The Most Important Fighter of WW2? 

Very attractive aircraft

Yak attack!!!

да

@Bender B. Rodrigues yes let's not talk about america who stole every russian military designs and then talk that they designed it

The Mig-3 is absolutely gorgeous too.

Yak yak yakkity yak! By all means, do yak some more about the Yak! Just don’t yak up dinner. Seriously though, thanks for the tidbits of info; interesting stuff.

Nicely done! But, You are the guy, that ruined the bell curve, on tests. IL-2 is my favorite, from the WW2 Soviet Union.

The presenter of Dark Skies also has other channels such as Dark Tech and Dark Docs. They all have a great introduction and summary of the subject matter in a time frame of around 10 to 15 minutes in general. For someone such as myself who is interested in WW2 weaponry and history in general but don't necessarily have the time to delve too deeply into each weapon and event, these are great videos. If there is any piece of weaponry or event that later I would like to have more information about, then I'll search for something more detailed. But in the space of an hour, I can get good information of 4 - 5 weapons or parts of history and other interesting events. Thanks for the interesting info that you posted.

4,848 Yak 3s were produced, and I can't get my hands on even one of them :^( Though, if someone is feeling generous.. make sure it's snow camo.

The Soviet Yak-7, developed during World War II, was a versatile and highly capable fighter aircraft that played a significant role in the Eastern Front. Born out of the Yakovlev design bureau, the Yak-7 was an adaptation of the earlier Yak-1 fighter and featured several notable improvements. The Yak-7 was primarily designed to counter the German Luftwaffe's aircraft, which posed a significant threat to the Soviet Union. Its development aimed to address the shortcomings of the Yak-1, particularly its limited range and firepower. The aircraft incorporated a more robust structure, increased fuel capacity, and enhanced armament. One of the notable features of the Yak-7 was its excellent maneuverability. The aircraft was highly agile and could perform tight turns and quick rolls, giving it an advantage in dogfights. Its responsive controls and relatively light weight made it a favorite among Soviet pilots, who appreciated its handling characteristics. In terms of armament, the Yak-7 was armed with a combination of machine guns and cannons. Typically, it carried a 20mm ShVAK cannon firing through the propeller hub and two 7.62mm ShKAS machine guns mounted on the nose. Some variants even had additional cannons, such as the Yak-7B, which featured an upgraded armament of one 20mm ShVAK cannon and one 12.7mm Berezin UBS machine gun. This firepower made the Yak-7 a formidable opponent in air-to-air combat. The Yak-7 also saw use in other roles besides air superiority. It was employed as a ground-attack aircraft, capable of carrying bombs or rockets. The versatility of the Yak-7 allowed it to adapt to various mission requirements, proving its worth in multiple combat scenarios. One notable variant of the Yak-7 was the Yak-7V, which featured a redesigned wing to accommodate additional fuel tanks, increasing the aircraft's range. This variant was particularly useful for long-range escort missions and reconnaissance flights, as it could cover greater distances without refueling. The Yak-7's combat record speaks for itself. It served extensively on the Eastern Front, engaging in dogfights and ground attacks against the Germans. It was employed in major battles, such as the Battle of Stalingrad and the Battle of Kursk, where its performance helped turn the tide in favor of the Soviets. While the Yak-7 was an effective aircraft, it eventually became overshadowed by more advanced Soviet fighters, such as the Yak-9 and the Lavochkin La-5. These aircraft offered improved performance and firepower, rendering the Yak-7 less competitive on the battlefield. Nevertheless, it remained in service until the end of the war, and some Yak-7s were even exported to Soviet allies for post-war use. CHATGPT at your service 🙂

At least between mid 1940 and mid 1944 the war in the west was at higher altitude. When allied boots were on the ground; it was a different story. And it was always lower altitudes in North Africa and the Mediterranean. Had France not fallen in 1940; the air war in the west would’ve more resembled that in the east. The P-39 and P-40 probably would’ve had success in French hands. The Dewoitine D.520 actually has many similarities and a similar performance profile to the Yak-1, and that’s no coincidence.

Bad plane and pilots. German aces got their hundreds of kills on the East, NOT on the West. Hey, but ruskies would never lie about their weapons ??

​@@panan7777or so they say. They wouldn't lie

???? Специалист по глупости????

@@favoritforever You think so Masterbrain? Do you have any relevant comment to bring to the conversation?

I can't stand the maschinengewehr narrators.

I've always loved the IL-2 Sturmovik and believe it to be the best ground support aircraft until the A10 Warthog came along.

Well, yes. You know, I’m probably not the only one who caught myself thinking that even today the contours of the Yak-9 hull cause aesthetic satisfaction, and we are already spoiled by all sorts of modern design in different areas, we complete our thoughts about this aircraft with a single word - handsome.

Snap this puppy has speed an agility plus fire power. Probably flew it more than the others

You must be fun at parties

It's a myth though. They were given a choice in the beginning of their operations when they had just arrived. The main options were Yak-1B/Yak-9, Spitfire Mk.V and P-39. Perhaps there were also Hurricanes/P-40s, but their reputation wasn't that good in the VVS, so if they were listed I didn't bother remembering them. They went with Yaks because their construction/behaviour was the closest to D.520, and the M-105 engine they used was easier for the (originally french) mechanics to learn since it was based on the french H.S. 12Y engine. And they did good with the Yaks, no doubt about that.

@@MDzmitry Thanks for the clarification on that. It makes sense given how well the Yak performed, and the similarity to the French engine. The Spitfire Mk.V must have been tempting given the 2 x 20mm cannon, but it must have been a headache to get spare parts for them.

@@bigbrowntau not just that when it comes to Spitfire, it had a number of problems: - narrow landing gear, considering most airfields on the Eastern front were improvised - necessity of high-octane fuel to perform nicely - focus on medium and high altitudes interception, while most battles happened on low-medium alts - most (if not all) Mk.V spits shipped to the USSR were battle-worn or already repaired - it was a 1941 modification, which arrived by 1942-1943, when it was getting outdated by itself Even when Mk.IXs arrived (many of them factory new), they were considered unfit for the front simply because of lower maximum speed at ground level. Still, their climb, service ceiling and performance at higher altitudes were superior, so they remained in the air defense squadrons until jets appeared.

@@MDzmitry May have had more to do with the P39 requiring 100 octane fuel which was in short supply.

@@ArnieD17 True, higher fuel and maintenance requirements were a common trend for allied engines compared to soviet ones. German engines were somewhere in between: they could do with worse fuel, around the same grade as soviet one, but they were still more "nitpicky" to use in more rough conditions. Not to downplay any side's technologies though, it just shows how adaptive people can be with what they have at hand

Yes, but the yak9T and yak9k was original built for tank bursting but then they realized how hard it would be to hit a tank while flying

@@yspear_ Don't think it was ever built to take on tanks. Even the IL2 wasn't very good at that. Its best use was on troop concentrations, ammo and fuel dumps and trucks, trains etc. In fact the whole concept or aerial ground attack using projectile weapons is a bit meh. The A10 was pretty useless until the gun stabilisation system was perfected and able to carry Hellfire missiles and lots of different ballistic bombs.

We gave the Soviets a bunch under lend lease. From what I've read, they hated em.

@@donlarocque5157 I heard soviets loved them as light attack aircrafts. Everyone besides them and in every other role tho they were hated.

@@donlarocque5157 Actually they loved them (as soon as they ripped out the mandatory American wing guns - Soviets hated wing guns, thought they messed performance, and shortened gun range...they´re actually right about both). Check the Soviet Ace of Aces list, and a bunch of them flew the P-39. It had a good radio, when none of their fighters (except the commander´s bird) did yet, flew great once the wings were lightened, had staggering firepower (even with the wing guns gone), was pretty easy to fly and maintain, could handle rough airstrips (mandatory in the USSR) and had an amazing cockpit (roomier and armored) by Soviet standards (one of the first things every Soviet pilots who ever flew one commented on). And the clincher: they used it for what it was amazing at (which was the same as the Yak-9 and Yak-3), medium to low fights. The US hated it because they stubbornly kept the wing guns on which threw off its roll and turn rates and were trying to use it as a high altitude interceptor, which it just was NOT made to be.

@@israelgibson240 Exactly. Soviet pilots loved US planes. Simply more high-tech and better equipment. Some things that were automatic in western planes were in soviet planes manualy operated. An the polots stressed out how much better the US radios were and that is also a good thing to have in WW II air combat.

@@donlarocque5157 I doubt they hated them, they had so much success with them they turned it into the highest scoring American made aircraft. Doesn't sound like something they hated.

In Soviet Union ... Numbers count you!

Star Wars vibes

..Perhaps they had some bad food, and had to YAK. ...9 times.

In short the -3 was designed first but the 9 went into production first.

Sometimes there where problems to solve on a specific modell what slowed down the production. In Germany the Tank Panther d comes before the Panther a.

The yak 3 or 9 was never serial fitted with 2x 20mm (only one was tested, but not adopted) : this aircraft had a engine evolution from the french engine Hispano Suiza Y12 who had 1 20mm firing through the propeller shaft (ShWAK 20mm canon is the same as Hispano HS404 20mm) + 2x 12,7mm Berezin heawy machine guns...23mm, 37mm or 45mm was only tested in single (or small serie for the 37mm)

@@leneanderthalien yak-9ut

@@tranbachuyen6655 @260 9UTs were built between february-may 1945. Some of them fought over berlin, while Yak-9Ts were in serial production from 1943 to 1945. So, no... 9Ts were still very common during late war, while 23mm armed 9UTs were the rare ones. I think you might be refering exclusively to the 37/45mm Yak-9UTs variants, if so, yes, 37 and 45mm armed 9UTs variants existed only during tests, while the production ones being armed, as you said, with 2x 20mm and a 23mm. But like I said, only 260ish 9UTs were built during wartime, while some 5000 9Ts were built during the war

And Nakajima Ki84 Hayate

Yeah they stopped using them in some later models because the cannon had a tendency to jam.

​@@rmcdudmk212 Hey McDud... one German Ace that was interviewed referred to the 109's hub mounted cannon as the "Emergency Button" (roughly translated) as it was not a comfortable feeling when it fired. He did say it was very effective when attacking bomber formations though.

@@jerryjeromehawkins1712 I've heard similar stories. It was why they were reluctant to remove the gun. Some pilots love the 20mm.

stuka is a dive bomber , very slow and sitting duck again fighter , also the stuka that carry twin 37mm tank buster gun only have 24 rounds of ammo for both gun . that mean 12 rounds per gun > very low ammo count . in term of dive bomber armed with big tank buster cannon soviet also have IL-2 37mm with 112 rounds total, or Pe-3 ground attack version with twin 37mm carry 150 rounds total

@@tranbachuyen6655 the stuka being a sitting duck doesn't matter when you have air superiority. Which was quite often on the eastern front.

iiiiii ?

Too much credence is given to the Soviets for their design capabilities. They make utilitarian products. Their products were like paper plates, disposable.

The video is about Yak-fighters. It seems that you have no idea about the agenda and speculate what would say your grand uncle.

@@olegtchernychenko8289 no problem talking about il2, it's a soviet plane that operated on the side of the yaks

@@olegtchernychenko8289 his comment doesnt even make sense. it seems that he wants attention or is an agitator

Pretty much all of designers were arrested at that time in USSR. It wasn't a prison by any means, it was living and working in tightly controled environment

Туполев был наказан за нецелевое использование средств вполне заслуженно. При этом продолжал заниматься своей работой.

better yet the 47mm version

until a fw190 shows up

The bricks I shitted hearing that dumthdumthdumthdumth sound behind me

For about a year, 3 were at Duke Regional airport (near Pax River), where I was taking lessons at the time. One was looking for a home (Sean Carrol's). One was getting repainted. One was getting engine maintenance. All were Allison powered. The young man who did the engine work hated Merlins. I don't think anyone ever reported the low passes, which required aggressive climb and roll to avoid the Pax airspace. Even though they were 'repros,' they used enough original techniques to be very evocative. I was in the pattern when Sean arrived from California (I gave way so he wouldn't risk stalling). After parking it, he got out, stared at it for a minute, then turned to me and said "I can't believe this is mine." If I recall, he faked the 'knees buckling" thing too. You couldn't help but feel happy for the guy.

@@busterdee8228 wow thanks for sharing that fabulous experience

The good ol USA and the Lend Lease Act. 👍🏽🇺🇸

The B17 was part of the Lend Lease to the Soviets at the time. They had a very few of them, they never produced them in large numbers because Stalin wanted the B29 instead. He got his chance when 3 B29s landed in Tehran, and they copied them *so exactly* that all the serial numbers on *all* the TU4s were identical to the original 3 B29s

There were a few shuttle missions to Russia. Where b-17s would take off from England and instead of turning back to England would continue on.

You just need to pay attention more. That's what they make subtitles for.

hey! you cannot fire trough the crankshaft!!!... The engine from the Yaks was a evolution from the french engine Hispano Suiza Y12 + 20mm Hispano HS404 : this explain this design...

@@leneanderthalien Oops, you are so right. I had always assumed that's how the Bf-109s did it with the inverted V, but in thinking this through, that would be impossible since the piston rods would have to go through the center of the crankshaft. OK, great to clear that up. Lots more pictures of the Bf-109 Motorkanone layout are posted online and show that the cannon tube ran through the axis of the gear that drove the camshafts to the valve cylinders, and ran between the manifolds of the two banks of cylinders. So the Yak must have done the same thing in a non-inverted V-12 engine.

There is already on this channel. Dark docs or dark skies

Amen to that! The Yak 3 was a great aircraft.

Front Must-Do I according to Google Lens. I'm guessing it means something like "Support the War Front"

@@robotorch - Thank you for your help. ☺

I wonder how that compared to the P39 and P63 which also had a 37mm cannon firing through the prop hub?

And tremendous knockback forces, making firing below 350 kmph risky due to the possibility of starting a spin. And bigger weight, rendering Yak-9T/K obsolete as an air superiority fighter. Not making this up, since Yak-9Ts were primarily used as bomber interceptors or train/ship hunters, while escorted by lighter Yak-9 or Yak-1B models.

She is Lydia Litvyak

@@mirondim Thanks! Amazing Pilot!

There were multiple gun efficiency tests recorded, the first that come to mind are British (mostly tested on Spitfires and their parts) and Soviet (1945 test, carried out on La-7s, Yak-3s, Il-2s, Pe-2s: it noted on the efficiency of 12,7mm, 20mm, 23mm, 37mm rounds from both soviet and lend-lease guns)

The 1B was not even close to the Spitfire or P-51, as it came early in the war before they improved the later Yaks, which did in fact compare well to the Spitfire and the P-51s. But the Yak-1B? Not even close.

@@mikemortensen4973 u notice how i was talking about my fav aircrafts? That the yak1b ties with the spit and p51 for my fav, read before u type your snarky ''uhm achuallyyyyyy'' comment

agree with you

Thanks to the British who put a merlin engine in it.

Nope. P47 T BOLT, The plane that started the war , stood on the front lines and broke the back of the luftwaffe before the Pretty boy johnny come lately P51 finally came along.