Yak-7B

Yak-7B

Yak-1B

Yak-9

360://https://old-wiki.warthunder.com/images/7/76/Cockpit_yak-7b.jpg

Yak-7B

Yak-1B

Yak-9

USSR

II Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
3.3	2.7	2.7

Class:

Fighter

Research:9 200

Purchase:16 000

Description

The Yak-7B is the third variant of the Yakovlev-7 fighter aircraft family. Developments on the Yak-1 fighter aircraft family resulted in the Yak-7. It began as a two-seat trainer designed to support the Yak-1 fighter aircraft family, armed with only one 7.62 mm ShKAS light machine gun for gunnery exercise and dual-control cockpits for the student and instructor. The Yak-7 factory's engineers immediately began work on a prospective single-seat fighter adaptation of the twin-seat Yak-7. Rather than removing the back instructor's space, it was retained for future possibilities. The Yak-7 was officially introduced in 1942 and has limited production. The Yak-7A went into service as an improved variant of the standard Yak-7, with around 300 aircraft constructed and introduced in late 1942. For improved high-altitude performance, this modified variant included the M-105PA V12 liquid-cooled inline piston engine with 1,050 horsepower. Initially, the Yak-7A was armed with one 20mm ShVAK cannon firing through the propeller hub and two 7.62mm ShKAS light machine guns in the engine cowling. This was later changed to two 12.7mm Berezin UB heavy machine guns. The Yak-7B was the standard Yak-7's second improved variant. The Yak-7B features a shorter wingspan, upgraded onboard equipment, and production-friendly improvements to the undercarriage over the Yak-7A. An incredible 5,000 aircraft are built to this specification.

Introduced in the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27, the Yak-7B is not as manoeuvrable as its tech tree cousins, but it is nonetheless competitive. It is critical that you stay close to friendly high-flying aircraft. If you are being aggressively pursued by enemy aircraft, consider pulling the opponent near your allies. As the ammunition count is limited, trigger discipline is required. Even without the Wartime Emergency Power (WEP), the Yak-7B is a competent climber. Maintaining altitude allows you to dive away if things become problematic in the middle of a fight with an enemy. Because the wings rip so quickly, steep dives should be avoided. It is, however, a capable high-altitude aircraft, and in the hands of an experienced player, the Yak-7B can easily earn a few kills during battles.

General info

Flight performance

Max speed

at 3 650 m570 km/h

Turn time21 s

Max altitude9 900 m

EngineKlimov VK-105PF

TypeInline

Cooling systemWater

Take-off weight3 t

The aircraft has a lightweight body and a good engine making it very capable of dealing with any kind of enemy. It has decent manoeuvrability for its battle rating, although not as good as the other Yaks. It is most efficient up to 4,000 m (13,123 ft). It's not recommended to use in a turn fight, but if necessary extending the flaps helps a lot. It can climb well making flying away not so difficult. The Yak-7B can withstand from 10 G to -8 G.

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 3,650 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	554	535	9900	22.3	23.0	13.2	13.0	320
Upgraded	586	570		21.0	21.5	18.0	15.5

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
X	X	✓	X	X

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
683	320	N/A	N/A	280	~11	~9

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 380	< 420	< 490	> 340

Survivability and armour

Crew1 person

Speed of destruction

Structural0 km/h

Gear320 km/h

The aircraft can take a few hits in the engine and in the hull. It has 8 mm (0.31 in) of steel on the seat. You can avoid most of the enemy aircraft but stalling this fighter is a death wish. Any Bf 110 or the other Boom & Zoom type aircraft will knock your plane out. It's effective to gradually reduce your speed and make circles clockwise to make enemies overshoot.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB513 → 643

RB1 006 → 1 261

SB1 423 → 1 784

Total cost of modifications8 490

9 610

Talisman cost640

Crew training4 500

Experts16 000

Aces180

Research Aces190 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

30 / 70 / 150 %

118 / 118 / 118 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Fuselage repair Research: 420 Cost: 470 70 Radiator Research: 420 Cost: 470 70 Compressor Research: 630 Cost: 710 105 Wings repair Research: 530 Cost: 600 85 Engine Research: 530 Cost: 600 85	Airframe Research: 630 Cost: 710 105 Cover Research: 1 400 Cost: 1 600 230	ub_belt_pack Research: 420 Cost: 470 70 BI-42 Research: 420 Cost: 470 70 ub_new_gun Research: 630 Cost: 710 105 shvak_belt_pack Research: 530 Cost: 600 85 RO-82 Research: 530 Cost: 600 85 shvak_new_gun Research: 1 400 Cost: 1 600 230

Armaments

Offensive armament

Weapon 120 mm ShVAK cannon

Ammunition120 rounds

Fire rate800 shots/min

Weapon 22 x 12.7 mm Berezin UBS machine gun

Ammunition400 rounds

Fire rate996 shots/min

The Yak-7B is armed with:

• 1 x 20 mm ShVAK cannon, nose-mounted (120 rpg)
• 2 x 12.7 mm Berezin UB machine guns, nose-mounted (260 rpg left + 140 rpg right = 400 total)

Suspended armament

List of setups (3)

Setup 12 x 50 kg FAB-50sv (forged) bomb

Setup 26 x ROS-82 rockets

Setup 36 x RBS-82 rockets

The Yak-7B can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• Without load
• 2 x 50 kg FAB-50sv bombs (100 kg total)
• 6 x ROS-82 rockets
• 6 x RBS-82 rockets

Usage in battles

The Yak-7B is a versatile aircraft that can destroy both air or ground targets.

The Yak-7B is not as manoeuvrable as its cousins in the tech tree but is decently competitive. Having a wingman with you can work wonders while flying the Yak-7B given both of you create opportunities for each other. The Yak-7B is not an aircraft that does good away from allies so it's essential that you remain in close proximity with other high-flying aircraft. If targeted actively and being chased, try dragging the enemy to the deck near allies.

The 20 mm ShVAK cannon and 12.7 mm Berezin UB MG combination is decent and will take down any aircraft with precise bursts. Ammunition count is on the lower side so trigger discipline is necessary. It is best to get close and fire when the Enemy aircraft is in middle of a turn or attempting a zoom climb, Targeting the wings or the cockpit.

The Yak-7B is a decent climber, even without the WEP being available, it can easily climb to ~4,000-4,500 m quickly on 100% engine power without issues. The engine temperature turns yellow rather quickly, but it stays there and does not get any higher. Maintaining altitude is recommended which allows you to dive away if things get difficult mid fight. The turn rate is on the higher side but careful manoeuvring can turn tables easily.

Steep dives are discouraged because the wings rip very quickly. It is best to either dive doing a shallow spiral or to do split-S if one wants to reduce altitude or lose an enemy. But, even if the wings tend to rip, the Yak is a fair BnZ aircraft and careful speed monitoring can get you kills while diving. The Yak-7B has good response to control inputs and does not feel sluggish.

Ground pounding is possible but is not recommended. The Yak can carry 2 x FAB-50 bombs that can destroy ground targets and rockets.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Not auto controlled	Separate	Controllable 2 gears	Not controllable

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Powerful engine, even without WEP can climb at decent rate
• Nose-mounted 1 x 20 mm ShVAK & 2 x 12.7 mm UBS machine gun proves a very effective combination
• Capable of using rockets for both air and ground targets

Cons:

• No WEP, engine temperature readings turn yellow quickly
• Engine underperforms above 4,000 m, making the Yak-7B incapable of intercepting high-altitude bombers
• Worse manoeuvrability compared to all other low-tier Yakovlev fighters
• The wooden airframe can't sustain high compression during dive in high speed, resulting in wing rips above 650 km/h
• Any kind of fire will quickly spread across the plane

History

The Yakovlev Yak-7 was originally intended as a two-seat trainer version of the Yak-1 fighter plane for the Soviet Air Force and only armed with 1 x 7.62 mm ShKAS MG for gunnery practice. Eventually, engineers at the Yakovlev Design Bureau modified the plane into a single-seat fighter superior to the Yak-1. The plane was armed with a single, propeller-mounted 20 mm ShVAK autocannon and 2 x ShKAS machine guns in the engine cowling and included armour for the cockpit. The plane was quickly adopted by the air force and production was approved by late 1941. Unfortunately, Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the USSR had already begun and the relocation of factories to the Urals and more pressing needs elsewhere meant only 65 were available at the end of the year. Though it would see service as a fighter and interceptor, the aircraft was more often used as a fighter-bomber due to its ability to carry bombs and rockets for use against the Nazi and Italian ground forces. The Yak-7B would be introduced in 1942 and had a reduced wingspan, improved on-board systems, and an easier-to-produce undercarriage compared to the Yak-7A. Production of the Yak-7B would amount to over 5,000 aircraft produced. It would later see service with Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Mongolia, Poland, and Yugoslavia, which only received 2 Yak-7V planes. The Free French Air Force Normandie-Niemen squadron would also employ the plane on the Eastern Front, eager to get revenge against the Luftwaffe that had bested them on the home front.

Archive of the in-game description

This Soviet single-engine fighter was based on the Yak-7UTI, a tandem-seat advanced trainer based on the Yak-1. The first Yak-7B rolled off the production line at Yakovlev in 1942; the last one was made in 1944. The Yak-7B's armaments consisted of two 12.7 mm Berezin machine guns and one 20 mm ShVAK cannon. In addition, bombs aboard the plane could be suspended. In all, the plane's manufacturer made more than 5,000 Yak-7Bs.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Yak-7B from live.warthunder.com.

See also

• Yak-1 (Family)
• Yak-3 (Family)
• LaGG-3-11

External links

• Official data sheet - more details about the performance
• [Military Factory] Yakovlev Yak-7

A.S. Yakovlev Design Bureau (Яковлев Опытное конструкторское бюро)
Fighters
Yak-1	Yak-1 · Yak-1B
Yak-3	Yak-3 · Eremin's Yak-3(e) · Yak-3 (VK-107) · Yak-3P · Yak-3T · Yak-3U
Yak-7	Yak-7B
Yak-9	Yak-9 · Yak-9B · Yak-9K · Golovachev's Yak-9M · Yak-9P · Yak-9T · Yak-9U · Yak-9UT
Twin-engine fighters	I-29
Jet fighters
Yak-15	Yak-15P · Yak-15
Yak-17	Yak-17
Yak-23	Yak-23
Yak-30	Yak-30D
Yak-141	Yak-141
Strike aircraft
Yak-2	Yak-2 KABB
Yak-38	Yak-38 · Yak-38M
Bombers	Yak-4
Jet bombers	Yak-28B
Foreign use	▄Yak-3 · Challe's ▄Yak-9T · ◔Yak-9P
Captured	▀Yak-1B