Yak-23

Yak-23

Yak-17

Yak-30D

Yak-23

Yak-17

Yak-30D

USSR

V Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
8.7	8.7	7.7

Class:

Fighter

Jet fighter

Research:120 000

Purchase:340 000

Show in game

Description

The Yak-23 is a rank V Soviet jet fighter with a battle rating of 8.7 (AB/RB) and 7.7 (SB). It was introduced in Update 1.75 "La Résistance".

The Yak-23 is a single-engined jet fighter initially designed to intercept high altitude, long range bombers such as the B-29.

General info

Flight performance

Max speed

at 0 m929 km/h

Turn time19 s

Max altitude14 500 m

EngineKlimov RD-500

TypeJet

Cooling systemAir

Take-off weight4 t

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 0 m - sea level)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	915	904	14500	19.2	19.9	37.7	36.5	650
Upgraded	939	929		18.8	19.0	52.8	45.0

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear	Drogue chute
X	X	✓	X	X	X

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
1,000	350	N/A	N/A	320	~11	~8

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 450	< 420	< 500	N/A

Engine performance

Engine			Aircraft mass
Engine name		Number	Basic mass		Wing loading (full fuel)
Klimov RD-500		1	2,213 kg		215 kg/m2
Engine characteristics			Mass with fuel (no weapons load)				Max Gross Weight
Weight (each)	Type		10m fuel	20m fuel	30m fuel	33m fuel
570 kg	Centrifugal-flow turbojet		2,431 kg	2,643 kg	2,857 kg	2,941 kg	2,974 kg
Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB)			Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (112%)
Condition	100%	112%	10m fuel	20m fuel	30m fuel	33m fuel	MGW
Stationary	1,367 kgf	1,519 kgf	0.62	0.57	0.53	0.52	0.51
Optimal	1,367 kgf (0 km/h)	1,519 kgf (0 km/h)	0.62	0.57	0.53	0.52	0.51

Survivability and armour

Crew1 person

Speed of destruction

Structural0 km/h

Gear350 km/h

• 57 mm Bulletproof glass in cockpit front.
• 8 mm Steel plate behind the pilot.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB3 385 → 4 268

RB9 671 → 12 195

SB14 038 → 17 701

Total cost of modifications102 000

164 000

Talisman cost2 200

Crew training98 000

Experts340 000

Aces1 800

Research Aces780 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

120 / 380 / 600 %

202 / 202 / 202 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Fuselage repair Research: 10 000 Cost: 16 000 270 Compressor Research: 11 000 Cost: 18 000 300 Wings repair Research: 13 000 Cost: 21 000 350 Engine Research: 17 000 Cost: 27 000 460	Airframe Research: 11 000 Cost: 18 000 300 Cover Research: 17 000 Cost: 27 000 460	ns23_belt_pack Research: 10 000 Cost: 16 000 270 ns23_new_gun Research: 13 000 Cost: 21 000 350

Armaments

Offensive armament

Weapon 12 x 23 mm NR-23 cannon

Ammunition180 rounds

Fire rate900 shots/min

The Yak-23 is armed with:

• 2 x 23 mm NR-23 cannons, nose-mounted (90 rpg = 180 total)

Usage in battles

The Yak-23 has an extremely light airframe and relatively powerful jet which gives it an enormous thrust-to-weight ratio, making it one of the best accelerating (and climbing) jets in War Thunder. The Yak-23 is not only a good bomber hunter but also an excellent fighter. Almost no jet can accelerate better than the Yak-23 below 800 km/h and no jet in the Yak-23's BR bracket can compete with its climb rate unless it has a massive energy advantage. This gives the Yak-23 a huge advantage over the vast majority of opponents it meets. The Yak-23 cannot carry any ordnance and is thus purely subjugated to fighter duties and should be used accordingly.

Combat tactics

Always take minimum fuel (9 min) as fuel forms a significant part of the Yak-23's mass. An important fuel load will severely dampen the Yak-23's performance. Ammo is limited enough as it is so extra fuel should not be necessary anyway.

The Yak-23 should fight in the vertical and utilize its excellent manoeuvrability to take careful shots and stay out of the line of fire of enemy guns. Energy-conserving chandelles and stalls are by far the most effective tactics to utilize as they best use the Yak-23's insane acceleration and climb rate while depleting your enemy's energy.

The G.91 is by far the greatest threat to the Yak-23, as it is a small target, faster, and has high-velocity quick-firing Browning M3 machine guns that will make quick work of the Yak-23. That, combined with its excellent roll rate makes it exceedingly difficult to hit with the low-velocity 23 mm cannons mounted on the Yak-23.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Acceleration below 800 km/h and climb rate unrivalled by anything but rocket-powered aircraft
• Excellent manoeuvrability

Cons:

• Plane wobbles badly while manoeuvring beyond 700 km/h
• 23 mm guns with low muzzle velocity and low fire rate tend to spark
• Small ammunition pool

History

Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref></ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <references />. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under === In-game description ===, also if applicable).

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Yak-23 from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

"Energy Fighting" Examples In The Russian Me 163 - Yak-23 - DEFYN

For Those Days You Just Want to Turn Fight Everything - Yak23 Gameplay - WhooptieDo (Review starts at 1:00)

Realistic: Yak-23 [Still king at 7.7!] - Jengar

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

• Official data sheet - more details about the performance

A.S. Yakovlev Design Bureau (Яковлев Опытное конструкторское бюро)
Fighters
Yak-1	Yak-1 · Yak-1B
Yak-3	Yak-3 · Eremin's Yak-3(e) · Yak-3 (VK-107) · Yak-3P · Yak-3T · Yak-3U
Yak-7	Yak-7B
Yak-9	Yak-9 · Yak-9B · Yak-9K · Golovachev's Yak-9M · Yak-9P · Yak-9T · Yak-9U · Yak-9UT
Twin-engine fighters	I-29
Jet fighters
Yak-15	Yak-15P · Yak-15
Yak-17	Yak-17
Yak-23	Yak-23
Yak-30	Yak-30D
Yak-141	Yak-141
Strike aircraft
Yak-2	Yak-2 KABB
Yak-38	Yak-38 · Yak-38M
Bombers	Yak-4
Jet bombers	Yak-28B
Foreign use	▄Yak-3 · Challe's ▄Yak-9T · ◔Yak-9P
Captured	▀Yak-1B