Originally posted by Squire
Its range is no worse than a Spit IX or a 109G on internal fuel.
This is the only point I might disagree with.
Spit IX has 35 minutes on internal fuel (Soda)
109G2 and G6 each has 25 minutes on internal fuel (Soda)
Yak 9U has 28 minutes at full power (Soda)
Yak 3, IIRC, held less fuel than the Yak 9U to keep the plane light for maneuverability in it's air superiority role. Yak 3 was even smaller than the Yak9 (see below).
Range of the Yak 9D listed as 845 miles
Range of the Yak 3 Range: 405 miles to 559 miles (sources vary)
From these numbers, I'm estimating that a Yak 3 has enough fuel for a full power flight of 13 to 20 minutes, in-game arenas. It's short legs in the 2X fuel burn War Arenas are one of the biggest points against an otherwise great little dog-fighter.YAK-9D
# Length: 28 ft 0 in (8.55 m)
# Wingspan: 31 ft 11 in (9.74 m)
# Height: 9 ft 10 in (3.00 m)
# Wing area: 185.1 ft² (17.2 m²)
# Empty weight: 5,170 lb (2,350 kg)
# Loaded weight: 6,858 lb (3,117 kg) (+ 1,688 lbs)
YAK-3
# Length: 27 ft 10 in (8.5 m)
# Wingspan: 30 ft 2 in (9.2 m)
# Height: 7 ft 11 in (2.39 m)
# Wing area: 159.8 ft² (14.85 m²)
# Empty weight: 4,640 lb (2,105 kg)
# Loaded weight: 5,864 lb (2,692 kg) (+ 1,224 lbs) ** 464 lbs difference from Yak9.
Still, I'd much rather see a Yak-3 than a B-25, but my vote is still for a second buff perk ride for the game.
AND NO, the Yak 3 is actually a little slower that the Yak 9U, which was an Interceptor to the Yak-3's Air Superiority role. Definitely slower than an La-7's top speed --- although, Yak-3 probably has better acceleration than the LaLa.
