Yak-1 series 69

The Yakovlev Yak-1 series 69 is a fighter from the Battle of Stalingrad module of IL-2 Sturmovik: Great Battles.

Hangar view

Important facts and figures

Engine management

• The engine has been tuned to never go higher than nominal power. You can therefore fly all day with every lever jammed forwards.
• The only limit to engine power output is heat soak. Careful radiator and mixture management will be key here.
• On the deck: 80% mixture for performance, 90% is overrich and cools the engine.
• Power output peaks below maximum engine RPM. On the deck it's at 2550 RPM. This changes with altitude: hold the throttle steady and observe at what RPM the manifold pressure peaks.
• Maximum RPM allows for the fastest acceleration.

Flying the Yak-1

Out of combat

Startup and taxi

• RPM, mixture 100%.
• Throttle 10-15%.
• Begin engine startup sequence.
• For taxiing, you can unlock the tailwheel to make tighter turns. Be aware that the plane then is highly unstable.

Takeoff

• Mixture to 90%
• Open the radiators for the initial climb to altitude: oil at around 30%, water at around 45%.
• Smoothly throttle up to full power.
• Use left rudder to keep the plane straight.
• Takeoff speed is just under 200km/h.
• Once airborne, reduce mixture to 80%.

Climb

• Pitch trim to achieve the desired attitude.
• Keep an eye on your oil and water temperature and adjust the radiator flaps if necessary.
• Dont forget to shift your supercharger gear at 2300m.
• Start leaning the mixture slightly as you go past 3000m.

Cruise

• Pitch trim to achieve the desired attitude.
• Keep an eye on your oil and water temperature and adjust the radiator flaps if necessary. You may need to close them more than you think!
• If you wish to save fuel, lean your mixture until your exhaust is no longer sooty.
• With a steady throttle, adjust RPM until manifold pressure is highest. This is 2550 RPM at sea level. This will give you the highest possible speed at the cost of some acceleration.

Landing

• RPM and mixture to 100%.
• Keep an eye on your oil and water temperature and adjust the radiator flaps if necessary. You may need to close them more than you think!
• The pneumatic flap actuators can only exert enough force to extend the flaps under 220km/h. And even then, the flaps won't fully extend. Expect them to suddenly extend as your speed drops, with the usual effects on handling.
• Landing speed is around 140km/h.
• After touchdown, let the plane roll for a little while before applying the brakes.

In combat

Overall

• RPM to 100% for dogfighting.
• RPM to peak power output for BnZ or when chasing or fleeing.
• Mixture to 90%
• Keep an eye on your oil and water temperature and adjust the radiator flaps if necessary. The only limit to how hard you can run your engine is how hot is gets. You can also choose to close your rads to allow for short bursts of lower drag.

Strengths

• Can turn and burn very well.

Weaknesses

• Shit cannon ammo. 2 shells out of 3 are AP and thus do little to enemy planes.
• Gets unstable if you pull really hard.