Yak-1 Screenshots

[Volkoff]

Zak posted Yak-1 screenshots. I thought that I would post a link to the screenshots here, in case anyone missed out on seeing the pictures. She is quite a lovely looking plane, indeed: 

 

http://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/4325-developer-diary-part-54/?p=91960

 

MJ

Edited February 25, 2014 by =69.GIAP=MIKHA

[[JG2]R7_Blackadder]

Damn I want it so bad, thanks for the link

[=69.GIAP=RADKO]

I'm thankful you did Mikha! Great screenshots and the Yak-1 looks fantastic. 

 

S!

[dkoor]

Yep, looks fantastic!

Thanks for the shots, I may have missed this if it weren't for you .

[Bladderburst]

That should be a better ride against the 109.

[Volkoff]

I'm thankful you did Mikha! Great screenshots and the Yak-1 looks fantastic. 

 

S!

 

Hey RADKO!

Yes Sir! She is so very lovely. A real looker, like her bomber hunting cousin, the LaGG-3. I can't wait to see her in 69 GIAP skins, along with all the other lovely VVS rides..  MJ

Yep, looks fantastic!

Thanks for the shots, I may have missed this if it weren't for you .

No problem. I wish I took the shots while I was playing with the Yak-1! Zak posted them and he deserves the credit.  MJ

That should be a better ride against the 109.

She is going to be getting a lot of practice covering IL2s, Pe-2s, and LaGG-3s, not too mention free hunting BF-109s, soon enough, I imagine. 

MJ

Damn I want it so bad, thanks for the link

You and me both. I hope that the Yak-1 is going to be a big part of my multiplayer weekends, especially when I am not hunting bombers with a LaGG-3.   MJ

Edited February 26, 2014 by =69.GIAP=MIKHA

[ShamrockOneFive]

Thanks for the link! I definitely missed that. And I'm very excited to see the Yak-1 fully implemented with the cockpit and everything. Very excited to fly that!

[Volkoff]

Thanks for the link! I definitely missed that. And I'm very excited to see the Yak-1 fully implemented with the cockpit and everything. Very excited to fly that!

 

NP. Yes! I am looking forward to bonding with the Yak-1. She is going to be a real IL2 BOS VVS workhorse, after all.    MJ

[Caudron431]

Wow, thanks Mikha!

 

The Yak1 is such a beautiful bird, just like all other planes in the Yak family. This Yak1 will no doubt be my favorite ride in this new sim. Cannot wait to see the Yak9 subvariants implemented in the sim

 

Thanks again for posting these pics, they made my day

 

Thanks too Zak for the nice extra screenshot

Edited February 26, 2014 by MAS-36

[Volkoff]

Wow, thanks Mikha!

 

The Yak1 is such a beautiful bird, just like all other planes in the Yak family. This Yak1 will no doubt be my favorite ride in this new sim. Cannot wait to see the Yak9 subvariants implemented in the sim

 

Thanks again for posting these pics, they made my day

 

Thanks too Zak for the nice extra screenshot

 

NP. Zak deserves all the credit for the screenies. The Yak-1 is a very special plane, flown by so many highly decorated and famous VVS pilots, including Stepan Mikoyan, Lydia Litvyak, and Aleksander Pokryshkin. I can see your enthusiasm for the current YaK-1 and for a future Yak-9. I can't wait to see the current Yak-1, and future Yak-9, in 69 GIAP skins, for sure.   I have a feeling that the Yak-1 will be my favorite domestically produced VVS escort fighter and 2014 plane set free hunter, the LaGG-3 will be my favorite domestic, pre-La-5, bomber interceptor, and the future (hopefully) late version Mig-3 will eventually replace the Yak-1 as my overall favorite domestic, pre-1943, free hunter.   

 

    MJ

[BlitzPig_EL]

Nice looking aircraft.

 

I suspect I will spend a lot of time in the Yak 1.

[C-Bag]

Up front I'm a noob to Russian aircraft so this sim has been a real education. I've also enjoyed lurking through the other historical info on this board and have really come to appreciate the Russian aircraft and their way of doing things. 

 

But is it just me or do the LAGG3 and the Yak-1 very similar? It strikes me funny that the LAGG3 was not very well received from the historical accounts I've found, but the Yak 1 was very loved. And some of the later Yak's were said to be some of the best fighters of WWII.

 

Being a mechanic all my life I know you can't judge a vehicle from it's skin. But was it the rushed nature of the LAGG3 or the fact there was 3 engineers designing it(too many cooks) or what? Wasn't  the Yak 1 also partially made out of wood like the LAGG3? I don't see being made out of wood necessarily a bad thing. The Mosquito was a very fine airplane.  But unlike the OP I'm not all that fond of the LAGG3(sorry) and am hoping the Yak 1 lives up to the expectation of being a much better fighter.

[Caudron431]

I have a question for the developpers though (because i'm anxious when it come to Yaks ): will the wing fuel gauges be modelled? Will the pilot be able to look at them, in flight, from the cockpit?

 

I'm asking because in original IL2 these were not modelled and it was a pain to know how much fuel was left in the tanks...Actually it was impossible. We cannot see them from the pics you posted: please tell me that they will be modelled (please see following link to understand what i'm talking about):

 

http://vvs.hobbyvista.com/Research/Yakovlev/FuelGauges/index.php

Edited February 27, 2014 by RegRag1977

[FuriousMeow]

Just wait for the La5, or more specifically the La5FN (eventually we should get it so long as we continue to recieve new theaters and aircraft). But I suspect the La5 will still be a remarkable improvement over the LaGG-3.

 

The Yak1 is a fine plane, the Yak1b is even better - but the La5FN is something else. Not just in the Il-2 series, but in another online only title with a pretty great FM (obviously not War Thunder).

Edited February 27, 2014 by FuriousMeow

[Volkoff]

  But unlike the OP I'm not all that fond of the LAGG3(sorry) and am hoping the Yak 1 lives up to the expectation of being a much better fighter.

 

Yeah, I suppose my fondness for the LaGG-3 Series 29 can seem a bit peculiar.   Well, the BF-109 machines will retain advantages over the Yak-1, but most fights between the Yak-1 and the BF-109 will likely be decided by which fighter drops in behind the other, without being noticed, first. The Yak-1 should keep the BF-109 busy enough, hopefully long enough for the LaGG-3s to poke a few holes in a Stuka or two. 

 

MJ

Edited February 27, 2014 by =69.GIAP=MIKHA

[ShamrockOneFive]

Up front I'm a noob to Russian aircraft so this sim has been a real education. I've also enjoyed lurking through the other historical info on this board and have really come to appreciate the Russian aircraft and their way of doing things. 

 

But is it just me or do the LAGG3 and the Yak-1 very similar? It strikes me funny that the LAGG3 was not very well received from the historical accounts I've found, but the Yak 1 was very loved. And some of the later Yak's were said to be some of the best fighters of WWII.

 

Being a mechanic all my life I know you can't judge a vehicle from it's skin. But was it the rushed nature of the LAGG3 or the fact there was 3 engineers designing it(too many cooks) or what? Wasn't  the Yak 1 also partially made out of wood like the LAGG3? I don't see being made out of wood necessarily a bad thing. The Mosquito was a very fine airplane.  But unlike the OP I'm not all that fond of the LAGG3(sorry) and am hoping the Yak 1 lives up to the expectation of being a much better fighter.

There are a few reasons for the Yak being so positively spoken of while the LaGG was not. Yakolev was a very influential aircraft designer in the late 1930s and into WWII. His design group was highly favoured politically so the initial positive buzz around the Yak is partly a matter of perception. Meanwhile the team that comprised the LaGG fighter design was not as highly regarded.

 

The other reason is that performance wise the Yak-1 was superior. Generally weighing less (still used some wood in the design but also stressed metal... perhaps other materials) and having similar engine power. I believe the Yak may have also had superior aerodynamics and certain better control systems. The Yak-1 was much more responsive while the LaGG-3 suffered, particularly early on, with a lot of extra weight that the VK105 engine was not powerful enough to overcome.

 

The LaGG did eventually succeed. Late models like the Series 66 were really quite decent and saw a lot of action in the Kuban and Crimea fronts but the real success was when the La-5 was developed. It was basically the LaGG-3 airframe, with some weight saving measures and better construction, and a more powerful radial engine (which was counter to the trend of going with sleek in-line engines). The new engine really made it but so did further airframe refinement. The La-7 used the same engine as the La-5FN but really turned the series into the top shelf Russian fighter... arguably the La-7 was the best Russian fighter of the war.

 

Through all of this its important to keep in mind that the Russians were combating a number of problems to do with material availbility and quality. The type of glass used on the windscreens were very poor and yellowed quickly. Alumnium wasn't available in large quantities and was used sparingly. Engine seals were often poor and fumes leaked into the cockpit (even the successful La-7 was still plagued by this) and gunsights and radio equipment was primitive. There were also issues like several Yak fighters shedding wings in air during mid-war period because one of the factory managers had substituted cheaper glue (or maybe it was paint) and it was causing the wood components to come apart. Stalin had them fix that one pronto.

 

Also all of the Russian industry was packed up in 1941 and moved out of reach of German bombers. So they were faced with rebuilding facilities hundreds of kilometers away.

 

Sorry... I can go on. But in essence the Yak-1 was much more refined than the LaGG-3. It suffered from its own development issues but it was overall lighter, faster, more agile, with better controls, and otherwise similar equipment. IMHO the Yak-1 and its related sibling, the Yak-7, were the first fighters in the Russian air force inventory that were somewhat competitive with the excellent Bf109.

[Volkoff]

 But in essence the Yak-1 was much more refined than the LaGG-3. It suffered from its own development issues but it was overall lighter, faster, more agile, with better controls, and otherwise similar equipment. IMHO the Yak-1 and its related sibling, the Yak-7, were the first fighters in the Russian air force inventory that were somewhat competitive with the excellent Bf109.

IceFire,

The Yak-1 definitely seems like our best IL2 BOS option for escort duties and two ship free hunting, IceFire. How will the Yak-1 and the LaGG-3 compare in vertical maneuvers, particularly in a hit and climb boom and zoom maneuver? For me, the LaGG-3 has a pretty fast top speed when in a dive, has adequate acceleration in a dive, is nice and heavy, but she does not seem to be able to convert enough of her dive speed back into stored potential energy to allow for sustainable hit and climb boom and zoom tactics. I get the feeling that if the BF-109 pilot can survive the first few passes, the initially lower BF-109 is likely to gain the upper hand in such a match up.      MJ

Edited February 27, 2014 by =69.GIAP=MIKHA

[ShamrockOneFive]

 

IceFire,

The Yak-1 definitely seems like our best IL2 BOS option for escort duties and two ship free hunting, IceFire. How will the Yak-1 and the LaGG-3 compare in vertical maneuvers, particularly in a hit and climb boom and zoom maneuver? For me, the LaGG-3 has a pretty fast top speed when in a dive, has adequate acceleration in a dive, is nice and heavy, but she does not seem to be able to convert enough of her dive speed back into stored potential energy to allow for sustainable hit and climb boom and zoom tactics. I get the feeling that if the BF-109 pilot can survive the first few passes, the initially lower BF-109 is likely to gain the upper hand in such a match up.      MJ

 

Going from my IL-2 experiences... the LaGG-3 doesn't leave much room for error. It's generally inferior to the Bf109 and the Yak-1. It can make a diving pass kind of like a P-40 can... its options for the zoom are limited as its weight drags it down ultimately. So you're right that a Bf109 starting at an energy disadvantage can fairly quickly make up the difference. More likely will be the LaGG dumping his height for speed to try and gain a follow up shot.

 

The Yak-1 is superior in the vertical versus the LaGG-3. Basically there are few things that the Yak-1 doesn't have going for it as it has the same engine, lighter weight and I believe it even has better aerodynamics. The LaGG-3 has more firepower options and I imagine the LaGG-3's more sturdy construction will help too. Contrary to popular opinion, the LaGG-3 did not burn easily (from combat reports) and it could absorb more damage than the contemporary Yak fighters.

 

If given the choice and operating with a mixed group of aircraft... the players going after the Stukas and Heinkels are better off flying the LaGG-3 and preferably packing the 23mm or 37mm cannon. The Yak pilots would be better off engaging the 109s. I'm still curious to see if we'll see a Yak-7B or a Yak-1B in Battle for Stalingrad. A number of squadrons operating around this time used the Yak-7 and several began to operate with the Yak-1B in the early part of 1943. Even the 109G-2 should have reason to at least respect the Yak-1B.

[Finkeren]

Up front I'm a noob to Russian aircraft so this sim has been a real education. I've also enjoyed lurking through the other historical info on this board and have really come to appreciate the Russian aircraft and their way of doing things. 

 

But is it just me or do the LAGG3 and the Yak-1 very similar? It strikes me funny that the LAGG3 was not very well received from the historical accounts I've found, but the Yak 1 was very loved. And some of the later Yak's were said to be some of the best fighters of WWII.

 

Being a mechanic all my life I know you can't judge a vehicle from it's skin. But was it the rushed nature of the LAGG3 or the fact there was 3 engineers designing it(too many cooks) or what? Wasn't  the Yak 1 also partially made out of wood like the LAGG3? I don't see being made out of wood necessarily a bad thing. The Mosquito was a very fine airplane.  But unlike the OP I'm not all that fond of the LAGG3(sorry) and am hoping the Yak 1 lives up to the expectation of being a much better fighter.

 

The early Yak and LaGG fighters do look superficially similar. and they do share a lot of common traits (mixed construction, same engine, problems with the wooden parts of the skin, similar - though not identical - armament configuration) 

 

But, as usual the devil's in the details. There are a lot of subtle differences, that make the two birds rather different:

 

1. Different internal structure. The Yak-1 has an all-metal internal structure, which was extremely strong but also lighter than the LaGGs mixed structure. The structure of the Yak was so strong, that the designers could afford to keep making it lighter and lighter throughout its development without compromising strutural integrity, culminating in the tiny and extremely light weight Yak-3. The LaGG could not be lightened the same way and had to wait for a better engine to truly shine in the form of the La-5FN.

 

2. The Yak being lighter with about the same wing area as the LaGG climbs significantly better, though still not the equal of the Bf 109.

 

3. The lighter Yak usually carries less ammunition for its guns. The 1942 Yak-1 still had the early configuration with 2 ShVAK MGs, which provides much less punch, but can achieve a rate of fire of 1800 rpm (though we propably won't see that with the synchronised ShVAKs on the Yak.

 

4. The Yak had pneumatically operated landing gear and flaps, where the LaGG had electrical, the former being considerably lighter and contributing to the lighter weight of the Yak. Both systems were faster than the manual flaps on the Bf 109, but the pneumatic system of the Yak was rather vulnerable to damage. Even a small puncture could cause the entire system to fail completely.

 

5. Overall both fighters were rather sturdy and of strong construction, but both also suffered from poor manufacturing quality, though the LaGG seems to have been hardest hit. The Yak had something of a reputation for catching fire easily, but I've never seen evidence for this beyond the anecdotal. 

[SYN_Ricky]

Just wait for the La5, or more specifically the La5FN (eventually we should get it so long as we continue to recieve new theaters and aircraft). But I suspect the La5 will still be a remarkable improvement over the LaGG-3.

 

The Yak1 is a fine plane, the Yak1b is even better - but the La5FN is something else. Not just in the Il-2 series, but in another online only title with a pretty great FM (obviously not War Thunder).

 

Unfortunately the early La-5 wasn't apparently much better than the LaGG-3 (sources: Black Cross/Red Star and Lagg and Osprey LaGG and Lavochkin Aces of WWII)

[Volkoff]

Unfortunately the early La-5 wasn't apparently much better than the LaGG-3 (sources: Black Cross/Red Star and Lagg and Osprey LaGG and Lavochkin Aces of WWII)

The La-5 should probably make a fine bomber interceptor, like the LaGG-3, but we should always cover the La-5 with Yak-1s. The Yak-1will just have to be the workhorse for fighting the Bf-109, the other VVS machines can perform ground attack or bomber  interceptor roles.  MJ

[Emgy]

We're not getting the very early La-5 series though, I think someone on the Ru forum identified it as in series 4-8?

[C-Bag]

Thanks guys for that. And please don't be sorry about "going on". To some this is just "yadda yadda" but not to me. The better I know a machine the better I understand how to use it. This could be in the minority as there seems to be a lot of guys who just want to woop ass and it doesn't matter what they are driving. But since we are not really at Stalingrad and most likely the ratios of German to Russian aircraft won't be historical proportions( way more Russian than German) I think to know you're crate well is the only way you can hope to survive.

 

And like has been pointed out even with an energy advantage you've really got to have luck, skill and knowing your plane and the plane you are flying against very well. Knowing the first thing a fairly experienced 109 driver is going to do is go vertical and I'm stuck in the LAGG3 feels awful. While it does give great historical insight and admiration for those who really did fly against the 109 it doesn't help me not get my butt handed to me.

 

I have the utmost admiration for German engineering. I started out as a aircooled VW mechanic and drove nothing but them until I couldn't get good German parts anymore and sold my '66 type1 in '83. The VW line and so many other vehicles are perfect expressions of how engineering and the differing philosophies can start with something simple and ingenious and turn into a nightmare of complication and over engineering. As a guy once said, "to make something complicated takes an engineer, to make it simple takes a genius".

 

But I have this thing in me that I don't want to just give into flying the 109/190 just because I can always win.

 

I look forward to trying out the Yak's and La's. There's something to be said with starting out with a sub par plane and going to something better. It sure makes you appreciate what you have

[FuriousMeow]

Unfortunately the early La-5 wasn't apparently much better than the LaGG-3 (sources: Black Cross/Red Star and Lagg and Osprey LaGG and Lavochkin Aces of WWII)

 

In general yes, that's right. It depends on the LaGG-3 vs the La-5 series though. I think we get the LaGG-3 Series 29 and not the 66, the 66 was better than the 29 by quite a bit from what I've read. So the La-5 wasn't much better than the Series 66 LaGG-3 but it should be better than the Series 29. Of course I could just have the wrong information, I do know that they have about the same time to complete a circle but I think that's Series 66 vs La-5 Series 8.

[Finkeren]

In terms of overall performance I think the La-5 is actually even inferior to the LaGG-3 Series 66, but measured against the Series 29 it will be a vast improvement, especially when it comes to handling with the slightly better powerloading and the automatic slats, though we will have to suffer the adverse effects of the carbueator-fed engine. It will propably still climb like a dog and be slow and sluggish compared to the Bf 109, but its armament spells death for any adversary, and it will have an easier time bringing its guns to bear.

[[JG2]R7_Blackadder]

I'm really looking forward to it, but since I keep reading such comparisons, be clear guys, the road is uphill against F4/G2s, not to mention 190s. No matter if you fly a Yak-1 or an La-5.

 

Timetable is against VVS fans for the moment. When 1/7B will show up we can talk about it again, Yak-9 will come as well as the La-5F but if you mind being shot down by about equal adversaries just in better planes, maybe you shouldn't leave the 109 cockpit.

 

I know I will enjoy it anyway, I'm patient.

[Trooper117]

I bet some of you dream about these Yaks, Spads, Migs, Laggs...

[[JG2]R7_Blackadder]

If you have to dream then it should be smth BIG

 

[Volkoff]

I'm really looking forward to it, but since I keep reading such comparisons, be clear guys, the road is uphill against F4/G2s, not to mention 190s. No matter if you fly a Yak-1 or an La-5.

 

Timetable is against VVS fans for the moment. When 1/7B will show up we can talk about it again, Yak-9 will come as well as the La-5F but if you mind being shot down by about equal adversaries just in better planes, maybe you shouldn't leave the 109 cockpit.

 

I know I will enjoy it anyway, I'm patient.

 

Yes, the Yak-1 will certainly give us something to cover our ground attack planes and bomber interceptors. She can't outclimb or outrun a BF-109, but she is no paper tiger. She is fast enough in climb and forward airspeed to stick with and above the ground attack planes and bomber interceptors under her protection. She can drop in behind a BF-109 and the BF-109 can't just bunt or snap roll and run out the door. The Yak can bunt too and stick in close enough to shoot down the BF-109. If the first notice of attack is a hit from a 20 mm cannon fired 50 meters to 100 meters away, well a 20 mm cannon will cause too much damage to just snap roll the trouble away. I think that many fights will just come down to which sim pilot drops in behind the other and accurately delivers a 20 mm shot in, first. 

 

    MJ

Edited February 28, 2014 by =69.GIAP=MIKHA

[[JG2]R7_Blackadder]

Definitely, compared to CloD the range or aircraft armament seems to be much more decisive with the first pass. You can see why La-5 & FW190 are premium.

[ShamrockOneFive]

Yes, the Yak-1 will certainly give us something to cover our ground attack planes and bomber interceptors. She can't outclimb or outrun a BF-109, but she is no paper tiger. She is fast enough in climb and forward airspeed to stick with and above the ground attack planes and bomber interceptors under her protection. She can drop in behind a BF-109 and the BF-109 can't just bunt or snap roll and run out the door. The Yak can bunt too and stick in close enough to shoot down the BF-109. If the first notice of attack is a hit from a 20 mm cannon fired 50 meters to 100 meters away, well a 20 mm cannon will cause too much damage to just snap roll the trouble away. I think that many fights will just come down to which sim pilot drops in behind the other and accurately delivers a 20 mm shot in, first. 

 

    MJ

Agreed! It will be a rough match against the 109s on even footing but once you get in close the Yak-1 is quite capable of at least matching the 109 for long enough to shoot him down. We'll see how it shakes out.

 

The Yak-1B or a Yak-9 would be where things even up a fair bit. Still hoping to see a Kuban battle follow on with all of the new types that arrived just a few months after Stalingrad wrapped up.

[Volkoff]

I bet some of you dream about these Yaks, Spads, Migs, Laggs...

 

I wonder if I do?  I haven't had a vivid dream that I can remember when I wake up in years.  Thankfully, 777 Studios created three SPADs and 1CGS created a LaGG-3 Series 29 and soon a Yak-1 Series 69, so I will certainly be able to sim fly the vast majority of these great rides while I am awake.

 

MJ    

Edited March 1, 2014 by =69.GIAP=MIKHA

[Volkoff]

Nice looking aircraft.

 

I suspect I will spend a lot of time in the Yak 1.

 

+1 Oh, heck yeah!   MJ