spits give me fits !!!!!

[df54]

trying to learn to fly yak 9u and need help. spits give me fits!!!!! not much info on yak except a t soda's. would like to find em diagrams.

[aqhawasi]

check out spatula's most fantastic tool for aircraft comparison:

http://www.my2cents.co.nz/AKUAG/Resources_Files/PerfComp.aspx

Alternatively, if you dont want to download anything:

http://gonzoville.com/ahcharts/index.php

Good luck.  The Yak9U is a great plane.  From my experience:

Fire only when u get real close as you dont have a lot of ammo; however, the ballistics are good.
Its not a turn fighter.  Very fast, a definite energy fighter which can saddle up on most people's six for long enough to get a decent shot.
Fuel will be an issue.  Even with a full tank, range is not great. No drop tanks.  And I thought 109s were bad.

Good luck.

peru

[Major Biggles]

Originally posted by aqhawasi
Its not a turn fighter.  

surprisingly not true...

provided that you don't use stall limiter, the yak, especially the U is very nimble. like peru said, get close, try not to fire over 200 yrds away. nose mounted guns give nice close range snapshots

[bozon]

Originally posted by aqhawasi
Fuel will be an issue.  Even with a full tank, range is not great. No drop tanks.  And I thought 109s were bad.

iirc taking 100% will get you about 30 minutes on full throttle which is very nice. P47D11 75%+DT will not get more than that and will be heavy as a hipo. Since yak9U use a standard 1944 vodka bottle for a fuel tank, 100% is not a lot of weight.

In addition, you do not have to cruise at full throttle. The yak has excellent performance so once you climbed to your cruise altitude, reduce throttle and RPM (consult the clipboard) and still can travel pretty fast with a more efficient fuel economy, especially when RTB. Open it up again as you approach the fight.

[trotter]

the key thing to remember in a yak is that you are constantly being underestimated. it isnt the most common plane, and most people's knowledge of the russian planes ends at the la-7 or la-5.

yak 9u has good top speed, good climb, and it is an above average turner. you wont turn on the level of a hurri or spit, but from my experience you are probably on the turning level of a poorly flown niki. the yak is not a good slow speed turner, however, so if you see your opponent getting angles, dont get into a stall fight. use your acceleration to extend away.

the yak is a tough target to hit. keep this in mind if you have a bogey d400 on your six but you are extending- a couple of jinks and you will be difficult to hit, dont get suckered into a turn fight when it is not necessary.

when i am in a yak, it really seems like most of my kills come from an enemy underestimating the yak's capabilities. this is usually something like an overshooter doesnt increase angle of climb enough on extension and i can match his climb for a bit, or a pony trying to turn fight.

as always, maintain situational awareness.

[Oldman731]

Originally posted by df54
trying to learn to fly yak 9u and need help. spits give me fits!!!!! not much info on yak except a t soda's. would like to find em diagrams.

Hey, Spits give me fits, too.  There are very few planes that can successfully turn fight with spits.  Given equal pilots, neither of the Yaks is among them.

However, as others have said here, the Yaks are great turnfighters against other planes.  The 9U, in particular, is a monster, and does just about everything very well.  The 9T gives you the great satisfaction of one-hit kills with its tatergun.  Remember that they do their best turning to the right, not the left.  If you can keep the fight going up and to the right, the 9T can just barely out-turn a well-flown FM2.

- oldman

[Ack-Ack]

Originally posted by df54
trying to learn to fly yak 9u and need help. spits give me fits!!!!! not much info on yak except a t soda's. would like to find em diagrams.

The key to learning how to combat another plane is to find out what the weaknesses and the strengths for that plane counter to yours.  

The Spitfire is deadly in a turn fight at medium speeds and you should try and avoid getting into a turn fight with a Spitfire in this speed range.  If you're plane maneuvers better at high speeds or low speeds, try and keep that fight in those speed ranges.   This is just a general tip and YMMV.


ack-ack

[df54]

thanks guys for your help. you confirmed what i suspected about turnfighting with spits although i'm very surprised spit 16 turns so well. It seems all i can do is run from spits and i have no turn advantage at any speed. Historically i dont think Yak ever flew against spits so i have no way of knowing how to gain a tactical advantage

[SlapShot]

Out turning your opponent is not always the answer.

The Zeke is one of the quickest turning planes in the game, but it can be beat by planes that aren' the best turners.

Flying at angles to your opponent to spoil their shot and set up your counter is really what it's all about. Speed also plays into this too ... wether is be fast or slow ... it just depends upon the circumstances when the fight begins.

One thing that new pilots don't realize is that they can fight in the 3rd dimension ... which is the vertical/up dimension. Most new pilots only think horizontal or "down" ... they very rarely think "up".

Once you start to incorporate the "up" angles into your fighting, then you are on your way to be able to defeat any plane with any plane ... or at least you have a chance.

[df54]

could you be more specific about using vertical. I guess u mean hi yo-yo

[Bubbajj]

I found that once I started to fight more in the vertical I was having more success. Instead of turning, Pull up and do an immelman, or spin and do a split S down. The Yak does this pretty good. Keep you speed up and the yak is dangerous. I started flying a yak for speed and found that it turned pretty well too, especially at speed. I still have my bellybutton handed to me but I'm killing Reds much more often.

[SlapShot]

Originally posted by df54
could you be more specific about using vertical. I guess u mean hi yo-yo

By vertical, I mean think "up" with your maneuvers ... it could be a yo-yo, an immelman, a zoom ... whatever move you choose ... just add "up" to your bag of tricks.

Most new flyers only think horizontal ... flat turns ... tight turns, left or right ... and the infamous "split-s" as counter moves while fighting ... they never seem to think to use the sky above them. Once you start using the vertical, your fights will last longer and you just might find that you will begin to win more too.

[Widewing]

Originally posted by Oldman731
However, as others have said here, the Yaks are great turnfighters against other planes.  The 9U, in particular, is a monster, and does just about everything very well.  The 9T gives you the great satisfaction of one-hit kills with its tatergun.  Remember that they do their best turning to the right, not the left.  If you can keep the fight going up and to the right, the 9T can just barely out-turn a well-flown FM2.

- oldman

Several of us have tested the Yaks (and everything else too) for minimum turn radius and turn rate. The FM-2 has a turn radius 20% smaller than either Yak, while having a similar rate of turn. That means that Yaks should not attempt to turn fight with the FM-2.

Last evening Fuzeman and I got into a left-hand lufberry. I was flying an F6F, While Fuzeman was flying the Yak-9U. Starting with his Yak about 90 degrees off my six, I was on his tail in about 2.5 turns. Within this context, it's important to remember that the FM-2 turns tighter circles than the F6F.

Yaks do their best between corner speed and 200 mph. Above corner, turn radius and rate is governed by G loading on the pilot. Below 200 mph, flaps are usually deployed to tighten the turn. With full flaps, the Yaks are extremely unstable at high angles of attack. FM-2s and Hellcats are rock-steady.

My advice would be to maintain at least 200 mph (or higher) and avoid low-speed turning fights. When kept to the speeds where they can shine, the Yaks are certainly formidable. At 150 mph with the flaps out, they are very unimpressive.

Several other fighters fall into this category, including the C.205 and Ki-61.

My regards,

Widewing

[Roscoroo]

the Yak is a Speed plane ... it has to be flown with that in mind  , it loves to trade E in the vertical .and has the option to make a quick turn that gets you a gun solution ...but if you miss that 1st turn attempt its best to extend and regain your speed .  its a plane that has to be flown with finnese ... always make your oppenent fight the yaks fight ...dont fall into the trap of making lots of quick turns and lossing its needed Speed .

at low alts its best to BnZ it , at 15k and above take it vertical and go for the fast turn as for you ussually have an easy escape option if you loss the adv.

As Widewing pointed out its best to keep it above 200 .

the only time i might use flaps in a yak is in a high yo/yo , hammerhead type turn , most of the time I use the rudder instead .

[Oldman731]

Originally posted by Widewing
Last evening Fuzeman and I got into a left-hand lufberry. I was flying an F6F, While Fuzeman was flying the Yak-9U. Starting with his Yak about 90 degrees off my six, I was on his tail in about 2.5 turns. Within this context, it's important to remember that the FM-2 turns tighter circles than the F6F.

Have you tried this doing right turns?

- oldman