The Soviet Fighter Yakovlev Yak-3

Yakovlev Yak—3 is considered one of the best World War 2 fighters, invariably praised by those who flew it in combat for its remarkable performance. The Germans also treated it with respect, which is perhaps best illustrated by Generalleutnant Walter Schwabedissen’s remark: The Yak—3 was a tough nut to crack for our pilots. It outperformed our machines in speed, maneuverability and rate of climb.

The emergence of Yak—3 was a compromise between the need to improve the Yak—1’s characteristics ...