Professor Gaines sent me the accompanying photo of a YAK-9 that a friend of his owns, flying over east Alabama. The photo was made from a B-25 that is in south-central Alabama. Looks like a painting, doesn't it? View attachment 24529
Great picture. WW2 nerd mode on: I thought the Yak 3 was the one 'without the oil cooler below the nose' WW2 nerd mode off And why don't I hear about these events ahead of time ? Edit: I bet that is the Yak 9 with the Allison that Gaines has flown in, which would explain the missing oil cooler.
Ummm...WW2 nerds would recognize a replica Yak-9U when they saw one. But, yes, it is one of the modern -9UM replicas. The lack of the oil cooler is because on the 9U, the oil coolers were moved to the wing roots - similar to the Yak-3.
Fantastic photo. I need a friend that owns a Yak as well. Anyone have one and need a buddy? I'll bring the beer, (for post flight festivities).
Well, I learned something new today. Thanks. Those pictures further discredit the 'Avoid Yaks without oil cooler' German order myth. I thought only the 3s lacked the nose inlet
First, thanks to Jeff for posting this incredible photograph, it indeed looks like a painting and was a gift from the plane's owner. It is indeed that same one I got to fly in, sitting on the old WW2 radio shelf behind the pilot. Russian tube type radios apparently needed a bit of room. It is a replica, as Takao pointed out . Made in Russia from the original drawings, well, copies there of, and fitted with Allison 1710's for the current warplane crowd. Somewhat over 20 were produced. As an aside, but interesting, is that the early Klimov engines had a manual oil pump, not powered ! Another thing to do during a dog fight ! Our flight, about 90 minutes on a clear Alabama sky, was the most exhilarating 90 minutes of my long life. It hardly qualifies me as remotely knowledgeable on WW2 fighters but after doing loops, rolls, dives, , etc, at what Jim described as 50% full effort ,I was and remains spell bound . At least when I read that a FW 190 has one if not the fastest roll rates I know what a roll feels like in the minimum. I had no sense of whether I was right side up or upside down, I did feel compression in turns and dives, G's as they are called . Here to for I had flown in light planes....my dad and his brother had a Piper J-2 and later an Aircoupe, a roaring 72 HP, flew in all sorts of Cessna, Mooney's , even an AT-6 then of course nearly every type of passenger plane starting with a DC-3 up to 747's. The light planes were fun, the commercial planes flying buses but the Yak was my first and no doubt last feeling , albeit 1/1000th of the tiniest possible hint of what a WW2 fighter felt like in non-combat conditions.. I cannot image the sheer terror of being in The Battle of Britain ot more pertinent here, over Kursk. I was impressed with how small it was for having a 27 liter engine. But then the V -12's mostly were. I am currently working on a house the Yak owner and his family. He is the one looking for a propeller to display. He is an ex-military pilot with experience in helicopters and fixed wing planes and is a natural in the Yak, felt like they were one.. I am grateful to the extreme for this opportunity. The Collins Foundation visited Auburn last year with their B17, 24 and twin seat P-51. I had flown in the 17 in Oregon some years ago but they were asking $2000 for a 30 minute ride in the 51. No doubt fair and necessary but it made me all the more thankful . I doubt they demonstrated the agility of that plane as Jim did the YAK.. He plainly likes to fly it with zest. Gaines ( A very lucky fellow ! )
