Duration: 1:07

2,475 views

1

History: Shortly after the end of World War II, an American clergyman who had lived in Moscow during that period described the air war thus, "The Nazis would fly over the city dropping leaflets goading the Russians to send up something worth fighting."P&W R-1830 14-cylinder Radial engine startup at the 2008 airshow

No doubt that was either in 1942 or early 1943, because 1943 was the year that the Soviet Air Force answered the challenge with a vengeance, fielding aircraft from several designers that could go head-to-head with the best that the Luftwaffe had available. Among these, was the Yakovlev Yak-3, an aircraft that would become the most-produced Soviet fighter of the war.

A light, responsive, single-seat interceptor, bomber escort and close-support aircraft that was especially deadly to Luftwaffe aircraft at altitudes below 11,000 feet, the Yak-3's success in combat led to the conversion of a Yak-3U to two-seat trainer prototype, the Yak-3UTI in 1945. That "cut-and-paste" redesign was followed 12 months later by the first flight of a new, air-cooled, two-seat advanced trainer/liaison aircraft/utility transport, the Yak-11, which used many Yak-3 parts, modified as needed for the aircraft's new functions.
Specifications:
Engine: One 570-hp Shvetsov ASh-21 radial piston engine
Weight: Empty 4,189 lbs., Max Takeoff 5,379 lbs.
Wing Span: 30ft. 10in.
Length: 27ft. 10.5in.
Performance:
Maximum Speed: 289 mph
Ceiling: 23,295 ft.
Range: 795 miles
Armament: One 12.7-mm (0.5-inch) UBS or 7.7-mm (0.303-inch) ShKAS machine gun.

Number Built: 3,859, plus 707 Czech-built C.11s.

Number Still Airworthy: 120+, most in eastern Europe.