YAK 3 - Fighter Trio from drawings of Podešva family
Technical Data | Yak - 3 | |
Original | 82% Replica | |
Aircraft Engine | Klimov VK-105 | Rotax 915 iS |
Engine power | 960 kW / 1290 k | 105 kW / 141 k |
Propeller | three-bladed, of constant r.p.m., dia. 3.0 mVish-105SV-01 | MT Propeller, hydraulically adjustable for constant r.p.m., dia. 2.05 m |
Maximum take-off weight | 2692 kg | 600 kg |
Wing area | 14,85 m2 | 10,7 m2 |
Aeral loading | 185 kg/m2 | 56,1 kg/m2 |
Wing-span | 9,2 m | 7,81 m |
Length | 8,5 m | 6,96 m |
Wing profile | Clark YH 14% at the wing root Clark YH 10% at the wing end |
Clark YH 13.7% at the wing root Clark 9% at the wing end |
Uplift | 6,5° | 6,5° |
Geometric distortion | -- | -2° |
Falling speed | 160Km/h | 83 km/h |
Approach speed | 200 Km/h | 115 - 130 km/h |
Fuel tank volume | 350 L 4x tank | 70 L 2 x tank |
Speed near the ground | 650 km cca 60min | 250 km + 2 x10L reserva |
Speed near the ground Speed in 1000 m TAS Speed in 3100 m TAS Never-exceed speed Take-off speed |
567 Km/h 594 Km/h TAS 655 Km/h TAS 685 Km/h 175 Km/h |
255 Km/h 270 Km/h TAS 301 Km/h TAS 360 Km/h 85-90 Km/h |
Consumption - travel mode | 180-200 l/hour | 15-22 l/h |
Armament | 1 x 20mm Švak 120 rounds 2x 12,7 USB over engine |
Humbuk cannon Kraken 60 rounds |
YAK 3T armament | Cannon37mm under eng. | Accord. to 37mm cannon |
Yak 3 was a top Russian frontline fighter. Its origin is dated in the early 1940s when by gradual modernization, lightening and downsizing of the previous version of Yak 1 the designers of Yakovlev design office created an aircraft well suiting to the method of warfare on the Eastern Front – i.e. fighting mostly above the front at altitudes up to 4000 meters. It did not need a long range, it was very small and had an excellent weight to power ratio of the power unit used (Klimov VK 105 PF-2 engine had 1290 hp and the empty weight of the aircraft was 2105 kg).
Its prototype took off in February 1943 and was deployed to combat in the summer of that year. According to the data in the book from the Soviet pilot A. Pokryškin, however, the first serial Yak 3 was not received by the front regiments sooner than in summer of 1944. Tests of the Yak 3 were carried out under combat conditions at 91st IAP of 2nd Air Force, under the command of Lt. Col. Kovalev from June to July 1944. During 431 combat flights 20 Luftwaffe fighters and three Junkers Ju 87s were shot down, while Soviet losses amounted to two shot down Yaks. On June 16, 1944, a great combat took place when 18 Yaks clashed with 24 German aircrafts. Soviet fighters shot down 15 German planes while the loss on the side of the Yaks was one destroyed and one damaged Yak. The next day Luftwaffe's activities over this part of the front practically ceased. A month later, on July 17, 1944 eight Yaks attacked a formation of sixty German aircrafts, including escort fighters. In the following battle the Luftwaffe lost three Ju 87 and four Bf 109G without any loss on the Russian side. At that time the Luftwaffe issued an order to "avoid fighting under five thousand meters with the Yaks without an oil radiator under their nose"…read the article
detailed description of the engine