Photograph:
Yakovlev Yak 3U Steadfast VH-YOV (c/n 001-3/2005) at Albion Park in May 2015 (David C Eyre)
Country of origin:
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Description:
Single-seat fighter
Power Plant:
One 1,380 kw (1,850 hp) Shevtsov M-82FN [Ash-82FN] fourteen cylinder two-row air-cooled radial engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 9.40 m (30 ft 10 in)
- Length: 8.36 m (27 ft 5½ in)
- Max speed at sea level: 620 km/h (385 mph)
- Max speed at 6,100 m (20,015 ft): 710 km/h (441 mph)
- Time to 5,000 m (16,405 ft): 3.8 mins
- Range: 10 km (441 miles)
- Loaded weight: 2,790 kg (6,151 lb)
Armament:
Two synchronised 20 mm B-20 cannon
History:
The Yak 3U was a completely new design produced by the Yakovlev Design Bureau which used the light alloy stressed skin metal wing and tail surfaces of the latterly built Yak 3 fitted with the Klimov M-107 in-line V-12 engine but was built with a completely new fuselage fitted with a 14-cylinder two-row radial engine. Armament was two 20 mm B-20 cannon but these, if the aircraft entered production, could be replaced by two 23 mm NS-23 cannon.
The development of the new design was given low priority and the prototype was not flown until 12 May 1945. By that time it was considered to be obsolescent and, despite showing outstanding performance and manoeuvrability, was not put into production, only one example being completed.
From 2005 in Romania a number of Yak 3 replica fighters were produced for warbird enthusiasts around the world and these were fitted with Allison V-12 engines as these were still available, whereas the Klimov engines were not. A few Yak 3s have been used for air racing and a number have been registered and flown in this part of the world. One example was rebuilt in the United States for William Whiteside and fitted with a Pratt & Whitney R-2000 engine. This aircraft, named Steadfast, was used to set a number of international speed and climb to altitude records for piston engined aircraft in the 3,000 kg (6,615 lb) category. On 10 October 2011 around a 3 km (1.863 miles) course over the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, USA it recorded a speed of 655 km/h (407 mph), and later over the same course achieved a speed of 670 km/h (416 mph).
Development of this aircraft included an injection system to inject 50-50 methanol and water mix into the cylinders when the engine was run at high power settings, this being said to increase engine power by 224 kw (300 hp). It also set a time to height record to 3,048 m (10,000 ft) of 2 mins 5 seconds.
In early 2014 it was imported to Australia for Mr Patrick Cornwell, taking up residence at Jandakot in Perth, WA, becoming VH-YOV (c/n 001-3/2005 – ex N46463). It was later obtained by an operator in Queensland and since then has been flown at a number of aviation events on the Australian east coast, being owned and operated by Team Steadfast Pty Ltd of Kelvin Grove, QLD. In early 2017 it was shipped to New Zealand where it was displayed at the Classic Wings Airshow at Omaka. However, in August 2019 it was removed from the Australian register and exported to New Zealand where it became ZK-YOV on 9 October 2019 at Omaka.