Which of those kites just don’t seem to see the table…?
Depending upon who’s asking,my collection of WGF & WGS aircraft ranges somewhere between respectable and obscene. Even so, I’m pleased that the majority have seen the table at some point. It might have only been once, but all but a few have had their opportunity to fall from the sky in a blaze of glory.
In a fortunate bit of circumstance, one of those sculpts that has failed to find its way out of my collection and onto the table is celebrating a bit of an anniversary today: the Yakovlev series of piston engine fighters first took to the air 75 years ago.
Ares Yakovlev Yak-1 (Litvjak)
I-26-I, the first of several prototypes which would evolve into the Yak-1, flew for the first time on 13 January 1940. Despite the fact that the aircraft suffered from oil overheating problems (resulting in more than a dozen emergency landings during early testing) and was a total loss when it crashed on 27 April 1940 (killing its test pilot), tests continued with successive prototypes: I-26-2 & I-26-3.
Despite technical issues (including the engine troubles inherited from I-26-I) which continued to plague the program and resulted in its failing government testing, production orders were placed under the name “Yak-1” as early as 19 February 1940… only a month after I-26-I’s first flight! This calculated risk was designed to take advantage of its less-than-impressive competitors and reduce lag time between prototype and production aircraft.
The gamble paid off. Although roughly 20,000 assembly line changes were implemented in the first three years of production, more than 400 Yak-1s were in service at the start of the Great Patriotic War on 22 Jun 1941.
Yak-1s on the flightline
The early Yak-1 was a far-from-perfect design. Although superior in most respects to a Bf 109E, it struggled against the Bf 109F above 5,000 meters. Light and nimble at low altitude, it suffered from balky fuel tanks, a poorly designed canopy, and (by Western standards) a light armament… but it was favored by many Soviet pilots, claiming the superiority of later marks to Bf 109Gs. Even so, Yak losses were high, with more than 3,300 destroyed during the course of the war.
Later model Yak-1s (late-model canopy) in flight
Regardless, when considered one type, the contributions of the Yakovlev family of piston engine fighters (Yak-1, Yak-3, Yak-7, and Yak-9) cannot be underestimated. By numbers alone, it constitutes the largest production run of fighters (37,000+) in history.
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Having researched this, I intend to field a couple of Yak-1s... I see a 109 or two in their immediate future.How about you?
Which of those kites that might be gathering dust are going to hit your table for the first time?
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Originally Posted by Nightbomber
in my current 
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