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 and the limitations of Soviet aircraft industry
and its outdated technologies. The basic design concept took those
shortcomings into account, which allowed a rapid launch of mass
production of this inexpensive fighter. This in turn would provide
frontline units with timely deliveries of new equipment to recoup combat
losses.
The key to Yak-3's success was not the use of a new powerplant (in those
days hard to come by in the USSR), but rather squeezing every bit of
performance out of the M-105PF engine, which resulted in a five percent
increase in power output. In combination with some serious weight
shedding, the Yak-3 had a significantly better performance than the
Yak-1. At altitudes up to 5,000 m (which is where most of the air combat
over Eastern Front took place), Yak-3 outperformed both the Bf-109 and
Fw-190 in rate of climb and maneuverability.
Unlike the Yak-1, the new fighter could also stay with the enemy in a
dive.
