suggested tactics yak3 vs fw190

[edward allen]

In this matchup i will try a spiral climb to the right but it never works.
FW pulls inside me and down I go. Any suggestions from the yak jockey's.

[rollnloop]

Keep enough speed during your manoeuver so you can reverse any time if attacked. If attacked break right and low. If outnumbered or in a brawl FW have the armament advantage, so try to avoid these situations. In a 1 vs 1, 2 vs 2 and up to 4 vs 4 it's more manageable.

Doras or Antons ?

[Woke Up Dead]

A Yak 3 will out-turn any 190 in a long sustained turn, so you want to get in close, turn hard, and slow the fight down. Pretend you're a Zero or Spitfire; the Yak isn't as steady and can't turn quite that tight, but it's still a good way to fight against a 190.

Getting the fight to that slow stage is tricky against a 190 though. If you're both going fast at the merge then he has an advantage with the tougher engine and more guns; he'll gladly take the head-on. After a fast first merge you will probably still be unable to get in-close, another head-on or just off head-on merge will happen. After that you should be in-close and slow enough to start a turn-fight where the Yak will be better.

So the trick is to survive that first merge or two: a quick pull of the stick and kick of the rudder to the inside just as you're entering gun range will do the trick nine times out of ten. You can practice this move against AI in Quick Mission Builder to get the timing right. In between merges try to make him turn as much as possible, the 190's small wings will bleed lots of energy in long turns so make big, sweeping turns that tighten at the last second along with that rudder kick to spoil his shot.

[gaunt1]

Also, vs 190As, the Yak-3 is MUCH faster up to 5000m, accelerates and climbs far better all the way up to max service ceiling. 190D is more problematic, because its roughly as fast as you, and as altitude increases, he will get faster. But it still climbs and turns very poorly.

[Woke Up Dead]

Originally Posted by gaunt1

Also, vs 190As, the Yak-3 is MUCH faster up to 5000m, accelerates and climbs far better all the way up to max service ceiling. 190D is more problematic, because its roughly as fast as you, and as altitude increases, he will get faster. But it still climbs and turns very poorly.

Hmm, I don't know if the Yak-3 is faster than the 190As, especially not the A5, 6, or 9; I'm pretty sure IL-2 Compare will show the FWs are at least as fast at all altitudes and the 190D is much faster and climbs well at all altitudes too. Maybe you're confusing the Yak-3 with the much faster Yak-3VK prototype or the Yak-9U? Having said that, they're only faster if they fly in a straight line, as soon as they turn the 190s generate a lot of drag and will lose speed fastery than the Yak-3.

[majorfailure]

Originally Posted by Woke Up Dead

Hmm, I don't know if the Yak-3 is faster than the 190As, especially not the A5, 6, or 9; I'm pretty sure IL-2 Compare will show the FWs are at least as fast at all altitudes and the 190D is much faster and climbs well at all altitudes too. Maybe you're confusing the Yak-3 with the much faster Yak-3VK prototype or the Yak-9U? Having said that, they're only faster if they fly in a straight line, as soon as they turn the 190s generate a lot of drag and will lose speed fastery than the Yak-3.

IL-2 Compare says you are faster in a regular Yak-3 than any Fw190 up to A8, between 1000 and about 5000 m. And climbs better in that range, too. But both not by a wide margin. Vs. A9 you are about even, and vs. D9 you are at a disadvantage.

Yaks vs. 190s is always a tough game in my opinion, you have some advantages, but against capable foes you cannot use them, they either use roll rate or their ability to dive, and you cannot follow either. And even if you could and would, their wingmen wait just for that. If possible and situation allowing(1 on 1), slow the fight, make it a turning contest.
And be aware, that not only when you are hit by Fw190, you are likely to be out of the fight, vice versa its true, too. That seemingly puny armament of a heavy MG and a 20mm cannon can really waste planes, if you can get a concentrated burst to hit home.

Edit:
Just tried this vs. veteran AI (in an A-6), QMB, 2000m. 1 on 1. Five times. I avoided the initial head-on and tried to get behind the Fw190, which worked most of the time. They evade, if they are clever with rolling scissors/Split-S, which I counter by pulling up and repositioning or if I feel I can make the shot, I cut across their circles, if they are not so clever, they turn and that's their demise. And never once I had to make the fight slow, on the contrary. That Yak-3 is a monster. It is excellent at all things that that 1B/9 are good at. Visibility all around is excellent, armament is good(Four of my five Fw190 were out of the fight after the first burst), acceleration and climb is superb, and handles like a dream. If the real thing was anything like that, I do not wonder why its pilots considered it excellent.

[gaunt1]

Originally Posted by majorfailure

If the real thing was anything like that, I do not wonder why its pilots considered it excellent.

Unlike Lavochkins and Yak-9U, which are overmodeled, all VK-105 powered Yaks have very good FM. They match historical performance very well. And yes, the Yak-3 was a truly excellent plane in RL too. It had somewhat less maneuverability than earlier models, but it is compensated by far superior speed and climb.

[Janosch]

Originally Posted by gaunt1

Unlike Lavochkins and Yak-9U, which are overmodeled,

No they aren't.

[gaunt1]

Originally Posted by Janosch

No they aren't.

Official NII VVS tests dont agree...
La-5 is moderately overmodeled, La-5F significantly, La-5FN slightly. La-7 is also moderately. Even if we compare the best performing serial planes in the tests with ingame data.
Much of their FM is based on prototypes.

[TinyTim]

Originally Posted by gaunt1

And yes, the Yak-3 was a truly excellent plane in RL too. It had somewhat less maneuverability than earlier models, but it is compensated by far superior speed and climb.

QFT. Russians actually tried to make Yak-1(B) more "FW-ish", which gave birth to Yak-3 (initially designated Yak-1M) which had larger turning circle (compared to earlier models with larger wings) in favor better roll, acceleration, climb, etc, which all made it a better dogfighter.