Yak-23

Yak-23

Yak-23

Description

The Yak-23 is a rank Soviet jet fighter with a battle rating of (AB), (RB), and (SB). It was introduced in Update 1.75 "La Résistance".

The Yak-23 is a single-engined jet fighter initially designed to intercept high altitude, long range bombers such as the B-29.

General info

Flight performance

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 0 m - sea level)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	915	904		19.2	19.9	37.7	36.5	650
Upgraded	939	929		18.8	19.0	52.8	45.0

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	+	-
1,000		N/A	N/A	320	~11	~8

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 450	< 420	< 500	N/A

Engine performance

Engine			Aircraft mass
Engine name		Number	Basic mass		Wing loading (full fuel)
Klimov RD-500		1	2,213 kg		215 kg/m2
Engine characteristics			Mass with fuel (no weapons load)				Max Gross Weight
Weight (each)	Type		10m fuel	20m fuel	30m fuel	33m fuel
570 kg	Centrifugal-flow turbojet		2,431 kg	2,643 kg	2,857 kg	2,941 kg	2,974 kg
Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB)			Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (112%)
Condition	100%	112%	10m fuel	20m fuel	30m fuel	33m fuel	MGW
Stationary	1,367 kgf	1,519 kgf	0.62	0.57	0.53	0.52	0.51
Optimal	1,367 kgf (0 km/h)	1,519 kgf (0 km/h)	0.62	0.57	0.53	0.52	0.51

Survivability and armour

• 57 mm Bulletproof glass in cockpit front.
• 8 mm Steel plate behind the pilot.

Armaments

Offensive armament

The Yak-23 is armed with:

• 2 x 23 mm NR-23 cannons, nose-mounted (90 rpg = 180 total)

Usage in battles

The Yak-23 has an extremely light airframe and relatively powerful jet which gives it an enormous thrust-to-weight ratio, making it one of the best accelerating (and climbing) jets in War Thunder. The Yak-23 is not only a good bomber hunter but also an excellent fighter. Almost no jet can accelerate better than the Yak-23 below 800 km/h and no jet in the Yak-23's BR bracket can compete with its climb rate unless it has a massive energy advantage. This gives the Yak-23 a huge advantage over the vast majority of opponents it meets. The Yak-23 cannot carry any ordnance and is thus purely subjugated to fighter duties and should be used accordingly.

Combat tactics

Always take minimum fuel (9 min) as fuel forms a significant part of the Yak-23's mass. An important fuel load will severely dampen the Yak-23's performance. Ammo is limited enough as it is so extra fuel should not be necessary anyway.

The Yak-23 should fight in the vertical and utilize its excellent manoeuvrability to take careful shots and stay out of the line of fire of enemy guns. Energy-conserving chandelles and stalls are by far the most effective tactics to utilize as they best use the Yak-23's insane acceleration and climb rate while depleting your enemy's energy.

The G.91 is by far the greatest threat to the Yak-23, as it is a small target, faster, and has high-velocity quick-firing Browning M3 machine guns that will make quick work of the Yak-23. That, combined with its excellent roll rate makes it exceedingly difficult to hit with the low-velocity 23 mm cannons mounted on the Yak-23.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Acceleration below 800 km/h and climb rate unrivalled by anything but rocket-powered aircraft
• Excellent manoeuvrability

Cons:

• Plane wobbles badly while manoeuvring beyond 700 km/h
• 23 mm guns with low muzzle velocity and low fire rate tend to spark
• Small ammunition pool
• No additional armament or secondary weapons

History

During early 1947, the Soviet Union wanted a single-seat jet aircraft equipped with an engine produced by Rolls-Royce. The job was given to Soviet aircraft manufacturer Yakovlev and in July 1947, the aircraft was unveiled and flown for the first time. Just as the Yak-15 and the Yak-17, the main fuselage was based on that of the Yak-3, and the Yak-jets along with the SAAB J21R were the only aircraft to be successfully converted to jet fighters from piston-powered props. In 1949, the Yak-23 entered service but was not produced in large scale due to it being inferior of the MiG-15 that had just been mass produced and entered into service. Between 10,000-15,000 MiG-15s of different variants were built, but only around 300 Yak-23s. A few Eastern European countries bought the rights to build their own Yak-23s and some imported them directly from the Soviet Union, but many of them later opted for the MiG-15 due to it simply being better and more effective. The Yak-23 was never used in combat since the MiG-15 entered service as the Korean War broke out. The Soviet Union operated the Yak-23 between 1949 and 1951, when it was retired, and the country that used the aircraft the longest was Romania, who operated their 62 Yak-23s until 1960.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Yak-23 from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

"Energy Fighting" Examples In The Russian Me 163 - Yak-23 - DEFYN

For Those Days You Just Want to Turn Fight Everything - Yak23 Gameplay - WhooptieDo (Review starts at 1:00)

Realistic: Yak-23 [Still king at 7.7!] - Jengar

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