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General Specifications
Wingspan: 9.2 m (30 ft. 2 in.) Length: 8.5 m (27 ft. 10 in.) Height: 2.42 m (7 ft. 11 in.) Weight: 2,105 kg. (4,641 lb.) Engine: Klimov VK-105PF Horsepower: 1,300 hp. Guns: Two 12.7 mm machine guns and one 20 mm cannon ___________________________________________________________
The Yak series of fighters were refined over the entire course of World War II, and were known for their dogfighting ability. Rugged and easily manufactured, they displayed excellent flying characteristics and were easy to maintain on the Soviet front.
A smaller, faster, lighter plane than the Yak-9, the Yak-3 entered service in 1944, and managed to achieve better performance with the same engine. The Germans were so amazed to learn that such a small fighter could outclass their planes, that they issued a directive for pilots to avoid combat with Yak-3s below 5,000 meters. The French Normandie-Nieman Group chose the Yak-3 when it re-equipped, and scored many of its 273 victories with the plane. The Yak-3 was armed with one 20 mm cannon and two heavy machine guns. Though it was harder to handle than other Yaks, it gained quite a reputation when experienced pilots sat in the cockpit.
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