Yakovlev Yak-9D

Our newest kit is an easy-to-build sport-scale model of the Yak-9D WWII fighter for a Speed-400 or Mega 16/15-series brushless motor.

History

The Yak-9 was the mainstay of the Soviet Air Force in the middle and late years of World War II, and was produced in greater numbers than any other Soviet fighter. By the middle of 1944 there were more Yak-9s in service than all other Soviet fighters combined.

The Yak-9 could be a formidable fighter, particularly at low altitude and when Soviet pilots had numerical superiority over the Luftwaffe fighters opposing them. The Yak-9 was not a great fighter one-on-one in the air superiority role, but it had an excellent (small) sustained turning diameter at low speeds. This tight turning diameter allowed it to turn inside of the German fighters it faced. It could also turn inside of most of the famous American fighters of the war, including the P-38, P-47, and P-51.

The Yak-9 was a durable fighter, capable of absorbing tremendous battle damage and still making it home. However, it was relatively slow, climbed poorly, and performed poorly at high altitude.

Introduced in the summer of 1944, the Yak-9D was a longer-range escort fighter version. Specifications for the Yak-9D are as follows (from "The Complete Book of Fighters" by Roy Cross): Max speed 374 mph at 10,170 ft., 332 mph at sea level; Climb to 16,405 ft. in 6 minutes; Max range 870 miles; Empty weight 6,107 lbs.; Max loaded weight 6,790 lbs.; Span 31 ft. 11.5 in.; Length 28 ft. .75 in.; Height 9 ft. 10 in.; Wing area 184.6 sq. ft.

The Kit

The Yak-9D is a standoff scale kit designed by Tom Jacoby for easy building and light weight. The kit includeds all complete plans and building instructions, plus laser-cut balsa and plywood. Vacuum-formed parts furnished with the kit include canopy, cowl, scoops, machinegun blister and exhausts. The kit also features an extensive set of water-slide decal markings.

Here's a look at the plans:

Here's more photos of the prototype. The decals you see in these photos are furnished with this kit!

Specifications

• Span 31-1/8"
• Length 25-5/8"
• Wing Area 151 Sq In
• Weight RTF 20.3 Oz
• Motor: Speed-400 or Mega 16/15-series brushless
• Recommended Battery: 8 cell 1100 NiMh

Flight Report

Here's Steve St. Martin's flight report of 8 Sep 05: "IT FLIES! The SP-400 7.2v, 3s lipo and 6-3 TF nylon is awesome. Very sensitive on elevator. I have the elevator at 1/8" up and down. Ailerons at 1/4-3/8". Rolls very fast and flies straight and solid as an arrow."

To order this kit, please go to the Kits page.

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