Yak-1
| Country | Russia |
| Manufacturer | A. S. Yakovlev Design Bureau JSC |
| Primary Role | Fighter |
| Maiden Flight | 13 January 1940 |
Contributor: C. Peter Chen
ww2dbaseThe Yak-1 fighters first flew on 13 Jan 1940 . Almost failing government approval due to overheating problems, they nevertheless entered production a month later on 19 Feb 1940, possibly due to Alexander Sergeevich Yakovlev's favored status with Joseph Stalin. Over 20,000 changes of various degrees were made to the blueprint in the first three years of production, complicating the manufacturing process that was already plagued by a shortage of engines and other parts. As a result, different batches of Yak-1 fighters often used different parts, making service difficult. Additionally, the plywood wings often damaged from weather, and these aircraft were notoriously known for the lack of safety for pilots. Nevertheless, they performed well in combat situations, particularly with a tight turning radius, making them well-liked in the Russian military.
ww2dbaseThe war's only two female aces, Katya Budanova and Lydia Litvyak, both piloted Yak-1 fighters.
ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia.
Last Major Revision: Jul 2006
Yak-1 Timeline
| 13 Jan 1940 | The Yakovlev YA-26 prototype, later to become the Yak-1 fighter, took flight. This prototype would be lost in an accident in Apr 1940. |
| 6 Aug 1942 | Soviet fighter pilot Mikhail Baranov of the 183rd Air Regiment leading a flight of four Yak-1 aircraft over Stalingrad, Russia ran headlong into a formation of 25 Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters and took them on, shooting down three before running out of ammunition. Then skilfully manoeuvring his aircraft on to the tail of a fourth Bf 109 fighter, he closed in and cut off the fin of the enemy fighter with his propeller, afterwards making a successful forced landing. |
SPECIFICATIONS
Yak-1b
| Machinery | One Klimov M-105PF V-12 liquid-cooled engine rated at 1,180hp |
| Armament | 1x20mm ShVAK cannon, 1x12.7mm Berezin UBS machine gun |
| Span | 10.00 m |
| Length | 8.50 m |
| Wing Area | 17.20 m² |
| Weight, Empty | 2,394 kg |
| Weight, Loaded | 2,883 kg |
| Speed, Maximum | 592 km/h |
| Rate of Climb | 15.40 m/s |
| Service Ceiling | 10,050 m |
| Range, Normal | 700 km |
Photographs
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Visitor Submitted Comments
6 Oct 2017 07:39:41 PM
I like the Yak-1b.
Best turn time of the Yaks.
Now it could dive better, had more armor, better punch, better view, more speed, and it's still 1942!
Even the ladies scored against the Luftwaffe in this bird. Top that!
11 Dec 2017 10:37:01 PM
The Soviet UBS machine gun and ShVAK cannon were faster than those of the Luftwaffe. They also had better M/V. Luca, you're right that the Yak-1b was still under-gunned, but not as much as people think. The Yak-3 had 3 guns to address this for a WoF of 2.72kg per second.
The Yak-9T packed the NS-37 motor-cannon and became an ace-maker. With 2 guns, it had much more firepower per second than the P-39 had with 7 guns!
All visitor submitted comments are opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB.
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Thomas Dodd, late 1945
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25 Jul 2011 01:14:36 AM
I've always tought it's amazing how the Russians could effectively struggle against Bf-109 and Fw-190 with a fighter armed with just one cannon and one machine gun.