Yakovlev Yak-3
Light frontline fighter
On display
The Yak-3 resulted from the systematic lightening of the Yak-1 line: a smaller wing, refined aerodynamics, an oil cooler moved into the wing. With the VK-105PF2 engine the fighter weighed less than any serial single-engine counterpart and was unmatched in climb and low-altitude turns.
Pilots received the machine in spring 1944 and quickly grew to trust it, choosing vertical manoeuvre combat. After the war the French volunteers of Normandie-Niemen flew their Yak-3s home to France as a gift of the Soviet government.
The displayed fighter carries the summer 1944 markings of the 303rd Fighter Aviation Division. A sectioned VK-105 engine is shown beside it.
