Making sense of Yak series

[warhawk]

I always wondered why Yak-3 was designated like that, when it was designed AFTER the Yak-9...

Were they trying to keep one-digit numbering system (and why?)

[Massimo Tessitori]

Hi,
there was another plane, the I-30, that was developed contemporarily to the Yak-7 and first received the name Yak-3. I suppose that the suppression of this project let a void in the numeration, so they utilized it in consideration that the Yak-9 was derived from the Yak-7, and the Yak-3 was derived from the Yak-1.
Regards
Massimo

[Dark Green Man]

the Ya-26 or I-26 went into production as the I-26 , when the naming system changed in December 1940 it became the Yak-1
the Ya-27 or UTI-26 went into production as the UTI-26 then was changed to Yak-7UTI
the Ya-28 or I-28 was called the Yak-3 (1940)
the Ya-30 or I-30 was called the Yak-5 (1940)
but, the I-28 and I-30 did not go into production so these designations were reused.
when more fighters were desperately needed the UTI-26 was converted into a fighter and called Yak-7
(the production Yak-5 was powered by a 5-cylinder engine-was it even a fighter?)
Yes, it can seem confusing;you just have to remember that much of this development work was going on at the same time.