Difference between revisions of "Yak-1B"

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(Added basic information and tables.)
Line 2: Line 2:
  
 
== Description ==
 
== Description ==
''In the description, the first part needs to be about the history of and the creation and combat usage of the aircraft, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the aircraft in the game. Insert screenshot of the vehicle. If the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle it is talking about.''
+
<!--''In the description, the first part needs to be about the history of and the creation and combat usage of the aircraft, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the aircraft in the game. Insert screenshot of the vehicle. If the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle it is talking about.''-->
  
 +
[[File:GarageImage_Yak-1B.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
 +
{{break}}
 +
The '''Yak-1B''' is a Rank II Soviet fighter with a battle rating of 3.3 (AB/SB) and 3.0 (RB)). It was in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.29.
 +
 +
The standard armament for most Yakovlev aircraft: One machine gun and one ShVak cannon; with 200 and 120 rounds each, nothing out of the ordinary. Good against aircraft, but against anything bigger the burst-mass is lacking for quick take-downs.
 +
 +
The improved Yak-1 features, like most mid war water-cooled fighters, a 1140 hp engine. It remains sub par to the German equivalent. However, at the time this plane was fielded most enemy vehicles were of heavier weight, further increasing the Yak series excellent maneuverability. Unfortunately, in-game the aircraft is tiered with earlier vehicles, this shifts the performance spectrum of the Yak-1B towards engine power.
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
 
=== Flight Performance ===
 
=== Flight Performance ===
''Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Maximum speed, maneuverability, speed and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.''
+
<!--''Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Maximum speed, maneuverability, speed and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.''-->
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="8" | Characteristics
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="8" | ''Stock''
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="2" | Max Speed<br>(km/h at 4,000 m)
 +
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude<br>(meters)
 +
! colspan="2" | Turn time<br>(seconds)
 +
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb<br>(meters/second)
 +
! rowspan="2" |Take-off run<br>(meters)
 +
|-
 +
! AB
 +
! RB
 +
! AB
 +
! RB
 +
! AB
 +
! RB
 +
|-
 +
| 575 || 559 || 10,500 || 19.3 || 19.8 || 13.6 || 13.4 || 368
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="8" | ''Upgraded''
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="2" | Max Speed<br>(km/h at 4,000 m)
 +
! rowspan="2" |Max altitude (meters)
 +
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
 +
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb<br>(meters/second)
 +
! rowspan="2" |Take-off run (meters)
 +
|-
 +
! AB
 +
! RB
 +
! AB
 +
! RB
 +
! AB
 +
! RB
 +
|-
 +
| 608 || 592 || 10,500 || 18.0 || 18.5 || 18.6 || 16.0 || 368
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
====Details====
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="5" | Features
 +
|-
 +
! Combat flap
 +
! Take-off flap
 +
! Landing flap
 +
! Air brakes
 +
! Arrestor gear
 +
|-
 +
| X || X || ✓ || X || X    <!-- ✓ -->
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="5" | Limits
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" | Wing-break speed<br>(km/h)
 +
! rowspan="2" | Gear limit<br>(km/h)
 +
! rowspan="2" | Combat flap<br> (km/h)
 +
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
 +
|-
 +
! +
 +
! -
 +
|-
 +
| 683 || 320 || 410 || ~20 || ~14
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities
 +
|-
 +
! Ailerons<br>(km/h)
 +
! Rudder<br>(km/h)
 +
! Elevators<br>(km/h)
 +
! Radiator<br>(km/h)
 +
|-
 +
| < 380 || < 420 || < 490 || > 270
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="3" | Compressor (RB/SB)
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="3" | Setting 1
 +
|-
 +
! Optimal altitude
 +
! 100% Engine power
 +
! WEP Engine power
 +
|-
 +
| 700 m || 1,260 hp || ?,??? hp
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="3" | Setting 2
 +
|-
 +
! Optimal altitude
 +
! 100% Engine power
 +
! WEP Engine power
 +
|-
 +
| 2,900 m || 1,175 hp || ?,??? hp
 +
|-
 +
<!--! colspan="3" | Setting 3
 +
|-
 +
! Optimal altitude
 +
! 100% Engine power
 +
! WEP Engine power
 +
|-
 +
| ?,??? m || ?,??? hp || ?,??? hp
 +
|- -->
 +
|}
  
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
''Examine the survivability of the aircraft. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, whether the fuel tanks are armoured. Describe the armour, if there is any, also mention the vulnerability of other critical aircraft systems.''
+
<!--''Examine the survivability of the aircraft. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, whether the fuel tanks are armoured. Describe the armour, if there is any, also mention the vulnerability of other critical aircraft systems.''-->
 +
* 64 Bulletproof glass in cockpit front and rear.
 +
* 8 mm Steel plate behind the pilot.
 +
* Critical components located at front of aircraft (fuel, pilot, engine, controls)
 +
* More fuel tanks located in wings near fuselage
  
 
== Armaments ==
 
== Armaments ==
 
=== Offensive armament ===
 
=== Offensive armament ===
''Describe the offensive armament of the aircraft, if any. Describe how effective the cannons and machine guns are in a battle, and also what belts or drums are better to use. If there is no offensive weaponry, delete this subsection.''
+
<!--''Describe the offensive armament of the aircraft, if any. Describe how effective the cannons and machine guns are in a battle, and also what belts or drums are better to use. If there is no offensive weaponry, delete this subsection.''-->
 +
{{main|ShVAK (20 mm)|Berezin UB (12.7 mm)}}
 +
 
 +
The Yak-1B is armed with:
 +
 
 +
* 1 x 20 mm ShVAK cannon, nose-mounted (120 rpg)
 +
* 1 x 12.7 mm Berezin UB machine gun, nose-mounted (200 rpg)
  
 
=== Suspended armament ===
 
=== Suspended armament ===
''Describe the aircraft's suspended armament: additional cannons under the wings, bombs, rockets and torpedoes. This section is especially important for bombers and attackers. If there is no suspended weaponry remove this subsection.''
+
<!--''Describe the aircraft's suspended armament: additional cannons under the wings, bombs, rockets and torpedoes. This section is especially important for bombers and attackers. If there is no suspended weaponry remove this subsection.''-->
 +
{{main|Bombs}}
 +
 
 +
The Yak-1B can outfit external armaments:
  
 +
* Without load
 +
* 2 x 50 kg FAB-50 bombs (100 kg total)
 +
<!--
 
=== Defensive armament ===
 
=== Defensive armament ===
 
''Defensive armament with turret machine guns or cannons, crewed by gunners. Examine the number of gunners and what belts or drums are better to use. If defensive weaponry is not available remove this subsection.''
 
''Defensive armament with turret machine guns or cannons, crewed by gunners. Examine the number of gunners and what belts or drums are better to use. If defensive weaponry is not available remove this subsection.''
 +
-->
 +
== Usage in the battles ==
 +
<!--''Describe the tactics of playing in an aircraft, the features of using vehicles in a team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but give the reader food for thought. Examine the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''-->
  
== Usage in the battles ==
+
Information for '''Arcade Battles''',
''Describe the tactics of playing in an aircraft, the features of using vehicles in a team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but give the reader food for thought. Examine the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''
+
 
 +
The Yak-1B is simply an upgraded Yak-1... the main features being much improved cockpit visibility (useful if you like to fly "in-cockpit"), slightly better durability, and a slightly more resilient engine that, unfortunately, still overheats quickly. However, the beauty of the Yakovlev line of fighters lies in two things:
 +
*Their biggest problem is engine overheating, but this is easily fixed by simply flying between 80%-90% throttle.
 +
*The Yak's performance is not hindered in the slightest by flying at this engine power.
 +
 
 +
Due to the above two facts, in AB: just fly at 90% power. The Yaks can dogfight just fine at 90%, and will rarely overheat. Even though in Arcade battles all planes get WEP, the WEP on this plane adds almost nothing to it's performance while rapidly overheating the engine, thus using WEP is almost completely unnecessary... if you need more power, go up from 90% to 100% throttle. Remember to go back down to 90% once you can.
 +
 
 +
Wait for the dogfight to start, then fly in behind a distracted enemy. Shoot in bursts unless tailing a bomber, in which case you will not last very long against their rear gunners unless you are extremely accurate with the cannon. If your engine begins to overheat, start flying back to your airfield. Otherwise, your engine will give out after the temperature gauge turns red.
 +
 
 +
To sum up, this is simply a better version of the Yak-1, with similar tactics and strategy. Just remember that Soviet fighters in general count heavily on it's pilot's accuracy... having, in this case, only one worthwhile gun!
 +
 
 +
Information for '''Realistic Battles''',
 +
 
 +
Take off at 100% throttle, then go to 90% after getting above the trees. Upon reaching around 500 m, go to 80-85% throttle. '''Stay low at all costs!''' If you climb above 1000 m, four things will happen:
 +
 
 +
1) You will have run your engine out trying to climb, so your engine has less time before it overheats than usual. (You also don't climb as fast as most other planes...there are better Soviet aircraft for climbing, such as the MiG-3 and the La-5).
 +
 
 +
2) You will be highly visible.
 +
 
 +
3) You will have reduced maneuverability.
 +
 
 +
4) You will easily rip your wings upon trying to dive (The Yak's wings, being made of wood, disappear at about 600 kph).
 +
 
 +
If you stay below 1000 m, then you will have more advantages than the enemy, such as:
 +
 
 +
1) Better camouflage... harder to spot.
 +
 
 +
2) There is almost no chance of ripping wings.
 +
 
 +
3) You are already at optimal altitude and speed for maneuvering.
 +
 
 +
4) Enemies easily overshoot you, or rip wings attempting to dive on you.
 +
 
 +
5) You can trick enemies into flying into the ground (just make sure you don't do so yourself!).
 +
 
 +
Right before entering a dogfight, bring your throttle to 90%... in Realistic Battles this is enough to fight at below 1000 m (some experienced Yak pilots dogfight at 80% sometimes!). Immediately after fighting, bring the throttle back down to 80% (if you don't already have it there). Only in extreme cases use 100% power... it is rarely needed and overheats the engine quickly.
 +
 
 +
Firing at ground targets is highly advised against, as you already have limited ammo to fight other planes with. Remember that you do not reload in mid-air in RB, so conserve your ammo and close the distance with the enemy before firing, and then fire in short bursts. The great thing about the Yak's guns is that they are center-line mounted. This means that you do not have to worry about convergence points... just lead the target and snipe. The drawback is that you cannot spray the target with a hail of bullets like most players tend to do. This plane, and all the Yaks afterwards, are all about accuracy and skill... with an agile plane and that hard-hitting cannon (that all non-Soviet pilots complain about) to compensate for the lack of ammo. The MG is almost a joke, and is useful only when your cannon has run out (you use the MG as protection on the way back to the airfield).
 +
 
 +
When landing, slow to BELOW 300 kph before lowering your landing gear! Many Yak pilots have ripped their fragile landing gear when coming in too fast. The last thing all Yak pilots should know in Realistic Battles, is to never climb higher than 3000 m (at or below 1000 m is preferred). The Yak line of fighters was not built to fight at the higher altitudes, and the game is filled with much more capable aircraft in this respect. If you like B&Z or you prefer to climb high, but don't want to use US or German planes, then use the MiG line or the LaGG/La line of fighters, as they have much better engines. The Yak is a dog-fighter.
 +
 
 +
=====Tips from the Aces=====
 +
* A Yak pilot can nullify all but the last "[[Yak-1B#Pros_and_Cons|Cons]]" below by staying below 2000 m, and keeping the throttle at 90% for AB, and 85% for RB/SB.
 +
* ''If the situation allows'', using in-cockpit view can often help with accuracy due to no parallax effect... meaning (hopefully) less of your precious shots wasted.
 +
* Flaps help with hard turns, but against most opponents they aren't needed too much. Use flaps wisely, since flying at ~90% means a tiny bit less engine power to get back to speed after slowing down due to using flaps. However, don't hesitate to use flaps if the fight depends on it... it is easier to regain speed than to pay for a new plane!
 +
* Everything learned from the Yak-1B applies to all of the later Yaks... mastering this plane will repay itself in gold later.
 +
 
 +
====Specific enemies worth noting====
 +
<!--Some concerning vehicles to worry about if playing this plane. (i.e. Japanese fighters will out turn you)-->
 +
* [[A6M2 Reisen|A6M2 Zeroes]]: They will out turn you, so try to attack in a shallow dive rather than a [[Turn and Burn|turn fight]]. [[Energy fighting]] is also okay because the Zero has a very bad energy retention and very bad high speed control and handling.
 +
*[[P-47D-25 Thunderbolt|P-47Ds]]: They are much faster than you and are excellent at boom and zoom, so avoid them if possible. If you are caught in a fight, try to [[Energy fighting|energy fight]] them or turn fight them.
 +
* Other [[Yak-9|Yakovlevs]]: They are slightly slower, so either keep them occupied with maneuvers such as the scissors and barrel rolls or [[Energy fighting|Energy fight]] them.
 +
* [[Spitfire Mk IIb|Spitfires]]: They are significantly slower but has a turn radius that could embarrass a Zero, and their Hispano cannons are significantly more deadly than you ShVAK cannon. Try to [[Energy fighting|energy fight]] them as that can overcome your worse maneuverability. [[Boom and Zoom]] is also an option in AB, but '''never''' try to [[Turn and Burn|turn fight]] a Spitfire.
 +
===Manual Engine Control===
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="7" | MEC elements
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" |Mixer
 +
! rowspan="2" |Pitch
 +
! colspan="3" |Radiator
 +
! rowspan="2" |Supercharger
 +
! rowspan="2" |Turbocharger
 +
|-
 +
! Oil
 +
! Water
 +
! Type
 +
|-
 +
| Controllable || rowspan="2" | Not controllable || rowspan="2" | Not controllable || rowspan="2" | Not controllable || rowspan="2" | Separate || rowspan="2" | Not ontrollable || rowspan="2" | Not controllable
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
===Modules===
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
!colspan = "1"| Tier
 +
!colspan = "2"| Flight performance
 +
!colspan = "1"| Survivability
 +
!colspan = "2"| Weaponry
 +
|-
 +
| I
 +
| Fuselage Repair
 +
| Radiator
 +
|
 +
| Offensive 12 mm
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| II
 +
|
 +
| Compressor
 +
| Airframe
 +
| New 12 mm MGs
 +
| BI-42
 +
|-
 +
| III
 +
| Wings Repair
 +
| Engine
 +
| Offensive 20 mm
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| IV
 +
|
 +
|
 +
| Cover
 +
| New 20 mm Cannons
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
With the Yak line of fighters, '''Always''' research the engine and performance modules first! This will help to lower the overheating of the engine. Afterwards, the aircraft modules can be unlocked in any order according to pilot preference. The Survivability modules are recommended next, as they improve the Yak-1b's maneuverability and survivability even more. The Armament modules improve only by adding ammo belt types available, but also allows the usage of 100 kg of bombs.
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
''Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Do not use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".''
+
<!--''Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Do not use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".''-->
  
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
*
+
* Good speed.
 +
* Good structural strength.
 +
* Hard hitting and accurate 20 mm ShVAK cannon.
 +
* Good rate of climb at low alt.
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
*
+
* No WEP in RB/SB.
 +
* Water and Oil overheats quickly.
 +
* Low dive speed limit.
 +
* Poor performance above 5000 m altitude.
 +
* Low ammo count makes this plane reliant on accuracy.
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
Line 43: Line 298:
 
* ''reference to the series of the aircraft;''
 
* ''reference to the series of the aircraft;''
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
''ETC.''
+
<!--''ETC.''-->
  
 
== Sources ==
 
== Sources ==
Line 50: Line 305:
 
* ''page on aircraft encyclopedia;''
 
* ''page on aircraft encyclopedia;''
 
* ''other literature.''
 
* ''other literature.''
 +
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakovlev_Yak-1 [Wikipedia<nowiki>]</nowiki> Yakovlev Yak-1]
 +
 +
{{USSR fighters}}

Revision as of 21:34, 18 November 2018

Rank VI USSR | Premium | Golden Eagles
Su-25K Pack
Yak-1B
yak-1b.png
Yak-1B
AB RB SB
3.3 3.0 3.3
Class:
Research:4 600 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:16 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

GarageImage Yak-1B.jpg


The Yak-1B is a Rank II Soviet fighter with a battle rating of 3.3 (AB/SB) and 3.0 (RB)). It was in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.29.

The standard armament for most Yakovlev aircraft: One machine gun and one ShVak cannon; with 200 and 120 rounds each, nothing out of the ordinary. Good against aircraft, but against anything bigger the burst-mass is lacking for quick take-downs.

The improved Yak-1 features, like most mid war water-cooled fighters, a 1140 hp engine. It remains sub par to the German equivalent. However, at the time this plane was fielded most enemy vehicles were of heavier weight, further increasing the Yak series excellent maneuverability. Unfortunately, in-game the aircraft is tiered with earlier vehicles, this shifts the performance spectrum of the Yak-1B towards engine power.

General info

Flight Performance

Characteristics
Stock
Max Speed
(km/h at 4,000 m)
Max altitude
(meters)
Turn time
(seconds)
Rate of climb
(meters/second)
Take-off run
(meters)
AB RB AB RB AB RB
575 559 10,500 19.3 19.8 13.6 13.4 368
Upgraded
Max Speed
(km/h at 4,000 m)
Max altitude (meters) Turn time (seconds) Rate of climb
(meters/second)
Take-off run (meters)
AB RB AB RB AB RB
608 592 10,500 18.0 18.5 18.6 16.0 368

Details

Features
Combat flap Take-off flap Landing flap Air brakes Arrestor gear
X X X X
Limits
Wing-break speed
(km/h)
Gear limit
(km/h)
Combat flap
(km/h)
Max Static G
+ -
683 320 410 ~20 ~14
Optimal velocities
Ailerons
(km/h)
Rudder
(km/h)
Elevators
(km/h)
Radiator
(km/h)
< 380 < 420 < 490 > 270
Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude 100% Engine power WEP Engine power
700 m 1,260 hp  ?,??? hp
Setting 2
Optimal altitude 100% Engine power WEP Engine power
2,900 m 1,175 hp  ?,??? hp

Survivability and armour

  • 64 Bulletproof glass in cockpit front and rear.
  • 8 mm Steel plate behind the pilot.
  • Critical components located at front of aircraft (fuel, pilot, engine, controls)
  • More fuel tanks located in wings near fuselage

Armaments

Offensive armament

The Yak-1B is armed with:

  • 1 x 20 mm ShVAK cannon, nose-mounted (120 rpg)
  • 1 x 12.7 mm Berezin UB machine gun, nose-mounted (200 rpg)

Suspended armament

Main article: Bombs

The Yak-1B can outfit external armaments:

  • Without load
  • 2 x 50 kg FAB-50 bombs (100 kg total)

Usage in the battles

Information for Arcade Battles,

The Yak-1B is simply an upgraded Yak-1... the main features being much improved cockpit visibility (useful if you like to fly "in-cockpit"), slightly better durability, and a slightly more resilient engine that, unfortunately, still overheats quickly. However, the beauty of the Yakovlev line of fighters lies in two things:

  • Their biggest problem is engine overheating, but this is easily fixed by simply flying between 80%-90% throttle.
  • The Yak's performance is not hindered in the slightest by flying at this engine power.

Due to the above two facts, in AB: just fly at 90% power. The Yaks can dogfight just fine at 90%, and will rarely overheat. Even though in Arcade battles all planes get WEP, the WEP on this plane adds almost nothing to it's performance while rapidly overheating the engine, thus using WEP is almost completely unnecessary... if you need more power, go up from 90% to 100% throttle. Remember to go back down to 90% once you can.

Wait for the dogfight to start, then fly in behind a distracted enemy. Shoot in bursts unless tailing a bomber, in which case you will not last very long against their rear gunners unless you are extremely accurate with the cannon. If your engine begins to overheat, start flying back to your airfield. Otherwise, your engine will give out after the temperature gauge turns red.

To sum up, this is simply a better version of the Yak-1, with similar tactics and strategy. Just remember that Soviet fighters in general count heavily on it's pilot's accuracy... having, in this case, only one worthwhile gun!

Information for Realistic Battles,

Take off at 100% throttle, then go to 90% after getting above the trees. Upon reaching around 500 m, go to 80-85% throttle. Stay low at all costs! If you climb above 1000 m, four things will happen:

1) You will have run your engine out trying to climb, so your engine has less time before it overheats than usual. (You also don't climb as fast as most other planes...there are better Soviet aircraft for climbing, such as the MiG-3 and the La-5).

2) You will be highly visible.

3) You will have reduced maneuverability.

4) You will easily rip your wings upon trying to dive (The Yak's wings, being made of wood, disappear at about 600 kph).

If you stay below 1000 m, then you will have more advantages than the enemy, such as:

1) Better camouflage... harder to spot.

2) There is almost no chance of ripping wings.

3) You are already at optimal altitude and speed for maneuvering.

4) Enemies easily overshoot you, or rip wings attempting to dive on you.

5) You can trick enemies into flying into the ground (just make sure you don't do so yourself!).

Right before entering a dogfight, bring your throttle to 90%... in Realistic Battles this is enough to fight at below 1000 m (some experienced Yak pilots dogfight at 80% sometimes!). Immediately after fighting, bring the throttle back down to 80% (if you don't already have it there). Only in extreme cases use 100% power... it is rarely needed and overheats the engine quickly.

Firing at ground targets is highly advised against, as you already have limited ammo to fight other planes with. Remember that you do not reload in mid-air in RB, so conserve your ammo and close the distance with the enemy before firing, and then fire in short bursts. The great thing about the Yak's guns is that they are center-line mounted. This means that you do not have to worry about convergence points... just lead the target and snipe. The drawback is that you cannot spray the target with a hail of bullets like most players tend to do. This plane, and all the Yaks afterwards, are all about accuracy and skill... with an agile plane and that hard-hitting cannon (that all non-Soviet pilots complain about) to compensate for the lack of ammo. The MG is almost a joke, and is useful only when your cannon has run out (you use the MG as protection on the way back to the airfield).

When landing, slow to BELOW 300 kph before lowering your landing gear! Many Yak pilots have ripped their fragile landing gear when coming in too fast. The last thing all Yak pilots should know in Realistic Battles, is to never climb higher than 3000 m (at or below 1000 m is preferred). The Yak line of fighters was not built to fight at the higher altitudes, and the game is filled with much more capable aircraft in this respect. If you like B&Z or you prefer to climb high, but don't want to use US or German planes, then use the MiG line or the LaGG/La line of fighters, as they have much better engines. The Yak is a dog-fighter.

Tips from the Aces
  • A Yak pilot can nullify all but the last "Cons" below by staying below 2000 m, and keeping the throttle at 90% for AB, and 85% for RB/SB.
  • If the situation allows, using in-cockpit view can often help with accuracy due to no parallax effect... meaning (hopefully) less of your precious shots wasted.
  • Flaps help with hard turns, but against most opponents they aren't needed too much. Use flaps wisely, since flying at ~90% means a tiny bit less engine power to get back to speed after slowing down due to using flaps. However, don't hesitate to use flaps if the fight depends on it... it is easier to regain speed than to pay for a new plane!
  • Everything learned from the Yak-1B applies to all of the later Yaks... mastering this plane will repay itself in gold later.

Specific enemies worth noting

  • A6M2 Zeroes: They will out turn you, so try to attack in a shallow dive rather than a turn fight. Energy fighting is also okay because the Zero has a very bad energy retention and very bad high speed control and handling.
  • P-47Ds: They are much faster than you and are excellent at boom and zoom, so avoid them if possible. If you are caught in a fight, try to energy fight them or turn fight them.
  • Other Yakovlevs: They are slightly slower, so either keep them occupied with maneuvers such as the scissors and barrel rolls or Energy fight them.
  • Spitfires: They are significantly slower but has a turn radius that could embarrass a Zero, and their Hispano cannons are significantly more deadly than you ShVAK cannon. Try to energy fight them as that can overcome your worse maneuverability. Boom and Zoom is also an option in AB, but never try to turn fight a Spitfire.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer Pitch Radiator Supercharger Turbocharger
Oil Water Type
Controllable Not controllable Not controllable Not controllable Separate Not ontrollable Not controllable

Modules

Tier Flight performance Survivability Weaponry
I Fuselage Repair Radiator Offensive 12 mm
II Compressor Airframe New 12 mm MGs BI-42
III Wings Repair Engine Offensive 20 mm
IV Cover New 20 mm Cannons

With the Yak line of fighters, Always research the engine and performance modules first! This will help to lower the overheating of the engine. Afterwards, the aircraft modules can be unlocked in any order according to pilot preference. The Survivability modules are recommended next, as they improve the Yak-1b's maneuverability and survivability even more. The Armament modules improve only by adding ammo belt types available, but also allows the usage of 100 kg of bombs.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Good speed.
  • Good structural strength.
  • Hard hitting and accurate 20 mm ShVAK cannon.
  • Good rate of climb at low alt.

Cons:

  • No WEP in RB/SB.
  • Water and Oil overheats quickly.
  • Low dive speed limit.
  • Poor performance above 5000 m altitude.
  • Low ammo count makes this plane reliant on accuracy.

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 big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/ historical reference" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/Name-vehicles/historical reference) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to include links to sources at the end of the article.

Media

An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.

Read 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.

Sources

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:


USSR fighters
I-15  I-15 WR · I-15 M-22 · I-15 M-25 · I-15bis · Krasnolutsky's I-15bis
  I-153 M-62 · Zhukovsky's I-153-M62 · I-153P
I-16  I-16 type 5 · I-16 type 10 · I-16 type 18 · I-16 type 24 · I-16 type 27 · I-16 type 28 · I-180S
I-29  I-29
I-185  I-185 (M-71) · I-185 (M-82)
I-225  I-225
ITP  ITP (M-1)
MiG-3  MiG-3-15 · MiG-3-15 (BK) · MiG-3-34
LaGG  I-301 · LaGG-3-4 · LaGG-3-8 · LaGG-3-11 · LaGG-3-23 · LaGG-3-34 · LaGG-3-35 · LaGG-3-66
La  La-5 · La-5F · La-5FN · La-7 · Dolgushin's La-7 · La-7B-20 · La-9 · La-11
Yak-1/7  Yak-1 · Yak-1B · Yak-7B
Yak-3  Yak-3 · Eremin's Yak-3(e) · Yak-3P · Yak-3T · Yak-3U · Yak-3 (VK-107)
Yak-9  Yak-9 · Yak-9B · Golovachev's Yak-9M · Yak-9T · Yak-9K · Yak-9U · Yak-9UT · Yak-9P
Other countries  ▂P-40E-1 · ▂P-47D-27 · ▂Hurricane Mk IIB · ▂Fw 190 D-9 · ▂Spitfire Mk IXc
P-39  ▂P-39K-1 · ▂Pokryshkin's P-39N-0 · ▂P-39Q-15
P-63  ▂P-63A-5 · ▂P-63A-10 · ▂P-63C-5