Soviet Yak 3 Aces

YAK 3" RED 12" Unit: 150th IAP, 'Sword' Group

Pilot - Saveliy.V.Nosov (17 victories). Spring 1945

YAK3" Yellow 58" Unit: 157th GvIAP

Pilot - Sergey Lugansky, 1944. Inscription the the fuselage siad: 'Gift to Soviet Union hero Sergey Lugansky from members of the Komsomol of Alma-Ata city'. The number '32' - number of the victories( Single colour alternate included)

YAK 3 "White 39" of the VVS ace Mikhail Balakan, 31 GIAP, winter of 1944-45. In only 112 military flights, Balakan engaged the enemy a mere 22 times, and yet managed to shoot down 15 confirmed enemy fighters, with another 5 victories 'shared'; virtually one aircraft per combat! He later died in an accident in the Soviet Kosmonaut programme. .

YAK3" White 1" Unit: 303rd IAD

Pilot -

CO of 303rd IAD General-Major Georgy Nefedovich Zakharov. USSR, Autumn 1944