Aircraft · Soviet Union · 1940-1946
Yakovlev Yak-7
fighter
A single-engine Soviet fighter developed by Alexander Yakovlev from the two-seat UTI-26 advanced trainer, first flown on 23 July 1940 and converted into a frontline fighter once wartime need for combat aircraft outweighed the need for trainers. Powered by a 1,050hp Klimov M-105PA engine and armed with a 20mm ShVAK cannon plus machine guns, it entered production in 1942 as a heavier, more rugged complement to the lighter Yak-1 already in Soviet service. The type was progressively refined for weight and performance through the war and its airframe and lessons fed directly into the later Yak-9, making it the bridge between the two more famous Yakovlev fighters.
| engine | Klimov M-105PA, 1,050 hp |
|---|---|
| max speed | 571 km/h |
| armament | 1x 20 mm ShVAK cannon, machine guns |
| service ceiling | 9,500 m |
| produced | ~6,399 (all variants) |
