What type of Yak is this?

[Audrius]

hello friends
on behalf of Mr.Leon from Russian aviation forum at www.airforce.ru I repost a very nice picture of Yakovlev machine and bunch of pilots from 139 GIAP (20IAP) of 303IAD. With board number being "0"!! Amazing , isn't it? This a/c belonged to commander of GIAP Petrovec.



I have doubts of deciding which type of Yak is it! According the panels of the fuselage and inspections doors (note one behind the star) and canopy I would say this is Yak-9U! Do you see the antenna wire going through the rear canopy? Only this makes me doubt against the 9U. Should not pass in the fuselage just behid rear canopy? Otherwise it's pretty much resamble a Yak-9U.

Other thoughts was about fully metal Yak-3U. But I have not a drawing of it to check the panels. Does anyone?

Thanks to Leon for sharing the picture

BR Audrius

[Massimo Tessitori]

Hi Audrius,
thank you for sharing the photo.
The wire aerial corresponds to that of Yak-3vk-107; the panel overposed to the star isn't shown on the drawing on Loctnicze, but I cant assure its reliability.
Note the wire aerial from the tail horizontal surface to the fuselage side, aside the upper aerial.
I think to see a pair of panel lines on the stabilizator and under the tail, but I'm not sure.
I have photos of Yak-9 U and UT without the radio mast, so Yak-9 is more likely for me.
Pity! None photo of production Yak-3U is known to me. Only prototypes.
BR Massimo

[Audrius]

Note the wire aerial from the tail horizontal surface to the fuselage side, aside the upper aerial.

Right Massimo, I didn't noticed it at first!
Isn't the feature of Yak-9P??
I am confused about the exact type of this Yak machine. 

BR Audrius

[Dark Green Man]

this plane is a Yak-9U.
(you are confusing the aerial going into the fuselage with the Yak-9B)
I have checked with the info I have at hand and the 139 GIAP did operate Yak-9U's
the 20 IAP became the 139 GIAP sometime between October 9-23 1943.(one source erroneously lists the 12 GVIAP)
one document says they operated Yak-9PD's from April of 1944.
the Yak-9U entered combat with the 163 IAP in October of 1944 , so this must be after that.
key commanders of the unit are listed as : Maj. S. N. Naydenov (1941)
Maj. I.I. Geybo ,and Maj. P.S. Kutakhov although no dates listed for them.
my guess is that this photo probably dated from 1945, possibly even after the war

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[FPSOlkor]

this plane is a Yak-9U.
(you are confusing the aerial going into the fuselage with the Yak-9B)
I have checked with the info I have at hand and the 139 GIAP did operate Yak-9U's
the 20 IAP became the 139 GIAP sometime between October 9-23 1943.(one source erroneously lists the 12 GVIAP)
one document says they operated Yak-9PD's from April of 1944.
the Yak-9U entered combat with the 163 IAP in October of 1944 , so this must be after that.
key commanders of the unit are listed as : Maj. S. N. Naydenov (1941)
Maj. I.I. Geybo ,and Maj. P.S. Kutakhov although no dates listed for them.
my guess is that this photo probably dated from 1945, possibly even after the war

[/color]

By no means you are mistaken at least at the following: Major Kutahov was a commander of 20 GvIAP, not 20 IAP. Be more carefull with the facts next time please...