Yak-15P

This page is about the Soviet jet fighter Yak-15P. For the early version, see Yak-15.

Yak-15P

Yak-9UT

Yak-15

Yak-15P

Yak-9UT

Yak-15

USSR

V Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
6.0	6.3	6.7

Class:

Fighter

Jet fighter

Research:82 000

Purchase:240 000

Description

By 1946, the Yakovlev "Yak-Jumo" project to build a single-engine jet fighter with a reverse-engineered Junkers Jumo 004 engine (dubbed the RD-10) hammered into the existing Yak-3 fuselage was well underway, but a few setbacks meant that the full production variant, the Yak-15, could not be fully produced in the required numbers for the October Revolution Air Parade on November 7th. As such, a special variant was quickly ordered for the parade, with much of the unnecessary/untested parts being left out to save time. As such, this special Yak-15 was missing the armour plating and quite a few instruments and avionics, and these aircraft were not even fitted with guns. Some planes had extra fuel tanks installed where the missing guns were supposed to be. Finally, these 15 aircraft were given a bright-red paint scheme for the parade. To save time as the program was already behind schedule, shortly after the parade two of these aircraft were quickly fitted with armour and a single NS-23 23 mm cannon to begin state acceptance trials.

It is also worth noting that the "Yak-15P" designation never actually existed, only being used unofficially many years later to differentiate the special first 15 rushed aircraft from proper production Yak-15s, and it is unknown whether the P in Yak-15P stands for "Parade" or "Pre-production".

The Yak-15P, introduced in Update 1.31, is a very peculiar aircraft among all the early jets of War Thunder. Unlike the only other jet in history to be successfully derived and mass-produced from a pre-existing piston fighter, the Swedish J21R, the Yak-15P does not sacrifice its familiar flight performance heavily. Instead, the Yak-3P retains its incredible handling characteristics familiar to previous Yak-3 pilots, allowing it to swiftly outmanoeuvre most jet aircraft it faces. The biggest drawback however is the low top speed and horrible compression at high speeds compared to contemporary jets, giving the Yak-15s their biggest disadvantage: high speed engagement. One should be wary of this weakness when engaging multiple aircraft at once, as the Yak-15P does not have the option of escaping when things go south due to its weak acceleration and troublesome controls at higher speeds. The Yak-15P differs from its production variant, the later Yak-15, in its basic gun-play: the aircraft loses one of its 23 mm cannons which results in the aircraft being at a lower battle rating, opening many new doors for it to be used as a CAP/air superiority aircraft in combined battles at battle ratings the normal Yak-15 could not be used.

General info

Flight performance

Max speed

at 4 000 m755 km/h

Turn time18 s

Max altitude13 250 m

EngineKlimov RD-10

TypeJet

Cooling systemAir

Take-off weight3 t

The handling of the Yak-15P is uncomfortable in most situations. For a jet-engined aircraft it has very poor top speed and the acceleration at all states can be considered inferior. With a poor climb rate and weak engine, it is easy to get yourself into hard situations. However, the Yak-15P has a very nimble airframe and good agility in dogfights, and its weak engine is still enough to make it hold speed better than most props in a turn fight.

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 4,000 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	719	699	13250	19.1	20.1	19.7	19.2	366
Upgraded	792	755		18.3	18.5	26.5	23.0

Details

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

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
750	450	N/A	N/A	320	~12	~9

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 380	< 420	< 500	N/A

Engine performance

Engine			Aircraft mass
Engine name		Number	Basic mass		Wing loading (full fuel)
Klimov RD-10		1	2,120 kg		183 kg/m2
Engine characteristics			Mass with fuel (no weapons load)				Max Gross Weight
Weight (each)	Type		9m fuel	20m fuel	30m fuel	32m fuel
760 kg	Axial-flow turbojet		2,296 kg	2,484 kg	2,667 kg	2,708 kg	2,714 kg
Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB)			Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (100%)
Condition	100%	WEP	9m fuel	20m fuel	30m fuel	32m fuel	MGW
Stationary	910 kgf	N/A	0.40	0.37	0.34	0.34	0.34
Optimal	910 kgf (0 km/h)	N/A	0.40	0.37	0.34	0.34	0.34

Survivability and armour

Crew1 person

Speed of destruction

Structural0 km/h

Gear450 km/h

• 8.5 mm Steel - armour plate behind the pilot seat

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB3 586 → 4 521

RB8 506 → 10 726

SB13 250 → 16 708

Total cost of modifications72 000

120 000

Talisman cost1 900

Crew training68 000

Experts240 000

Aces1 400

Research Aces620 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

110 / 260 / 600 %

184 / 184 / 184 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Fuselage repair Research: 7 100 Cost: 12 000 230 Compressor Research: 8 000 Cost: 13 000 260 Wings repair Research: 8 900 Cost: 15 000 290 Engine Research: 12 000 Cost: 20 000 390	Airframe Research: 8 000 Cost: 13 000 260 Cover Research: 12 000 Cost: 20 000 390	ns23_belt_pack Research: 7 100 Cost: 12 000 230 ns23_new_gun Research: 8 900 Cost: 15 000 290

Obtaining the "Offensive 23 mm" modification is the best choice as it allows for more flexibility in armament. Next, try to obtain the "compressor" and "engine" upgrades as they both increase engine thrust which is essential in escaping from a dogfight turned sour. Finally, obtain the rest of the performance upgrades as they will all collectively increase top speed, turn time, and rate of climb.

Armaments

Offensive armament

Weapon 123 mm NS-23K cannon

Ammunition60 rounds

Fire rate600 shots/min

The Yak-15P is armed with:

• 1 x 23 mm NS-23K cannon, nose-mounted (60 rpg)

Usage in battles

In Realistic battles, climbing with this aircraft at the start of a match is not always the best course of action, considering how poor the Yak-15P's rate of climb is. Instead of the traditional and slow angled climb, the Yak-15P is best used in a "zoom climb" where once enough energy has been built up at a low altitude the Yak-15P pilot will pitch up, thus gaining altitude quickly. This way, if attacked during the first few minutes of the match, the Yak-15P still wields some energy whereas had the Yak-15P been slowly climbing, it would have had to face another aircraft's guns. To shake an enemy, especially a prop driven enemy, dive low to the ground to ensure your assailant's speed only decreases. This dive is called a "speed trap" and is effective when followed by either a "hammerhead" attack or a continuation of the escape. This tactic of utilising the Yak-15P's ability to hold on to energy in a straight line is negated when facing other jet aircraft who wield the same ability; however, this is where the Yak-15P's dogfighting abilities come into play. Because it is so similar to the Yak-3, the Yak-15P retains some of its manoeuvrability characteristics, namely its turn time. This facet often proves an indispensable one as other first-generation jets will not be able to maintain a tight enough turn circle.

However, the Yak-15P is severely hampered in its damage output due to its reliance on a single 23 mm NS-23K cannon, with 60 shells total. Expending this pool in seconds is possible. The Yak-15P shares this downfall with aircraft like the Ki-200, and the Me 163. Firing in small, accurate bursts negates this and is the most efficient way of destroying enemies. The 23 mm shells these cannons fire are extremely deadly when they hit and often rip enemies apart.

To use the guns most effectively, be close to your target. The reason for this is twofold: First, the limited ammo means you want your shots to count. Being close to your target will give your cannons the highest chance of hitting. The second reason is that of the ballistics of the 23 mm shells - their muzzle velocity is not very high, meaning you have to lead your targets by quite a bit. If you are closer to your mark, you won't have to lead them by quite as much, although still more than most other cannons.

With some practice, it is possible to consistently get about two fighter kills with one load of ammunition in realistic battles. Using the Air Targets belt is the most effective. However, attacking bombers is best left to other planes with more firepower, since the Yak-15P does not have the firepower or ammunition to kill heavy bombers without sustaining massive damage reliably. Heavy fighters such as the F7F-1 may also take longer to destroy than other opponents.

In Arcade battles, the Yak-15P is capable of breaking up a "furball" due to its impressive turn time. The turn time coupled with its hard-hitting cannon makes any Yak-15P pilot an indispensable asset to any Arcade team.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Excellent turn time
• Good armament
• Outstanding roll rate
• Fairly responsive at higher speeds
• Great visibility in cockpit, good for spotting

Cons:

• Slow for a jet fighter
• Extremely low ammunition count
• Poor rate of climb
• Poor acceleration
• Lacks bulletproof glass
• Inability to carry suspended armament
• Low wing rip speed for a jet fighter

History

Archive of the in-game description

An all-metal, single-seat fighter equipped with a turbojet engine. Its development started at the end of World War II, when the Soviet Union captured numerous German components, including Junkers Jumo-004 jet engines. This engine was studied in the USSR, and the Klimov OKB created a domestic counterpart under the designation RD-10. In turn, the Yakovlev OKB used the design to produce a jet fighter based on the latest version of the well-liked Yak-3. The designers decided in favor of the pod-and-boom layout. A turbojet engine with 900 kg thrust was mounted instead of the old VK-107A piston engine. The engine was inclined so that the jet stream exited underneath the fuselage and wing. The rest of the airframe was left almost unchanged, except for an additional heat shield, made of refractory steel, located in the exhaust section. The aircraft's armament included two Nudelman-Suranov NS-23KM cannons with 60 rounds each. The cannons were housed in the forward fuselage above the engine. The new Yakovlev fighter was originally called the Yak-Jumo but later obtained the designation Yak-15. The first flight of the Yak-15 was on April 24, 1946, and the plane was launched into full-scale production in the autumn of the same year. Production Yak-15 planes had a different engine, the RD-10, manufactured in the USSR. The service life of the earliest engines was officially claimed to be 25 hours, but in reality it was 17 hours at best. Nevertheless, the Yak-15 was very easy to pilot, and its steering was similar to that of the Yak-3, which had been the basis of its development. As a result, it was decided that although the Yak-15 did not meet the requirements of the Air Force for a modern combat fighter, it was perfectly suitable as a transition from prop to jet aircraft. In addition to its engine's limited service life, the Yak-15 had a number of distinctive disadvantages. The most commonly encountered defects during its operation included hydraulic fluid leaks (through the sealing rings of the landing gear shock struts), the rupturing of rudder control cable threads, and the deterioration of tail wheel springs (probably caused by overheating). But the Yak-15's main disadvantage was its very short flight range. Nevertheless, the significance of the Yak-15 in the history of Soviet aviation should not be underestimated. Hundreds of pilots underwent training on planes of this type, and it was the Yak-15 that became the first Soviet jet aircraft officially accepted for service in the Air Force as well as the first jet fighter that enabled military pilots to master advanced aerobatics. Production of the Yak-15 was discontinued in 1947. In all, 280 planes were constructed.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Yak-15P from live.warthunder.com.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

• Official data sheet - more details about the performance

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