The Yakovlev Yak-3 was a single-engine, single-seat World War II Soviet fighter. Robust and easy to maintain, it was much liked by both pilots and ground crew. One of the smallest and lightest combat fighters fielded by any combatant during the war, its high power-to-weight ratio gave it excellent performance and it proved to be a formidable dogfighter.

Lighter and smaller than the Yak-9 but powered by the same engine, the Yak-3 was a forgiving, easy-to-handle aircraft loved by both novice and experienced pilots. It was robust, easy to maintain and a highly successful dog-fighter. It was used mostly as a tactical fighter, flying low over battlefields and engaging in dogfights below 4,000 m (13,000 ft).

The first 197 Yak-3 were lightly armed with a single motornaya pushka-mount 20 mm (0.79 in) ShVAK cannon and one 12.7 mm (0.50 in) UBS synchronized machine gun, with subsequent aircraft receiving a second UBS for a weight of fire of 2.72 kg (6.0 lb) per second using high-explosive ammunition. All armament was installed close to the axis of the aircraft with a cannon mounted in the engine "vee" firing through the propeller boss, synchronised machine guns in the fuselage, helping accuracy and leaving wings unloaded.

Marcel Albert, a World War II French ace who flew the Yak-3 in the USSR with the Normandie-Niémen Group, considered it a superior aircraft to the P-51D Mustang and Supermarine Spitfire. It was also flown by Polish Air Forces (of the Polish People's Army formed in USSR) and the Yugoslav Air Force, after the war.

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  • SorosFootSoldier [he/him, they/them]
    ·
    3 years ago

    So I'm coming around to the fact that I'm disabled mentally and how fucked that means I am here in the USA. It's bad enough there's no help for physical ones and mental health is a joke. FUCK ME.

    • AncomCosmonaut [he/him,any]
      ·
      3 years ago

      Once again comrade, I'm right there with you on that one. If you're considering it, know that getting on disability is a big pain in the ass, sometimes a bit demeaning, and takes a long time (year minimum for mental disability). On the other hand, you have little to lose in trying, especially if it comes down to the possibility of being unhoused otherwise. Most disability lawyers will give you a free consult and will tell you what your chances are. They have some incentive to be honest because they will only get paid if and when you yourself get on disability. It might be worth looking into. I'm still waiting for my first denial letter, one of likely several that I'll have to appeal, each one taking months. Also, just wanna say it again: I'm really really happy you're back. :heart-sickle: :ancom-heart:

      Oh and lucky you, you even have your very own little tag-a-long shitstain troll to celebrate your return.