Unit: 1 GvIAP sometime in 1942
Pilot: unknown
The Yakovlev Yak-1 was the first variant of the Yak fighter aircraft family. Early production Yakovlev fighter aircraft were among the greatest piston-engine fighters created during World War II, despite often being overshadowed in media by their Western counterparts. The Yakovlev bureau created the Yak-1 in response to a Soviet government request in 1938 for a fighter made mostly of wood for ease of maintenance, repair, and, most importantly, mass production. The initial design was given the designation "I-26" after the Soviet Air Force approved its mass production. Once production began, the aircraft's designation changed to the more common "Yak-1". Some 13,947 Yak-1 aircraft were produced in 192 continuous series each incorporating improvements so as to not interrupt production rates. The first number of series had a non-sliding clear rear canopy section. This was later changed to part of the fuselage with rear quarter windows.
Starting with the 20th series, the Yak-1 aircraft were equipped with an RSI-4 transceiver radio and the tail wheel was made non-retractable.
In June 1942, the M-105PA engine on serial Yak-1 aircraft was replaced with a more powerful, but lower-altitude M-105PF, boosted from 910 to 1050 mm Hg. serially produced from June 1942 to July 1944. A total of 5,672 aircraft were produced.
Bomb racks were installed from the 5th to the 126th series and from the 148th series until the end of production, i.e. until the 192nd series of the Saratov plant No. 292. From the 127th to the 147th series (from February to June 1943), bomb racks were not installed due to work to lighten the aircraft. During the serial production of the Yak-1, only 7,509 machines with bomb racks were produced.
The Yak-1 was equipped with rocket armament was produced from the 43rd to the 65th series (from October 1941 to May 1942). It consisted of six RS-82 rockets. A total of 1,148 Yak-1s with RS-82 were built.
Apparently bomb rack and rocket racks were not interchangeable in the field.
Universal armament was:
1 x 20 mm ShVAK cannon, nose-mounted (120 rpg)
2 x 7.62 mm ShKAS machine guns, nose-mounted (150 rpg = 300 total)
Credits
Captain Kurt: Aircraft model, VC, paint textures, and .dp
2D Panel: Morton with permission to modify
Aircraft flight files: C Bielat
Kelticheart: Prop blurred texture
Gauges: Most are by Morton for the Br Yak-9U
Bombs, rockets, and racks are from Ivan Hsu's I-16 series
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