Yakovlev Yak-3
Yakovlev · Soviet Union · first flew 1943 · fighter
The lightest and most agile of the main Yak fighters, the Yak-3's cut-down rear fuselage and shortened nose made it the Soviet fighter that German pilots were ordered to avoid in low-altitude combat from 1944.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Cut-down rear fuselage with a semi-bubble canopy giving notably better rearward view than the Yak-1 — the spine is visibly lower aft of the cockpit |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Cut-down rear fuselage with a semi-bubble canopy giving notably better rearward view than the Yak-1 — the spine is visibly lower aft of the cockpit
- Smaller and lighter than the Yak-9, with a cut-down rear fuselage and bubble canopy
- Oil cooler relocated under the wing centre-section (a small scoop visible below the wing root) versus the Yak-1's under-nose cooler position
Against the Yak-1: cut-down spine and shorter nose are definitive. Against the Yak-9: narrower wingspan, no hub-cannon bulge, and lower overall weight class — the Yak-3 looks 'tidier' in profile.
Specifications
- The Yakovlev Yak-3 has a length of 8.49 m (28 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 9.2 m (30 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 655 km/h (407 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Entering service in 1944, the Yak-3 was developed from the Yak-1M lightened prototype. At altitudes below 4,000 m it outmanoeuvred everything the Luftwaffe could field. The Normandie-Niemen French volunteer regiment converted to Yak-3s in 1944 and found them superb.
Variants
Yak-3 (VK-105PF2), Yak-3T (37 mm cannon), Yak-3P (three cannon). Post-war the Yak-3U and Yak-3R were experimental. A production run of new-build Yak-3s using original drawings was completed in the 1990s for collectors.
Where you'll see it
Several new-build Yak-3s fly with private operators in France, the USA, and the UK; one appeared at Flying Legends Duxford. The Normandie-Niemen association maintains close links with the type.
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- Yakovlev Yak-9 D
- Yakovlev Yak-10
- Yakovlev Yak-13
- Yakovlev Yak-6
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- Brewster XA-32
- Curtiss P-40 N Warhawk
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