Yak-11?

[landsknechte]

This was parked at a small private airport I passed on the way in to work this afternoon. It's a YAK-11 variant, right?

[Dave B]

No,I think it's an La-5.

Dave

[landsknechte]

No,I think it's an La-5.

Dave

I've never really been that up on Soviet Aircraft, but now I'm even more confused. I looked up the tail number, and apparently it's a Yak-3U.

http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NN...Numbertxt=46463

This is what I was going from when I thought Yak-11:

[Dave B]

Looks like you are right mate ...I need to swot up on my Russian aircraft

Hope you don't mind but I have posted your photo on an aircraft forum I'm a member of,just to see if they could ID it....is that ok?

Dave

[Bob Hunter]

Whatever it is it is a very cool toy!

[Guest Rick Research]

Umm, errr are there a lot of unmarked Soviet fighter aircraft out your way?

Should we be worrying about THOSE instead of the legendary "black helicopters?"

[landsknechte]

Umm, errr are there a lot of unmarked Soviet fighter aircraft out your way?

Should we be worrying about THOSE instead of the legendary "black helicopters?"

Not a lot... There was a very well marked Yak-9 out there that day as well. Personally, I haven't had much luck. The surplus stores around the area are always picked clean of the good stuff when I get there. About all I can find is the occasional old twin-seat trainer aircraft. Someone has got to be cherry-picking for a friend, or something.

The commute to my old office had me passing right underneath the approach to the runway for San Jose International Airport. Very close to the airport. Count rivets from your sunroof close. Once in a blue moon, there'd be some odd aircraft coming in, amongst them a MiG-17 and an An-124.

The MiG was downright surreal, especially since I was running on a caffeine deficit early in the morning.

I felt the An-124 pass overhead. That is one LARGE friggin' aircraft, especially when you're in a Ford Escort.

[Dave B]

Well over on the aircraft forum it got them all talking,some thought it was an La-5 and others thought it was a Yak-9 with an Ash-82FN engine and a couple got it right and identified it as a Yak-3 with an American built radial engine....apparently the plane you posted is a bit of a hybrid.

Cool looking aircraft though

Dave

[landsknechte]

Well over on the aircraft forum it got them all talking,some thought it was an La-5 and others thought it was a Yak-9 with an Ash-82FN engine and a couple got it right and identified it as a Yak-3 with an American built radial engine....apparently the plane you posted is a bit of a hybrid.

Cool looking aircraft though

Dave

Heck, if it weren't for the aircraft landing next to it with the big red star, I wouldn't have even guessed Soviet. All I knew at the time was that it certainly stood out from the Cessnas.