They lug a 500lb bomb, something that the Yaks can't and the La7 can almost do.
things you didn't know about Yaks:
The Yak-9 is based on the Yak-7, which was originally designed as a 2 seat trainer. As such the Yak-9s have a bit of fuselage space (there are lots of stories of yaks transporting personnel or picking up downed pilots.
On some Yak-9s that space was used for extra fuel. The Yak-9D had an 845mile range and the 9DD had a range of 1420 miles (no DTs). Ds and DDs escorted B-17s and B-24s. So despite the popular myth there were some long range Soviet fighters in WW2.
On other Yak-9s that space was used for bombs (4x 100kg/220Lb) in vertical tubes:
Apparently they were a pig to aim, but once again a slick config.
The also used an early type of cluster munition - the PTAB, the Yak-9B could carry 32:
The bomb itself was 2.5kg with 1.5 kg of explosives. The Il-2 was capable of carrying 280 2.5 kg bombs immediately on the bomb-bay folds, or 4x48 in four cassettes. The PTAB 2.5 was capable of penetrating 60 to 70 millimeter tank armor, at the time sufficient for the top-armor of even heavy tanks.
The number of PTABs dropped in a given time period steadily increased thereafter. By the end of 1943, Soviet records show that 1,171,340 PTABs were dropped. In 1944, the number dropped was 5,024,822. In the first four months of 1945, a further 3,242,701 PTAB were used
Who would love to see IL2s and Yak-9's with PTABs?
