-=<202nd>=- Exorcists Fighter / Bomber Squadron (GMT Time Zone)

[David603]

Originally Posted by Soviet Ace

Yeah that's my problem with the Yak-3 on 1946, is I don't think they got the rate of climb good enough. In reality, the Yak-3 was superb in Maneuvering, Climbing, and guns. And the reason, there is only 150 rounds for the cannon, is because they wanted to keep the plane light, and I know that later Yak-3s like the Yak-3P and I think the Yak-3U something, had 210 cannon rounds, but both of those were designed produced after the war, and used for ground attack. The WW2 Yak-3, has no number or letter. It's just that Yak-3

Sorry, I should have said it was the Bf109G I was talking about when I said it only had 150 rounds for the 20mm cannon and should have 200. The Yak-3 has 120 rpg for the 20mm and 170rpg for the two 12.7mm MGs. So that is firepower on the weak side of average for a late war fighter with below average amounts of ammo. Doesn't help that the Russian ShVAK cannon used by the Yak-3 is rather inferior to the Hispano or the MG151 20mm cannons.

Definitely agree with needing to keep the Yak-3 light, it only has a 1,290hp engine when the Spitfire IX has 1,720hp and the Bf109G10 has 1,800hp.

I think the Yak-3's climb rate is modelled quite well, the real life initial climb rate is 4,265ft/min, which puts it at the top end of climb rates, but both the Spitfire IX and Bf109G10 have initial climb rates in the order of a bit over 4,500ft/min so their having an edge over the Yak-3 here seems fair.

Still, having only one point of real weakness (firepower) as a dogfighter isn't bad, most of the Yak-3's rivals have several at least.