Yakovlev Yak-3
These
3 pictures are of one of the few surviving original Yak-3s. They
are built of mostly plywood witha fabric covering, so restoration is a
tedious process. This particular aircraft will only stay in static
display restoration as the plywood is starting to delaminate. The Yak-3
initial design work began in 1941, but it did not see operational
service until 1944. In front-line service, it performed well and was
responsible for many German losses.
In the early 1990s, after the breakup
of the Soviet Union, many aircraft companies, especially those that
built military aircraft, were struggling to stay open. Yakovlev began
building Yak-3s once again for collectors. The "new" Yak-3s featured an
Allison engine as opposed to the Klimov VK-107 in the original. it also
featured an aluminum airframe and skin. The rest of the airplane is to
original specifications. Below is one of the "new" Yak-3s (N529SB).
