The Yak Family

[mattd27]

I'm not totally familiar with these planes, so I was wondering if someone could educate me further. There are several different Yak planes in this game, and I was wondering what the best use for each of them is. Like high altitude or low altitude, what type of fighter, basically how to know where and how to use them best.

I just want to make sure I'm utilizing each of them correctly.

[play2often]

last time i checked, there are 3 yak fighters in BOP: YAK-1B, YAK-3, and YAK-9.

in real life there was also a YAK-7 but it was very similar to the YAK-1, so i can imagine why they didn't bother adding it.

[mattd27]

Originally Posted by play2often

last time i checked, there are 3 yak fighters in BOP: YAK-1B, YAK-3, and YAK-9.

in real life there was also a YAK-7 but it was very similar to the YAK-1, so i can imagine why they didn't bother adding it.

Yep, and I have them all, now I want to know the best tactics for each one.

I'm mostly an american planes fan, but until the P-51 fix, I've really been taking to the Soviet planes. the yak's seem to be a soviet staple, so I want to know how to handle them they way the should be.

[Soviet Ace]

I'm starting to think that people are just asking about Soviet planes, so I will answer them Which I'm glad to

1. During WW2 there were several Yaks: Yak-1, Yak-7, Yak-9, and Yak-3. Those were the main fighters that the Soviet Union used against 109s and 190s. They all had different varients like the Yak-1b, Yak-7b, and so on. But the only Yak-3 to take place in WW2 was the Yak-3. Not the Yak-3P or Yak-3U, those came later as test planes etc.

2. All Yaks should be flow probably no higher in game that 7,500ft or you'll have a fun time trying to maneuver. They're meant as low-medium altitude planes, and were not designed as high altitude interceptors. The Soviet mindset was that fighters were used to cover the ground troops, and they needed low-medium altitude fighters to do so. I personally fly all Yaks with no more than 3 notches from the very top, allowing me to maneuver great and sharp. You can treat the Yaks in the game fairly ruff, and in real life they were able to take some punishment either from pilot or enemy.

[mattd27]

Right, seems pretty simple, not being familiar with that plane type I wanted to make sure I wasn't using them wrong or anything. but from your description they seem like a pretty solid plane.

[Soviet Ace]

They are, but be careful that either one of your wings gets to highly damaged. Then you'll be fighting the stick or controller (which every you use) to keep it level; which isn't hard, but you do need some serious patience. I actually got a 190A kill while flying my Yak-3 that had a wing that was totaled. Kinda cool

[Tudorp15]

I have em all, but like the Yak 1B best. I use it allot in CTA. It dives great, and turns very well to stay out of other's crosshairs. I use it to dive in quick get a landing and out of there. I nose dive, at the last second chop the throttle all the way back, pull up hard for a nice dramatic landing. I can get it on the ground and taking the field seconds from game start. The others may be just as good, but I have bombs and rockets on the 1B, so after I take the field, I take off and go into defend mode scraping and dropping a little friend on anyone that tries to take the field back. Lots of fun to fly..

[Soviet Ace]

Originally Posted by Tudorp15

I have em all, but like the Yak 1B best. I use it allot in CTA. It dives great, and turns very well to stay out of other's crosshairs. I use it to dive in quick get a landing and out of there. I nose dive, at the last second chop the throttle all the way back, pull up hard for a nice dramatic landing. I can get it on the ground and taking the field seconds from game start. The others may be just as good, but I have bombs and rockets on the 1B, so after I take the field, I take off and go into defend mode scraping and dropping a little friend on anyone that tries to take the field back. Lots of fun to fly..

Oh, and that's another thing about the Yak-1b's I forgot to mention. The rockets and bombs, should actually weight the Yak-1 down. I don't think it does so much as it should, because as it says in my Yak book, the bomb racks and rocket dispensers weight the Yak-1 down greatly. Since the Yak-1 was powered by the VK105PF-2 Engine, and that engine didn't have the power to move all the extra weight, the Yak-1 should be very hard to maneuver and sluggish. Same goes for the Yak-3. The Yak-9T should as well, but even more since it's armed with a 37mm cannon!

[merro]

I played with the Yak 1 the first time last night, and i love that plane. It flys great manouvers perfect, picks up good speed, the only downside is the climb rate.
I still have problems keeping the plane from pitching to one side( i think it has to do with the propeller).
But that plane is deadly, i downed more planes in one round with the yak 1 then with my trusty bf 109 G6 in two.