Yak-3 (France)

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Rank VI | Premium | Golden Eagles
Challenger DS Pack
▄Yak-3
yak-3_france.png
▄Yak-3
AB RB SB
4.3 4.3 4.7
Purchase:1 600 Specs-Card-Eagle.png
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This page is about the French premium fighter Yak-3 (France). For other uses, see Yak-3 (Family).

Description

GarageImage Yak-3 (France).jpg


The ▄Yak-3 is a premium rank III French fighter with a battle rating of 4.3 (AB/RB) and 4.7 (SB). It was introduced in Update 1.77 "Advancing Storm".

General info

Flight Performance

Characteristics
Stock
Max Speed
(km/h at ?,000 m)
Max altitude
(meters)
Turn time
(seconds)
Rate of climb
(meters/second)
Take-off run
(meters)
AB RB AB RB AB RB
633 615 10400 18.3 18.9 17.9 17.9 348
Upgraded
Max Speed
(km/h at 4,100 m)
Max altitude
(meters)
Turn time
(seconds)
Rate of climb
(meters/second)
Take-off run
(meters)
AB RB AB RB AB RB
672 653 10400 17.2 17.4 24.2 21.3 348

Details

Features
Combat flaps Take-off flaps Landing flaps 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
+ -
685 320   ??? ~?? ~?
Optimal velocities
Ailerons
(km/h)
Rudder
(km/h)
Elevators
(km/h)
Radiator
(km/h)
< ??? < ??? < ??? > ???
Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude 100% Engine power WEP Engine power
 ?,??? m  ??? hp  ?,??? hp

Survivability and armour

  • 8.5 mm steel behind pilot
  • 10 mm steel on top of rear cockpit
  • 64 mm bulletproof
  • Self-sealing fuel tanks (1 under pilot, 1 in each wing)

Armaments

Offensive armament

The Yak-3 (France) is armed with:

  • 1 x 20 mm ShVAK cannon, nose-mounted (120 rpg)
  • 2 x 12.7 mm Berezin UB machine guns, nose-mounted (150 rpg = 300 total)

Usage in battles

The Yak-3 is the pinnacle of the piston engine Yakovlev design, with a much more powerful engine, the addition of a second MG (meaning the MGs are viable now!), and metal wings! The coolant system, now actually somewhat effective, has been moved to the wing roots (no "smiley face" below the nose), making the plane more streamlined. The cannon - the same old 20mm ShVak - receives a pleasant upgrade: very effective Air Targets belts.

Overall, the Yak-3 can be considered as a "jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none" aircraft. It will readily fulfill any fighter role a pilot will put it in, however, it won't excel in any – the American and German aircraft will still be better at energy fighting and executing Boom & Zoom tactics, while the British and the Japanese planes will still have an edge in maneuverability. Yet, the Yak-3 is a very potent machine which, with a skilled pilot behind the controls, is an opponent that you don't want to underestimate.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer Pitch Radiator Supercharger Turbocharger
Oil Water Type
Not controllable Controllable
Automatic pitch
Controllable Not controllable Combined Controllable Not controllable

Modules

Tier Flight performance Survivability Weaponry
I Fuselage repair Radiator Offensive 12 mm
II Compressor Airframe New 12 mm MGs
III Wings repair Engine Offensive 20 mm
IV 100 octane fuel usage Cover New 20 mm cannons
This is a premium vehicle: all modifications are unlocked on purchase

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Great turn time
  • Excellent low altitude performance
  • Great energy retention
  • Excellent acceleration below 4 km
  • Good armament
  • Good climb rate

Cons:

  • Very low rip speed
  • Fragile, no frontal armor
  • No WEP, engine overheats at 100%
  • Poor engine performance above 5 km
  • Fairly low ammo count, armament inadequate against bombers

History

The idea to produce a new fighter for the Red Army Air Force went as far back as 1941. It was then that the Yakovlev Design Bureau presented the I-30 prototype, intended an alternative to the earlier Yak-1 design. However, the German invasion of the USSR, as well as aluminium shortages, meant that the project had to be put on hold. Yakovlev resumed the development in 1943 while working on an upgraded version of the Yak-1 fighter. This time, it was decided that a new aircraft should be produced to completely replace the Yak-1 and Yak-7 models.

By September 1943, yet another improved variant was ready, designated Yak-1M Dubler, on which the canvas skin on the tail section was replaced with 2mm plywood, and oil and water radiators were improved. The Dubler also had a new mastless antenna, a ring sight instead of a reflector sight, improved armour and a new propeller. Test pilots were impressed by the new prototype. Their report stated in part: "Yak-1M possessed excellent horizontal, and especially vertical, manoeuvrability. Top speed greatly improved compared to earlier serial-production Yaks. Despite the improved performance, the aircraft remains easy to fly and does not require extensive pilot training."

The new machine was dubbed as the Yak-3 and entered service with the Red Army Air Force in 1944. The Yak-3 was a further modification of the Yak-1, produced in 1944 and 1945, with a total of 4,848 built, and considered one of the best fighters of the war.

The new fighter quickly became very popular with Soviet pilots. They highly praised its solid armament of two Berezin UBS 12.7 mm machine guns and one ShVAK 20 mm cannon as well as ease of piloting and superb low-altitude performance. Marcel Albert, the top scoring French ace of World War II, cited the Yak-3 as one of the best fighters of the war, along with the P-51 Mustang and the Supermarine Spitfire. After the war, the Yak-3 was also used by the Air Forces of Socialist Yugoslavia and Poland.[1]

The Yak-3P was produced from April 1945 until mid-1946, armed with 3 × 20 mm Berezin B-20 cannon with 120 rounds for the middle cannon and 130 RPG for the side weapons. The three-cannon armament with full ammunition load was actually 11 kg (24 lb) lighter than that of a standard Yak-3, and the one-second burst mass of 3.52 kg (7.74 lb) was greater than that of most contemporary fighters. Starting in August 1945, all Yak-3 were produced in the Yak-3P configuration with a total of 596 built.

In-game description

"The Yak-3 was a Soviet single-engine fighter of the WWII era. It was the first combat aircraft designed by Alexander Yakovlev's construction bureau. The Yak-3 was a further modification of the Yak-1, produced in 1944 and 1945, with a total of 4,848 built, and considered one of the best fighters of the war. In February 1943, a new Yak-1M variant was completed. It was a further development of the Yak-1, differing from it mainly in lower weight and smaller wing span.

By September 1943, yet another improved variant was ready, designated Yak-1M Dubler, on which the canvas skin on the tail section was replaced with 2mm plywood, and oil and water radiators were improved. The Dubler also had a new mastless antenna, a ring sight instead of a reflector sight, improved armor and a new propeller. Test pilots were impressed by the new prototype. Their report stated in part: ""Yak-1M possessed excellent horizontal, and especially vertical, maneuverability. Top speed greatly improved compared to earlier serial-production Yaks. Despite improved performance, the aircraft remains easy to fly and does not require extensive pilot training."" Therefore, the new modification went into production, receiving a new designation, Yak-3.

One of the most memorable air battles for the Yak-3 took place on 16th July 1944, when the plane showed it could confidently engage superior enemy forces. On that day, 10 Yak-3s met 8 Bf-109s and 4 FW-190s, with the battle eventually growing to 18 Soviet and 24 German planes. In the end, 15 German planes were shot down, for the loss of a single Yak-3."

Media

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.

References

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

  • topic on the official game forum;
  • encyclopedia page on the aircraft;
  • other literature.


A.S. Yakovlev Design Bureau (Яковлев Опытное конструкторское бюро)
Fighters 
Yak-1  Yak-1 · Yak-1B
Yak-3  Yak-3 · 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

France fighters
Dewoitine  D.371 · D.371 H.S.9 · D.373 · D.500 · D.501 · Pallier's D.510 · D.520
Morane-Saulnier  M.S.405C1 · M.S.406C1 · M.S.410
Arsenal  V.G.33C-1
Bloch  M.B.152C1 · M.B.157
Caudron  C.R.714
Sud-Ouest  S.O.8000 Narval
American  H-75A-1 · H-75A-4 · ▄P-39Q-25 · ▄P-40F-5 Lafayette · ▄P-47D-22-RE · ▄P-63C-5 · F-6C-10-NA
  ▄F6F-5 · ▄F6F-5N · F4U-7 · ▄F8F-1B
Other countries  ▄Seafire LF Mk.III · ▄Yak-3 · Challe's ▄Yak-9T · NC.900

France premium aircraft
Fighters  D.371 H.S.9 · Pallier's D.510 · ▄P-39Q-25 · ▄P-40F-5 Lafayette · ▄P-47D-22-RE · F-6C-10-NA
  M.B.152C1 · ▄Yak-3 · Challe's ▄Yak-9T · NC.900 · S.O.8000 Narval
Jet fighters  Milan · Mirage F1C-200
Strike aircraft  ▄AD-4NA · F-84F IAF
Bombers  Late 298D · ▄PBY-5A Late
Jet bombers  Vautour IIA IDF/AF · S.O.4050 Vautour IIN