at medium altitudes, could not have good performance, which corresponded to its concept. It was obvious to me that they weren't particularly interested in technical details."

Commander of the 303rd Iad, Major General G.N. Zakharov:
“The attitude to the aircraft,” Georgy Nefedovich said, “is always very subjective. Therefore, it will not be surprising if many of my friends, former fighter pilots, find my assessment of the Yak-3 too high. The pilots of the 139th Guards Regiment, who flew the Yak-9U at that time, recognized the merits of the Yak-3, but did not at all consider them absolute. In any case, many found that the powerful engine of the Yak-9U and its cannon were worth the lightness and maneuverability of the Yak-3. Well, the patriots of the Lavochkin, especially its latest modifications - La-7 and La-9, will never and nowhere agree that the Lavochkin was inferior to the Yak in some way. It's all about the personal attachments of the pilot, sometimes even in the character of the pilot himself. Therefore, speaking about the Yak-3, first of all, of course, I am talking about my attitude towards this machine ...
Thirty years after my first flights on the Yak-3, I found in the archives a review written by me at the front in the fall of 1944. Such conclusions arose then: “Before the units of the 303rd division received the Yak-3 type aircraft, I flew all fighters, starting from the I-2bis, including foreign ones, as well as the Yak-1, Yak-76, Yak-9 (all variants ). The last time I flew on the La-5FN, considering it the best.
With the arrival of the Yak-3 flew on it and performed up to forty flights. I made the following conclusion: there are no competitors to such a fighter. In operation, the Yak-3 is simple and accessible to the technical staff, it is stable during takeoff and landing, it is accessible to any pilot in piloting, which is completely impossible for the La-5FN aircraft.

K.Yu. Kosminkov:
“A radical revision of the Yak design was undertaken in 1943 in order to dramatically improve flight performance with a very modest power plant. The decisive direction in this work was the lightening of the aircraft (including by reducing the wing area) and a significant improvement in its aerodynamics. Perhaps this was the only opportunity to qualitatively promote the aircraft, since the Soviet industry had not yet mass-produced new, more powerful engines suitable for installation on the Yak-1.
Such an exceptionally difficult path for the development of aviation technology was extraordinary. The usual way to improve the aircraft flight data complex was then to improve aerodynamics without noticeable changes in the dimensions of the airframe, as well as to install more powerful engines. This was almost always accompanied by a marked increase in weight.
The designers of the Yak-3 coped brilliantly with this difficult task. It is unlikely that in the history of aviation during the Second World War one can find another example of a similar and so effectively done work.
The Yak-3 compared to the Yak-1 was much lighter, had a smaller relative profile thickness and wing area, and had excellent aerodynamic properties. The power-to-weight ratio of the aircraft has increased significantly, which has dramatically improved its rate of climb, acceleration characteristics and vertical maneuverability. At the same time, such an important parameter for horizontal maneuverability, takeoff and landing as the specific load on the wing has changed little. During the war, the Yak-3 turned out to be one of the easiest fighters to fly.
Of course, in tactical terms, the Yak-3 by no means replaced aircraft that were distinguished by stronger weapons and longer combat flight duration, but perfectly complemented them, embodying the idea of a light, high-speed and maneuverable air combat vehicle, designed primarily to fight fighters. adversary."

The Yak-3 fighter entered the history of Soviet aviation as the fastest serial piston aircraft. Created in emergency conditions, the machine was not only suitable for mass production, but also received universal recognition as one of the best fighters of the Great Patriotic War.

The popularity of the Yak-3 turned out to be so huge that in the early 90s, the Yakovlev Design Bureau released a batch of replicas of the famous fighter. The replica, designated Yak-3M, has an all-metal construction and an Allison 2L power unit. The cars were intended for collectors.

History of creation

In 1942-43, in order to improve the flight characteristics of the serial Yak-1 fighter, two aircraft with the VK-105PF engine were created. The first copy received an engine with a capacity of 1180 hp, and the second - a unit forced by boost pressure, which developed 1240 hp.

The design of experimental aircraft was maximally lightened, the area of the tail and wing was reduced by 15-20%. On machines that received the designation Yak-1M, plywood fuselage skin was used.

The outer contours of the aircraft were redesigned, which improved the aerodynamics of the machine.

The cooling system radiator is installed deep in the fuselage.

Oil coolers are located in the wing and have separate air supply channels made in the wing toe.

The reduction of planes and the transfer of the oil cooler led to a decrease in the supply of fuel and oil. The armament of the experimental vehicles consisted of a UBS machine gun on the first copy and a new Sh-20M gun and a pair of UBS on the second.

Machine tests were carried out from February to October 1943. According to the results of state tests, the machine was recommended for mass production under the symbol Yak-3.

Design

The Yak-3 fighter is a monoplane with a piston power plant located in the bow. The machine used two-spar cantilever wing. Spars are made by riveting from duralumin elements. Combined design ribs - wood and aluminum.

The remaining structural elements of the wing are made of wood. From above, the wing is covered with a special fabric with lacquer impregnation. On the wing there are shields with an increased area used to facilitate landing, as well as ailerons.

The wing is attached to the Yak-3 fuselage at six points.

The landing gear has two supports and a tail spike. All landing gear points retract in flight. The racks have brakes. The crutch is equipped with a lock connected to the elevator.

The single-fin tail has a reduced area compared to previous models of Yakovlev Design Bureau fighters. The elevators are equipped with aerodynamic and weight compensators. The weight compensator is a cast iron casting located inside the steering wheel.

The power plant consists of a VK-105PF2 12-cylinder V-shaped engine equipped with a mechanical compressor. The compressor provided pressure up to 1100 mm Hg. Art. The motor rotated a three-blade propeller equipped with a pitch adjustment mechanism. Screw diameter 3000 mm. The motor is mounted on a space frame.

The engine is equipped with a synchronous control system for propeller pitch and engine speed, which made it possible to ensure optimal operation. The engine thermostat is equipped with an actuator that automatically controls the water radiator shutters.

Thus, automatic maintenance is provided temperature regime engine operation. To increase work efficiency power plant jet exhaust pipes are used. Each cylinder has its own exhaust pipe.

The use of the reactive power of the exhaust gases made it possible to obtain an increase in the maximum flight speed. The fuel supply is located in three wing tanks containing 350 liters of aviation gasoline grades 4B-78, 1B-95 or B-100.

Gasoline had an octane number in the range of 95-100 units.

One of the tanks is consumable; fuel is taken from it for engine operation. The tanks are protected against fire, including a layer of sponge (only on the bottom of the hulls) and ordinary rubber.

The supply tank is equipped with a reinforced protector. The cockpit is protected by 8.5 mm armor plate mounted behind the seat back. The leaf reaches the line of the pilot's shoulders. Above installed transparent armored glass, fixed in a metal frame.

The lantern is made of ordinary plexiglass, without armor glasses. The movable element of the lantern is equipped with an emergency release mechanism.

Armament

The armament of the standard Yak-3 fighter is located near the power plant. The main weapon is a 20 mm MP-20 gun (variant ShVAK) installed between the cylinder blocks.

The gun barrel is brought out through the hollow shaft of the propeller gearbox. Ammunition consists of 120 shells. The reloading system of the gun is powered by a pneumatic system. Fire control is electrified. Additionally, two 12.7 mm BS machine guns were installed. Machine guns are located outside the engine and fire through the propeller.

Machine gun ammunition consists of 150 rounds per barrel, located in separate boxes. On some modifications of the aircraft, three 20-mm B-20 guns were installed. One gun fired through the propeller shaft, the rest were synchronized.

A small-scale version of the aircraft was produced with a 45-mm NS-45 cannon and two BS.

There was experimental version, armed with a 37 mm H-37 motor gun and two synchronous B-20s.

Tactical and technical characteristics

A comparison of some of the technical parameters of the Soviet Yak-3 aircraft and German rivals shows the speed advantage that the FW-190A-8 had. The maximum speed of the German aircraft was achieved in the afterburner.

The greater weight of the FW-190 did not allow active maneuvering combat on an equal footing with the Yak-3. The more nimble Messerschmitt was inferior to the Yakovlev car in speed and acceleration dynamics at low and medium altitudes.

Parameter	Yak-3	Bf-109G-6	FW-190А-8
Length, mm	8490	9020	900
Wingspan, mm	9200	9920	10510
Empty weight, kg	2105	2675	3200
Takeoff weight, kg	2650	3200	4417
Maximum speed, km/h	645	631	685
Flight range, km	648	560	800
Ceiling, m	10700	11550	11410

Combat use

Yak-3 fighters began to enter combat units in the summer of 1944. The first combat operation involving new vehicles was the Lvov-Sandomierz operation. Mass deliveries of the Yak-3 began by the end of the summer. In 1944, 90 vehicles were lost, in 1945 - approximately 25 (no official data was found).

The experience of using the Yak-3 aircraft showed the superiority of the new fighter over German aircraft in vertical maneuvers at an altitude of up to 5000 m. The problem of the Yakovlev fighter was the low flight range.

It was impossible to increase the radius by installing external tanks, since the lightweight wing structure was not intended for the installation of suspensions. Simplified instrumentation made night flights impossible.

Despite the shortcomings, Yak-3 machines were used until the end of the war.

As of September 1946, more than 2,000 Yak-3 units were in service, which were gradually decommissioned and replaced by jet aircraft. The last combat fighters were decommissioned only in 1953.

Modifications

On the basis of the Yak-3 fighter, several serial and experimental vehicles were produced. The aircraft differed in engine models and armament.
The following modifications are worth mentioning:

the Yak-3P version mentioned above, armed with three B-20 cannons;
experimental vehicles with forced motors VK-107A/108;
the version with the NS-45 cannon was designated Yak-3K;
the version with the N-37 cannon and a pair of B-20s was called the Yak-3T;
a small batch was built Yak-3PD, equipped with a VK-105PD / PV engine with increased altitude;
for training pilots, the Yak-3U training aircraft equipped with the ASh-82FN radial engine was produced;
the modernized training vehicle with the ASh-21 engine was produced until 1954 under the designation Yak-11.

On the basis of the Yak-3, few modifications were created. This was due to the late appearance of the aircraft, as well as the emerging trends in the transition to jet aviation.

Footprint in aviation history

The Yak-3 aircraft became the crowning achievement of the development of Soviet piston fighters. Attempts to install new VK-107 and 108 engines, which had increased power and altitude, did not lead to the desired result.

Despite the fact that the car with the VK-108 engine was able to accelerate in level flight to a speed of 745 km / h, it became obvious that a further increase in flight performance was possible only with the help of jet power plants.

Video

As we found out in the previous topic in the Soviet army, there were still aircraft superior to German aircraft. In this post, we will look at another of these aircraft.

Yak-3 is the lightest fighter aircraft of World War II. It was developed in 1943 on the basis of the Yak-1M aircraft of the same year, which was a modernization of the Yak-1 aircraft produced in 1940. It was put into service in 1944 and, in terms of its characteristics, surpassed any other enemy fighter with which it fought until the end of the war. During the refinement of the Yak-3, the wing area was reduced, which increased the speed of the aircraft. The radiator was moved from the under-fuselage to the wing, the engine was boosted for the second time, and most importantly, the weight of the aircraft was reduced by removing excess equipment and finalizing the aircraft design. Changes made and right choice the concept of the aircraft in 1940 made it possible in 1943 to create an aircraft that surpassed all fighters in service with the Germans and gain air superiority, which indicates the high level of engineers of the Soviet Union. For comparison, the German engineers who created the new Fw-190 fighter failed to create a fighter and retrained their aircraft into an attack aircraft and a high-altitude interceptor due to an incorrectly chosen aircraft design.

Before the units of the 303rd division received the Yak-3 aircraft, I flew all fighters from the I-2bis, including foreign ones, as well as the Yak-1, Yak-7B, Yak-9 fighters (all variants). Recently, I have flown on a La-5FJ aircraft, considering it the best. With the arrival of the Yak-3, he performed a number of flights on it and made the following conclusion: there are no competitors to such a fighter. In operation, the Yak-3 is simple and accessible to the technical staff, stable during takeoff and landing, in pilotage it is available to any pilot, which is completely impossible for the La-5FN aircraft. The pilots of the 18th Guards Regiment and a separate fighter regiment "Normandy" mastered the Yak-3 after 3-5 hours of flight. On the Yak-3 aircraft, I conducted a number of training air battles with the Yak-9 and La-5 and always emerged victorious. I had to meet on the battlefield with the Me-109 and the Yak-3 showed absolute superiority.

Due to the high flight data, the aircraft could fight against superior enemy forces.
The pilots especially remembered the battle on July 16, 1944, which showed that Yak-3 aircraft could successfully fight a numerically superior enemy. up to 24 enemy aircraft As a result, 15 enemy fighters and only one Yak-3 were shot down.

Let's find out in what parameters the aircraft surpassed the best German aircraft for 1944 Bf-109G-6.
Comparison of Yak-3 and Bf-109G-6.
Takeoff weight Yak-3; Bf-109G-6.
2650 kg; 3280 kg (without hangers).
Soviet designers were able to create an aircraft easier than German ones, which speaks of the high engineering training of Soviet specialists.

Engine (hp).
1260; 1450 (1800 using mw-50 water-methanol mixture (no more than 10 minutes with increased fuel consumption)).
The engine on the German plane was more powerful.

The specific power of the aircraft (hp / kg).
0,47; 0,44 (0,58).
The German aircraft, with a higher engine power, had a lower thrust-to-weight ratio in standard mode engine operation and surpassed the Soviet fighter in specific power only when using a water-methanol mixture. You should also take into account the frequent installation of various suspensions on German aircraft, which reduced the thrust-to-weight ratio of the aircraft due to its own weight and the deterioration of aerodynamics.

Maximum ground speed (altitude) (km/h).
567 (648); 545 (625).
A high maximum speed, along with good throttle response due to the smaller mass of the aircraft, made it possible for the Yak-3 to easily overtake enemy aircraft in all flight modes, and thus to impose the course of battle.

Rate of climb (m/min.).
1111; 690.
The high rate of climb allowed the Yak-3 to gain an advantage in vertical and protracted battles.

Practical range (km).
648; 560.
The Soviet aircraft had less weight and at the same time had a greater range.

Turn time (sec.).
17; 22.
The Yak-3 had much more maneuverability than the most maneuverable enemy fighter.

Armament.
The Yak-3 had 1 20mm cannon and 2 12.7mm machine guns.
The Bf-109G-6 had 1 20 or 30 mm cannon and 2 13 mm machine guns. It is possible to install underwing nacelles with guns with a corresponding deterioration in the aircraft's flight performance.
Soviet designers installed weapons similar to those installed on German aircraft on their light aircraft.

The Yak-3 surpassed its opponent in all respects, which indicates the high level of training of Soviet engineers. The French squadron chose the Yak-3 from all the aircraft available to them, as the most advanced fighters of the Soviet Union and supplied by Lendlis.

Saved

Created by the designers of the Yakovlev Design Bureau. This aircraft was a further development of the Yak-1 fighter, which was put into service shortly before the start of the war. Yak-3 is one of the most massive Soviet fighters. In terms of its flight performance, it is considered one of the best among a large group of combat vehicles produced by the Yakovlev Design Bureau during the Great Patriotic War.

The Yak-3 fighter made its first flight in February 1943, but the operation of this machine began only a year later. Serial production of the aircraft was launched in March 1944 and continued until 1946 - until the era of the advent of jet fighters.

The production of the Yak-3 was launched at the aircraft factory in Tbilisi and Saratov, more than 4.8 thousand aircraft were produced in total, of which 4111 units accounted for during the war years. Considering the rather short period of time in which this fighter was produced, the pace of its production is really impressive.

During the creation of the Yak-3 aircraft, the developers took into account the experience of the combat use of fighters on the Eastern Front. Due to the maximum simplification of the design of the machine, its speed and maneuverability were significantly increased. Yak-3 is one of the lightest fighters of World War II. This allowed Soviet pilots at the final stage of the war to compete on equal terms with German pilots who used Messerschmitt BF109 (modifications F and G) and Focke Wulf FW190.

Pilots loved this car. The Yak-3 had excellent flight performance, was easy to fly (however, like other Yakovlev aircraft), and had powerful weapons. Many famous people flew on the Yak-3 Soviet aces, this fighter was used by pilots from the Normandie-Neman regiment. For the period series production more than ten modifications of the Yak-3 fighter were produced.

History of creation

The middle of the war became Soviet designer Alexandra Yakovlev one of the most fruitful creative stages in life. By this time, vast experience in combat use had been accumulated. fighter aviation, strengths and weak sides both their own vehicles and enemy fighters. In addition, by 1943, Soviet industry was finally on its feet and was able to give the front required amount combat vehicles. The evacuated factories started operating at full capacity, the wind tunnels removed from TsAGI were put into operation, thanks to lend-lease deliveries, the issue of the shortage of aluminum and other necessary materials was resolved.

In 1943, Yakovlev and his team managed to create several successful modifications of the Yak-9 aircraft, as well as prepare one of the best fighters of the war period, the Yak-3, for serial production. And if the main goal when working on the Yak-9 was to create a fighter with a long flight range and powerful weapons, then the Yak-3 was developed exclusively for air combat. The fact is that the Yak-1 was inferior to its main opponent BF109 in terms of speed, especially when it came to maneuvers in the vertical plane.

Since the Soviet industry by this time had not been able to create more powerful aircraft engines, the designers decided to go by reducing the weight of the Yak-1 aircraft and improving its aerodynamic qualities. The design of the fighter was completely revised, the wing spars made of heavy wood were replaced with lighter duralumin ones. In addition, the designers went to reduce the size of the wing, its span became less by 1 meter, and the area - by 2.3 square meters. meters. Such simple solutions helped to reduce the weight of the fighter to 2665 kg (for the serial Yak-1 it was about 2900 kg) and significantly increase the power-to-weight ratio of the machine, which, of course, had the most positive effect on the speed and maneuverability of the aircraft.

Another direction of modernization of the fighter was the improvement of the aerodynamic characteristics of its fuselage and wing. The fabric covering of the tail of the aircraft was replaced with plywood, the oil cooler tunnel was sunk as much as possible into the body of the machine, and the tail wheel was made retractable. The M-105PF engine was installed on the fighter, the aircraft was named Yak-1M. Factory tests began in February 1943. They showed an increase in the speed of the car by 40 km / h and a reduction in the climb time (5 thousand meters) to 4.1 minutes.

In September, the second prototype aircraft (“understudy”) was produced, on which the oil and water cooling systems were finalized (the oil cooler tunnel was completely removed into the fuselage of the fighter), a mastless antenna was installed, instead of a not very successful ring sight, a collimator was installed. The armor of the car was also improved, the aircraft was equipped with a new propeller. A more powerful forced engine M-105PF-2 with a power of 110 hp was installed on the "understudy". With.

In October, state tests began, which showed that flight characteristics the second prototype aircraft became even better. At an altitude of 4300 meters, its speed reached 651 km / h (near the ground - 570 km / h), at an altitude of 6 thousand meters, the Yak-1M surpassed all fighters existing at that time. In the official act of state testing of the aircraft, its high flight performance was noted, and the test pilots were also satisfied with the new machine. Their reviews of the fighter stated that "the aircraft has excellent horizontal and especially vertical maneuverability, while being easy to fly and does not require too high pilot training."

Aviation Major General Stefanovsky, who took part in the tests, recommended that the fighter be introduced into mass production as soon as possible. Release new car, which received the designation Yak-3, began in 1944. It was supposed to replace the Yak-1 fighter, which no longer meets the requirements of the time.

The aircraft immediately began to enter combat units, the first production aircraft received the 91st Fighter Aviation Regiment, which in the middle of 1944 took part in the Lvov-Sandomierz offensive operation. The personnel of this military unit mainly consisted of young pilots with no combat experience. However, despite this, the development new technology was successful, and in a month and a half only two Yak-3s were lost in battle. At the same time, the pilots of the regiment destroyed more than twenty enemy aircraft.

The first Yak-3 aircraft (two hundred vehicles) were armed with a ShVAK cannon and a synchronous UB machine gun, later the fighter received a second synchronous machine gun. The main drawback of the machine, which the pilots constantly noted, was the insufficient supply of fuel, which did not give the pilot the opportunity to stay in the air for a long time and arrange free hunts for enemy aircraft. Also, there were frequent cases of detachment of the skin of the upper part of the wing during the exit of a fighter from a dive. The pilots knew about this shortcoming of the aircraft, so they tried not to use it in unacceptable modes.

On the whole, the light, fast and maneuverable Yak-3 quickly won the popularity and love of Soviet fighter pilots. It was the ideal machine for air combat. In a maneuverable dogfight with the Bf-109, the Yak-3 usually went into the tail of its enemy already from the first vertical turn or after four horizontal turns. The heavier FW-190 had even less chance in a duel with the Yak-3.

In November 1944, a battle took place in the skies over Yugoslavia between Soviet Yak-3s and American P-38 Lightning fighters, which mistook Soviet aircraft for the Germans. As a result of the battle, the Americans lost four aircraft, only after that they managed to establish cooperation with the allies. There is a mention of this incident in the reports of American pilots. True, they describe the outcome of the battle somewhat differently, according to the Americans, they managed to shoot down seven Soviet fighters.

At the front, the Yak-3 did not replace other Soviet fighters, which had a longer flight range and more powerful weapons, but perfectly complemented them. Knowing about the limited fuel supply of the Yak-3, this fighter was usually used on a call from ground observation posts.

The excellent flight performance of the Yak-3, the large number of victories scored by Soviet pilots on this machine, and the general emotional upsurge that is characteristic of the final period of the war, made this fighter one of the symbols of the Victory.

Design Description

The Yak-3 is a single-seat single-engine piston monoplane fighter. The design of this aircraft can be called mixed: some of its elements were made of wood and canvas, others were made of metal. The aircraft had a low-lying cantilever wing and a tricycle retractable undercarriage with a tail strut. In general, it should be noted that the design of the Yak-3 is characterized by maximum simplicity and rationality.

The power structure of the fuselage was made of chromansile pipes, to which a motor mount was welded in front. The skin of the front fuselage was formed by metal engine cowlings, the tail of the car was sheathed with plywood.

The cockpit was located in the central part of the fuselage, it was closed by a canopy consisting of three sections, the middle of which was sliding. Behind the pilot was protected by an armored back, which had a thickness of 8.5 mm, and armored glass was installed in the rear section of the lantern, left hand the pilot was covered with an armored armrest. The middle section of the cockpit canopy was equipped with an emergency release system, which the pilot could use in case of emergency leaving the aircraft.

The wing of the Yak-3 was made of wood, plywood, linen and duralumin. It had a two-spar design, a set of wooden ribs and working plywood sheathing. The spars were made of duralumin. Outside, the wing of the fighter was pasted over with canvas. The mechanization consisted of ailerons and landing flaps. After the war, the Yak-3 with duralumin wing skin was produced, but this aircraft was never put into production.

The Yak-3 had a cantilever tail, consisting of a solid wood keel and stabilizer. The elevators and rudders were made of fabric-covered metal.

The fighter had a retractable tricycle landing gear, consisting of two main struts and one tail. The main struts had air-oil damping, the cleaning and release of the chassis was carried out by a pneumatic system. The tail landing gear was retracted by a cable drive.

Also, with the help of a pneumatic system, the landing gear brakes and landing flaps were controlled. The pneumatic system, unlike the hydraulic one used on Lavochkin's fighters, was much less reliable and a lot of trouble, but it was much cheaper and, most importantly, lighter. The savings amounted to tens of kilograms.

The power system of the fighter consisted of a VK-105PF2 water-cooled V-engine, which had a rated power of 1240 hp. with., and a variable pitch propeller. Just like on other fighters built at the Yakovlev Design Bureau, the aircraft's gas tanks were placed in the wings, their total volume was 370 liters. Two tanks were in the wing consoles and one more in the center section. The tanks were protected by a protector and filled with neutral gas.

One of the main features of the Yak-3 fighter was that, in order to improve the aerodynamic characteristics of the aircraft, the radiator for cooling water was “drowned” inside the fuselage. The air supply channel to it was significantly expanded. A similar principle was used for the oil coolers, which were located in the center section. Air for their cooling was supplied through two air intakes in the wing toe.

The water radiator damper was controlled automatically: with the help of an automatic water temperature control. AT winter period gasoline was added to the oil, and antifreeze was added to the water.

The Yak-3 was equipped with a minimum set of onboard equipment, which allowed the pilot to conduct air combat during the day in simple meteorological conditions. The reason for this was the desire to lighten the car as much as possible. However, all Yak-3 fighters were equipped with radio stations for receiving "Malyutka" and transmitting "Eagle" (installed on every second aircraft).

The armament of the Yak-3 consisted of a ShVAK automatic cannon and one or two UB machine guns. The gun was installed in the collapse of the engine cylinders, firing was carried out through the gearbox shaft and the propeller bushing. The ammunition load of the gun was 120 rounds. A collimator-type sight was installed on the fighter.

The Yak-3 became one of the most famous aircraft of World War II. He was the lightest fighter of his time in the world. The pilots who flew it highly appreciated its flying qualities. In air battles, he showed significant superiority over all enemy fighters.

In the early autumn of 1942, a new modification of the Messerschmitt, the Bf 109G, appeared on the Soviet-German front, equipped with an increased power engine. This event immediately made our Yak-1, Yak-7 and LaGG-3 aircraft obsolete, which were designed to withstand earlier versions of the German fighter. The Bf 109G was far ahead of them in terms of speed, rate of climb and acceleration characteristics. As a result, despite the quantitative growth of Soviet aviation, the Germans, due to their technical superiority, were able to maintain their strategic air supremacy, which they had seized at the beginning of the war.

To rectify the situation, A.S. Yakovlev Design Bureau in November of the same year began a radical modernization of the Yak-1 fighter in order to bring its flight data to the performance of an enemy machine as much as possible, and, if possible, to surpass them. Aircraft designers went to this goal in three ways - increasing engine power, reducing the weight of the aircraft and improving its aerodynamics. In February 1943, the construction of the Yak-1M fighter was completed. It was a further development of the Yak-1 aircraft, from which it differed mainly in its lower weight and smaller wing area. The flight data of the machine has noticeably improved, the maximum speed at an altitude of 4430 m increased to 633 km / h, the climb time of 5000 m with a take-off weight of 2655 kg was reduced to 4.1 minutes. In September 1943, an improved version was prepared - the Yak-1M "Understudy". In this aircraft, the fabric covering of the rear fuselage was replaced with plywood 2 mm thick, the water and oil cooling systems were improved, a mastless antenna was used, the ring sight with a front sight was changed to a collimator, armor was improved and a new propeller was installed.

The test pilots were satisfied with the new fighter. Their reviews stated that “the Yak-1M has excellent horizontal and especially vertical maneuverability. The maximum speed has increased significantly compared to the production Yak aircraft. In the presence of high flight data, it remained easy to pilot and does not require higher training of the flight crew. ”So, the next fighter received a start in life, and at the same time a new name - the Yak-3. The first serial aircraft were sent to the 91st Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 2nd Air Army, which in June 1944 took part in the offensive Lvov operation. More than 40% of the flight personnel of the regiment were young pilots who had never taken part in battles. However, in a month and a half they successfully completed 430 sorties, conducted five air group battles, destroying 23 enemy aircraft. Their losses amounted to two Yak-3. The conclusion of the pilots was unequivocal: “At altitudes up to 5000 m (there were no battles above), the Yak-3 outperforms the Me-109 and FV-190, the Yak-3 easily catches up with enemy fighters in a vertical ascending and descending maneuver.” The pilots especially remembered the battle on July 16 1944, which showed that Yak-3 aircraft can successfully fight a numerically superior enemy. Ten Yak-3s began fighting against eight Me-109s and four FV-190s with an increase in forces from our side to 18 and up to 24 aircraft from the enemy As a result, 15 enemy fighters and only one Yak-3 were shot down.

The combat debut of the Yak-3 fighter took place in July 1944 during the Lvov-Sandomierz offensive operation. The 91st Fighter Aviation Regiment, which was the first to receive these aircraft, took part in it. Its personnel was almost half staffed by young inexperienced pilots, yesterday's graduates of flight schools. Nevertheless, having spent five group air battles in a month, the 91st regiment shot down 23 enemy aircraft, and lost only two. In the report on the combat use of the new machine, the pilots noted: At altitudes up to 5000 m (there were no battles above), the Yak-3 outperforms both the Me-109 (Bf 109 - ed.) and FV-190 (Fw 190 - ed. .). Yak-3 easily catches up with enemy fighters on ascending and descending maneuvers. They also pointed to the ease and simplicity of piloting, high stability and good takeoff and landing characteristics. However, these qualities are inherent in almost all products of A.S. Yakovlev. He knew how to create nice-to-drive cars that pilots liked.

In a word, the Yak-3 has established itself as an excellent air fighter, capable of successfully resisting any German piston fighters. It is not surprising that the French pilots of the Normandie-Niemen regiment, who had the opportunity to fight on any type of not only Soviet, but also Anglo-American fighters supplied to our country under Lend-Lease, chose the Yak-3. The French fought on them until the end of the war, and they returned to their homeland in the summer of 1945. The Soviet government donated these aircraft to France in gratitude for their help in the fight against a common enemy. The only drawback of the Yak-3, which limited its combat capabilities, was a relatively small supply of fuel, which did not allow flying to hunt behind enemy lines and escorting bombers far beyond the front line. These tasks were usually assigned to the Yak-9 and Lavochkin fighters. The Yak-3 was more fortunate than many other types of Soviet aircraft - participants in World War II. Until our days in good condition At least two original copies of this machine have been preserved. One of them is in the French Aviation Museum in Le Bourget, and the second is in the Museum of the History of Technology of Vadim Zadorozhny near Moscow.

Design
The Yak-3 was built according to the aerodynamic scheme of a cantilever low-wing aircraft. Initially, the design was mixed. The wing had dural spars, wooden ribs (1 and 7 were made of duralumin) and plywood sheathing. The oval fuselage had a truss frame made of steel pipes, duralumin nose skin, plywood middle and linen tail. After the war, the all-metal Yak-3 was produced. Landing gear retractable, tricycle, with a tail wheel.

The power plant of the fighter consisted of a VK-105PF2 engine with an HP 1240 power. with an automatically variable pitch propeller VISH-105SV-01. Gas tanks, as on all Yakovlev fighters, were located in the wing, their total volume was 370 liters. A water radiator was installed behind the cockpit. The peculiarity of installing a water radiator on the Yak-3 was that it was deeply recessed into the fuselage, and the air supply channel to the radiator expanded sharply. This led to a decrease in the speed of the air flow blowing around the radiator. As a result, the cooling efficiency increased, and the aerodynamic resistance of the radiator itself, as well as its outer fairing, was significantly reduced. The same principle was used in the layout of the oil coolers.

In the cockpit, in addition to standard navigation equipment and control systems, a radio communication device and a collimator sight device, an oxygen supply system were installed. For night sorties, a backlight was installed in the cockpit, and side lights were on the outside of the hull.

The landing gear was represented by three struts, which were retracted into the body of the fighter during the flight. Telescopic oil shock absorbers were installed on the racks, which effectively damped vibrations during landing.

About coloring
The Yak-3 was put into production at the final stage of the war, when the Germans rarely tried to bomb Soviet airfields. Therefore, there was no need to mask fighters against the background of the earth's surface and paint them from above in the colors of vegetation, and in winter - in the color of snow. Camouflage in flight against the background of the sky or the earth, observed from high altitudes, came to the fore. Experimentally, it was found that the best way for this, coloring in light gray is suitable, or in two shades of gray - light and darker. All front-line Yak-3s were painted this way, although the prototypes during the tests may have still had the old camouflage of two shades of green. Regimental designations, various inscriptions, marks of air victories and individual emblems of pilots added variety to the boring gray coloring. For example, the planes of the famous Normandy-Niemen air regiment were distinguished by tricolor spinners painted in the colors of the French flag, as well as white zigzag arrows on the sides of the fuselages. Another feature of these machines was that, in accordance with the national tradition, French pilots celebrated their air victories not with asterisks, but with crosses - small images of the German identification mark that were painted under the cockpit. , causing coloring with bright red spinners of propellers and engine hoods. On the sides of the hood there was the emblem of the group - a white winged sword cutting a swastika. usually two-digit) were almost always painted with white paint on the sides of the fuselage between the identification mark and the tail unit. Only for Normandy-Niemen aircraft, the number was located closer to the cockpit and was inscribed in the boom.

Modifications
Yak-ZVK-1 105PF2 The main serial modification with a mixed machine gun and cannon armament. Produced until August 1945. Yak-ZP (cannon) Version with enhanced armament, consisting of a 20 mm B-20M motor cannon and two B-20S synchronous cannons of the same caliber, installed in place of synchronous machine guns. Ammunition load of the motor gun was 120 rounds, and synchronous - 130 rounds each. In March-April 1945, it successfully passed state tests. He was launched into the series just a few days before the end of the war, so he no longer got to the front. From August 1945 until the end of serial production, all Yak-3s were made only according to the Yak-ZP standard. A total of 596 copies were built, the last of them served until 1950. Yak-ZPDAn attempt to create a high-altitude interceptor based on the Yak-3, equipped with a VK-105PV or VK-105PD engine with a two-stage E-100 supercharger and a water-alcohol mixture injection system. also featured an increased wing span and a larger diameter propeller. The prototype with the VK-105PV was tested in September-October 1944, and two prototypes with the VK-105PD were tested from February to July 1945. The first of them had the armament of a conventional serial Yak-3, and the synchronous machine guns were removed from the second, but a 23-mm NS-23 motor cannon with an ammunition load of 60 shells was installed. To lighten the car, the volume of gas tanks was reduced to 270 liters. The second prototype with the VK-105PD reached a height of 13,300 m and a speed of 710 km / h at an altitude of 11,000 m. The results were impressive, but the picture was spoiled by the unreliable operation of the engine and supercharger. In addition, the armament, which consisted of a single gun, was considered too weak, the fuel supply was insufficient, and the pilot's working conditions in an unpressurized cockpit at altitudes of more than 10 km were too difficult. As a result, the Yak-ZPD did not go into production, but experiments with prototypes continued until the spring of 1947. Yak-ZT (tank) Variant of the Yak-ZP with even more powerful weapons. Instead of the B-20M motor gun, a 37 mm H-37 gun with a shortened barrel was installed on it. Her ammunition load was only 25 shells, which was a serious drawback, allowing only a few short bursts. To maintain centering, the cockpit was moved 40 cm back, and to compensate for the increased mass of weapons, the armored back of the seat and the armored head were removed. Nevertheless, the machine became heavier by almost 100 kg, and flight performance deteriorated. The aircraft was tested from February to April 1945 and was returned to the factory to eliminate the identified defects. He was again presented for testing at the end of May, that is, after the end of the war. A repeated test cycle showed that the machine required further improvements, but by that time the interest in it from the military had sharply weakened, so the program was soon closed. Yak-ZRD Experimental fighter with a combined power plant. In addition to the VK-105PF2 piston engine, a liquid-propellant rocket engine (LPRE) RD-1 designed by V.P. Glushko was installed on it, which led to a radical alteration of the tail fuselage and plumage. Tanks with fuel and oxidizer for the LRE were installed in the wing. The Yak-ZRD was built in December 1944 and tested until August 16, 1945. On that day, a disaster occurred in which test pilot Viktor Rastorguev died. The cause of the crash could not be established. This put an end to the Yak-ZRD program, especially since, due to the advent of turbojet engines, combined power units were considered unpromising. Yak-ZVK-107Even before the start of serial production of the Yak-3 with the VK-105PF2 engine, it was decided to equip the aircraft with a more powerful and high-altitude VK-107 engine. The first prototype with this engine was completed in January 1944. In addition to the power plant, it differed from production vehicles in a reinforced chassis, a cockpit shifted back to maintain centering, an increased amount of fuel and armament, consisting of two synchronous B-20 cannons. Flight tests began in April and dragged on until November. The new fighter demonstrated excellent performance (in particular, the speed exceeded 700 km / h for the first time), but due to the extremely unreliable operation of the engine, it could not be considered a full-fledged combat vehicle. The plane did not pass the state tests. Yak-ZVK-108 Experimental modification of the Yak-3 with the VK-108 engine, which had a take-off power of 1800 hp. The armament is similar to the Yak-ZPD - one motor-gun NS-23. The aircraft was tested from October 1944 to March 1945. Due to the high power-to-weight ratio, it had unique flight characteristics. In particular, on December 21, the fighter developed a speed of 745 km / h. This was the highest figure ever achieved by a Soviet aircraft with a piston engine. The Yak-ZVK-108 reached a height of 5000 m in 3.5 minutes, which was also a record achievement. Unfortunately, this promising machine was also destroyed by engine defects, which could not be brought to the required degree of reliability. The torment with the VK-108 continued until the spring of 1946, after which work was stopped due to the transition of the Yakovlev Design Bureau to a jet theme. The aircraft was made in one copy in the spring of 1945 and turned out to be, in general, quite successful, but due to the lack of obvious advantages over the La-7 fighter already in service with the same engine, it was not mass-produced. Later, on its basis, the Yakovlev Design Bureau developed the Yak-11 training fighter.

In total, 4848 (4111 during the war) Yak-3 aircraft of all modifications were manufactured in 1944-1946. Of these, 3137 aircraft were manufactured at plant No. 292 in Saratov, 934 at plant No. 31 in Tbilisi. It was delivered to Yugoslavia. On the basis of the piston Yak-3, the Yak-15 jet fighter was developed. At the end of the 40s, the S-49 fighter and the Type 213 training aircraft were developed in Yugoslavia based on the Yak-3. In 1991, an agreement was concluded between the Yakovlev Design Bureau and the Museum of Flying in Santa Monica, providing for the supply of several aircraft, newly built at a plant in Orenburg using drawings, equipment and templates from the Second World War, but with the American 1240 - a powerful Allison engine. .

Specifications Yak-3
Crew: 1 Length: 8.49 m Wingspan: 9.20 m Height: 2.38 m Wing area: 14.83 m? Empty weight: 2105 kg Curb weight: 2650 kg VK-105PF2 Engine power: 1 ? 1240 hp