Yak-7b - In case you didn't notice

[216th_Jordan]

Most underrated plane of this update. I love it! Such a smooth flyer and it packs a punch.
So please, leave the Floor Moppers and Cadillacs out for a second to appreciate this wonderful plane!

[ShamrockOneFive]

I've been flying it a fair bit actually and being a fan of the Yak series I'm enjoying this quite a lot too. It's got more personality distinguishing it from the Yak-1B than I had expected and certainly is interesting to fly.

 

Also the concentrated firepower can certainly shred most aircraft that you can get into range.

 

[[N.O.G.F]_Cathal_Brugha]

So far it is my favorite of the Yaks. It is very pleasant to fly.

[Avimimus]

The Yak-7 late (with bubble canopy) has been my favourite Yak for some time. There is just something sweet about the 7 that you don't get with a 1, 3, or 9... I'm not quite sure what it is.

[Te_Pille]

With a 70% off I will ride this horse over La. 

 

the poor fire power in Yak-1b is improved in this version. Waiting...

Edited March 17, 2018 by pepin1234

[schurem]

In my Kuban campaign, I get to ride a YaK-1b one day, and a -7 the other. I prefer the -1b for its better canopy and it feels faster, more nimble. On the other hand the -7 shure shreds 'em nicely and does not get left in the dust by the messers like the vanilla -1 did.

Edited March 17, 2018 by schurem

[Finkeren]

I find the -7b to have a lot of character and in terms of overall combat performance I’d take it over the -1 s.69 any day, but there is just no competing with the -1b s.127.

 

I’m gonna try flying it in a Kuban career, as the P-39 is turning out to be an exercise in frustration at the tactical level.

[Fritz_X]

I can only agree with the OP: The Yak 7B is the secret star of the latest update.

 

Maybe I'm a little biased, since it is the plane I was mostly looking forward to, but even if I wouldn't have, this plane is but a joy to fly. It has a slight lack when it comes to power, but makes up for this with very friendly flight behaviour (even at high diving speeds) and is a very stable gun platform all around.

 

I especially enjoy the additional gun compared to the Yak 1B. Thanks to my sub-par flying skills this one gun makes a huge difference for me, since I often felt like I couldn't hit anything when flying the 1B.

 

An unspectacular, but extremely solid plane all around. Definitely one of my favorites when it comes to flying for the VVS.

 

Ps.: What makes me wonder is that the plane seemingly has no armored windshield (and neither an option to select one). Is anybody here able to enlighten me, if there ever were armored windshields used in real live?

Edited March 17, 2018 by Fritz_X

[ATA_Vasilij]

Yesterday flying only in Yak7b. I love the feeling that F4 pilots and also G6 are destroyed by such ugly, double seated, trainee aircraft. :D 

For me is Yak7b pretty usable for fight, and for shooting even better than La5fn, I cant hit with La, perharps sometimes in the future. And I repeat, but just taking Yak7b instead of superb La5fn, must be frustrating for german pilots.

 

Those La5fn we are hiding to the very bad situations, like germans right next to the Stalingrad doors....etc :D 

[LLv24_Zami]

Very pleasant plane to fly but ugly as hell . I just can't get used to that strange looking fuselage. Fortunately I can't see it when flying 

[56RAF_Roblex]

1 hour ago, Finkeren said:

I’m gonna try flying it in a Kuban career, as the P-39 is turning out to be an exercise in frustration at the tactical level.

 

Strangely I had come to exactly the same conclusion.  I have been trying to do a P-39 career in the hope that I would have a Eureka moment and realise it was better than I thought  but so far that is not happening and I have been considering going to the Yak-7.  I will stick with the P-39 for a bit longer though.   

 

 I don't think the decision to choose a 1b over a 7b is that clear. On the minus side; the 7b has a slightly poorer climb,but  less than 1m/s poorer, the rear view is not as good but still a lot better than the 1(s69) and a lot of other fighters.   

On the plus side; the 7b has twice the hitting power, nearly identical straight line speeds and has the same turn rate as a 1b but at a higher speed.  One more thing, and this depends on the server creators realising it,   it can be included in maps that are too early for 1bs to fly in!

Edited March 17, 2018 by 56RAF_Roblex

[SabrePig]

Flies great. More forgiving than the -1 and -1b.

Bad donkey guns too.

[Guest deleted@50488]

Why does the 7b have that extended canopy ?  

 

Was it supposed to be a 2-seater ?

[Pupo]

Just now, jcomm-in-combat said:

Why does the 7b have that extended canopy ?  

 

Was it supposed to be a 2-seater ?

 

Yes. The Yak-7 was originally designed as a 2 seater training version for yak-1. However, it turned out to be an overall much better plane than the yak 1, and was quickly converted to a fighter. You can read more about it in the wikipedia page.

 

Given that I don't own the yak 1b, the yak 7 is a blessing. One can really feel the improvement over the yak 1 and, except for the frontal glass,  the visibility improvement really makes it a more pleasant bird to fly.

[=38=Tatarenko]

Had a top experience in it last night, up high at 4600m with three Messers over me. Managed to hold them off for a long time thanks to the stability and then shot one of them down. Held off the other two for a bit then flew home. Very nice to fly defence in as the Messers didn't fancy head to head. Really enjoying this plane.

 

[216th_Jordan]

Yes the stability make this thing so incredibly deadly. Point the nose and shoot, no squirrely wobble like in the 1b. I think this is my favorite fighter for now. Rearward visibility, although no bubble canopy, is very good due to the second glass behind the pilot.

 

On high speed turns it has some problems but you can deal with that.

On Berloga Axis was going down like flies..

 

Engine governor is a bit of a pain though and here the 1b has a clear advantage at slow speeds. Also it overheats very quickly. (welcome behavior)

Edited March 17, 2018 by 216th_Jordan

[Eicio]

1 hour ago, 216th_Jordan said:

Yes the stability make this thing so incredibly deadly. Point the nose and shoot, no squirrely wobble like in the 1b

 

That's it ! I wasn't sure if that was me or the plane was actually more "accurate", I didn't expect this plane at all but it turned out I like it more than the la 5FN and even more than the Yak1b.

[Wolfram-Harms]

2 hours ago, Fritz_X said:

I can only agree with the OP: The Yak 7B is the secret star of the latest update.

 

For a "star" she is too ugly IMHO - but that isn't everything surely.
Does anyone know, why she could not keep the bubble canopy? That was almost perfect rear vision!

[216th_Jordan]

2 minutes ago, Wolfram-Harms said:

 

For a "star" she is too ugly IMHO - but that isn't everything surely.
Does anyone know, why she could not keep the bubble canopy? That was almost perfect rear vision!

 

Yak-7 was a different development path than Yak-1. Later on they also got the bubble canopy. (Razorback has less drag though)

[[APAF]VR_Spartan85]

What are y’all yakking on about???

[Swing]

Superb...!...It was already my favorite yak at the time of IL2 1946 ...Solid plane...I think he turn better than the yak1 (and 1b)...

[DiscoPhil]

Am I the only one who thinks it looks cool? 

[angus26]

19 minutes ago, DiscoPhil said:

Am I the only one who thinks it looks cool? 

No, I quite like the “hunchback” look of it, it looks real neat imo.

[CrazyDuck]

Probably the best Yak in the sim - overall. Yak-1B beats it only when it comes to dogfighting Messers and Fokkers - for everything else (thinking of bomber hunting and ground attack) the 7B takes the cake.

 

[EAF19_Marsh]

I love it.

 

When the skins be coming??!?

[kalbuth]

Overheats pretty quickly, though. But an extremely pleasant ride, and packs a punch. Thanks to this thread, I tested it, and yeah, I love it!

[schurem]

YaK-7b : Go ugly early!

 

Hideous beast is growing on me. Poor AI Fritzes regret sharing their sky with me.

[Max_Damage]

It overheats like crazy and it really doenst have a speed advantage when compared to a ser.69 as a result. The weapons are crazy good as predicted though! A perfect plane for low altitude dogfights and il2 escort.

Edited March 18, 2018 by Max_Damage

[THERION]

On 17/03/2018 at 10:47 AM, Pupo said:

 

Yes. The Yak-7 was originally designed as a 2 seater training version for yak-1. However, it turned out to be an overall much better plane than the yak 1, and was quickly converted to a fighter. You can read more about it in the wikipedia page.

 

Given that I don't own the yak 1b, the yak 7 is a blessing. One can really feel the improvement over the yak 1 and, except for the frontal glass,  the visibility improvement really makes it a more pleasant bird to fly.

Hi Pupo,

 

really? Are you sure you don't own this wonderful aeroplane? Now that's a pitty...

 

Cheerio

 

P.S.: Have you ever checked your aeroplane park?

[ACG_Smokejumper]

What is the 109 tactic for evasion vs the Yak7 and 1b?

 

I've been able to force an overshoot at scissors but so far can't make an escape. Is a circle climb the the left it or a shallow climb? 

It's been an interesting fight.

[ShamrockOneFive]

37 minutes ago, 7./JG26_Smokejumper said:

What is the 109 tactic for evasion vs the Yak7 and 1b?

 

I've been able to force an overshoot at scissors but so far can't make an escape. Is a circle climb the the left it or a shallow climb? 

It's been an interesting fight.

 

Speed and climb. Most or all Bf109 versions (except maybe the E-7) have climb and speed superiority although that margin is very narrow except at higher altitudes. The Yak-7B is actually the worst climbing of the three Yaks now in the game although only slightly worse than the Yak-1 Series 69. Basically, handle it like you would a Yak-1B.

[Pupo]

14 hours ago, EAF_T_Therion said:

Hi Pupo,

 

really? Are you sure you don't own this wonderful aeroplane? Now that's a pitty...

 

Cheerio

 

P.S.: Have you ever checked your aeroplane park?

 

That was a pleasent surprise. 

 

I will be away for 1 week due to a business trip, can't wait to try out my newly gifted bird.

 

:D

[CrazyDuck]

Let's try a quick poll:

 

It's 1942 and you need to equip your airforce with a single fighter type. Your government decides it will be a Yak, let's you pick the version. Which one do you pick?

 

Yak-1 s69 (VK-105PF) 

   Yak-1B (VK-105PF)     

Yak-7B (VK-105PF)  

[Finkeren]

That’s easy: Yak-1b

 

The combination of better speed, climb rate, field of vision and more effective cooling trumps the heavier armament and (arguably) improved handling.

 

 

[CrazyDuck]

4 minutes ago, Finkeren said:

That’s easy: Yak-1b

 

The combination of better speed, climb rate, field of vision and more effective cooling trumps the heavier armament and (arguably) improved handling.

 

I'd agree with you if only a single kind of missions would be anticipaded - combat vs fighters.

Considering also bomber interceptions and ground attack missions, Yak-7B wins for me (by a narrow, but sufficient margin).

[Finkeren]

18 minutes ago, CrazyDuck said:

 

I'd agree with you if only a single kind of missions would be anticipaded - combat vs fighters.

Considering also bomber interceptions and ground attack missions, Yak-7B wins for me (by a narrow, but sufficient margin).

 

Neither of the two are particularly suited for ground attack. As far as intercepting bombers goes, the Yak-1b armament is adequate and increased speed and climb rate is also of great value to an interceptor.

Also: The Yak-1b has an armored windscreen, which is particularly useful when hunting bombers.

[C130castrum8]

Yak-7 you can drop in the rear seat again though for training, moto flights for the ground crew, ferrying generals around, sneaking the cute nurse from the base hospital on a romantic tour flight  think strategically lads

[216th_Jordan]

The 1b is grrat in the hands of a skilled pilot who knows how to use its strengths. The 7b is great in the hands of everybody and due to its stability and firepower even rookies can score kills in it. For me thats the real winner.

[BlitzPig_EL]

Spent some time in the 7b this weekend.

 

Such a pleasant aeroplane to fly.   Very smooth at the controls, stable gun platform, and very effective guns.   All the BlitzPigs that flew it came away with it being their surprise aircraft of the whole plane set.   

[CrazyDuck]

1 hour ago, Finkeren said:

Also: The Yak-1b has an armored windscreen, which is particularly useful when hunting bombers.

 

Yak-7 doesn't? Haven't noticed that. Yeah, I remember frustration in the legacy IL2 1946 when bomber gunners wer consistently PK-ing me with a single 7.9mm bullet directly through the windscreen with the accuracy of terminator T-1000.