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The Soviet Union’s Yak-9K Fighter Was Too Powerful for Its Own Design

The Yak-9K was essential for the Soviet Air Force’s mission to regain air superiority over the German Luftwaffe during key battles, such as Kursk in 1943. Armed with a 45mm NS-45 cannon, a reliable VK ...
The National Interest

Russia’s Yak-38 Fighter was ‘Totally Unreliable in Combat’

The Soviet Union’s Yak-38 fighter was the Soviet Union’s attempt to keep up with advances in Vertical Short/Takeoff and Landing (VSTOL) capabilities in Western fighters. The Yak-38 was intended to be ...
The National Interest

Yak-38: The Russian Aircraft Carrier Fighter Jet That Was a Failure

Meet the Yak-38: During the Cold War, the Royal Air Force developed the Harrier “Jump Jet,” an aircraft that went on to be a favorite of Hollywood. As Harrison Kass, writing in December of last year ...
Military.com

The 1944 Air Battle Over Niš: The Only Direct Combat Between American and Soviet Forces in WWII

American P-38 and Soviet Yak-9 planes in flight during World War II. The planes engaged each other in combat once over Nis during the war. (Wikimedia Commons) By November 1944, Nazi Germany was ...
Flying

Yak-9 Represents a Rare Breed Among Warbirds

The Russian Yakovlev Yak-9 was a formidable and highly maneuverable WWII fighter, praised for its excellent performance and power-to-weight ratio, but remains remarkably rare in the U.S. civilian ...