Yakovlev Yak-9

what is it?

The Yakovlev Yak-9 (Russian: Яковлев Як-9; NATO reporting name: Frank) is a single-engine, single-seat multipurpose fighter aircraft used by the Soviet Union and its allies during World War II and the early Cold War. It was a development of the robust and successful Yak-7B fighter, which was based in turn on the tandem-seat advanced trainer known as the Yak-7UTI. The Yak-9 started arriving in Soviet fighter regiments in late 1942 and played a major role in retaking air superiority from the Luftwaffe's new Focke-Wulf Fw 190 and Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters during the Battle of Kursk in summer 1943. The Yak-9 had a cut down rear fuselage with an unobscured canopy.

🔎How to recognise it: piston engines · 9.7 m wingspan

base stats

• range 848 kmwithout refuelling
• built 16,769made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 84 years ago, in 1942.
• 🚗Wingspan of 9.7 m: about 2 cars parked nose to tail.
• 🏔️Can fly 1.2× higher than Mount Everest (8,849 m).

piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.

spec sheet

first flight

1942

introduced

1942

retired

1950

status

retired

number built

16,769

role

fighter

origin

🇷🇺 Soviet Union

makers

Omsk, Novosibirsk Aircraft Production Association, Yakovlev, Production Corporation Polyot, Tushino Machine-Building Plant

engines

Klimov M-105

length

8.5 m

wingspan

9.7 m

top speed

—

range

848 km

ceiling

10,750 m

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.