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.........The Yakovlev Yak-3 (Russian: Я́ковлев Як-3) was a World War II Soviet fighter aircraft that became operational in 1944. Robust and easy to maintain, it was much liked by pilots and ground crew alike. It was one of the smallest and lightest major combat fighters fielded by any combatant during the war and its high power-to-weight ratio gave it excellent performance making it a formidable dogfighter.
In combat, the Yak-3 proved its worth almost immediately as it arrived. It maintained a stellar kill-to-loss ratio over Luftwaffe fighters and held the upper hand in most engagements thanks to its inherent capabilities and powerful armament. The addition of the Klimov VK-107 1,700 horsepower engines upped the ante even further as now the Yak-3 was capable of improved top speeds reaching 450 miles per hour. Marcel Albert, World War II French ace, who flew the Yak-3 in the USSR with the Normandie-Niémen Group, considered it a superior aircraft when compared to the P-51D Mustang and the Supermarine Spitfire. By war’s end, nearly 5,000 Yak-3s in 12 variants would roll off of Soviet assembly lines and into battle against the Luftwaffe.
Modern Variants:
From 1991 to 2002 there were 21 Yakovlev Yak-3, Yak-7 and Yak-9 aircraft produced in the former Soviet Union using the original plans and dies. These aircraft are powered by the American Allison V-1710 or the Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp engine in place of the Klimov V-12s used during the war. Several of these aircraft are airworthy, mostly based in the United States but also in Germany and Australia. Others have been converted to "Yak-3U" status from original Yak-11 trainers for private owners and museums.
Facts and General Characteristics of the Yak-3:
Manufacturer: Yakovlev, Soviet Union
Total Production: 4,848
Type: Single-Seat Monoplane Fighter Aircraft
Crew: 1
Wingspan: 30 ft. 2 in. (9.2 m)
Height: 7 ft. 11 in. (2.4 m)
Length: 27 ft. 10 in. (8.5 m)
Weight: Empty 4,641 lbs. (2,105 kg), max takeoff 5,864 lbs. (2,660 kg)
Powerplant: One Klimov VK-105PF-2 V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine, 1,300 hp (970 kW) later replaced by the Klimov VK-107 V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine 1,700 hp (1,268 kW).
Maximum speed: 407 mph (655 km/h)
Cruise speed: 148 mph (238 km/h)
Range: 559 miles (900 km)
Service ceiling: 35,105 ft. (10,700 m)
Standard Armament: One 20mm ShVAK cannon firing through the propeller hub and two 12.7mm Berezin UBS machine guns synchronized through the spinning propeller blades in the upper nose fuselage.
Facts and General Characteristics of the Model:
The model represents a Yak-3 flown by Lt. Semyon Ivanovich Rogovoi who served with the 64th GIAP / 4th GIAD from October 1944 to May 1945 as a flight leader. By the end of the war, he gained a minimum of five confirmed kills. Although this is a relatively well known and often illustrated aircraft, details of it and its pilot, Lt. Rogovoi, are more obscure. According to memoirs, this Yak-3 was dedicated to him for his role in the saving of a vessel in the Amursk flotilla. The aircraft carried with minor variation, a striking marking with a dedication inscription on both sides of the fuselage, reading “Semyonu Rogovomu at amurskich krasnoflotsev” (to Semyon Rogovoi from members of the Amursk Red Flotilla). The red spinner and rudder stripes were unit markings typical of the time for the 64th GIAP. The color of the rudder stripes are often described as yellow, but it is possible that they were white. The aircraft was built at Factory No. 292 in Saratov, U.S.S.R.
Manufacturer: Eduard, Czech Republic
Scale: 1/48
Wingspan: 7.5 in.
Length: 6.75 in.
Height: 3 in.
Parts: 50
Decals: 30
Hours to build and paint: 17.5
Cockpit Detail
Dedication Inscription