Yak-1 was the best of pre-war generation of the Soviet fighters It had excellent manoeuvrability and enough firepower against enemy bombers. The airplane was simple in control and easy to fly for pilots of average and even low qualification. All heavy parts have been placed close to the cockpit which made a good center-of-gravity position. Yakovlev has designed very rational aircraft, thus providing it with a good manoeuvrability. The fuselage basis was composed of welded steel tubes. The nose part was covered with dural shields which allowed convenient engine access. The tail frame was made of wood, and the entire fuselage was covered with fabric. The wooden wing had a plywood surface, with the fuel tanks being placed within the wings base. The plywood wing surface was covered with fabric, first-coated and painted. The surfaces were extremely clean and smooth. One more advantage of the fighter was the successful choice of armament. The 20mm cannon was placed between the engine cylinders and fired through the propeller spinner. The fighter was also armed with two ShKAS 7.62mm machine guns. The experimental aircraft prototype (I-26) had bad reliability. Strength of wooden wing was not sufficient to withstand a high-G flight, and the cooling system often failed. The engine overheat limited the engine speed while gaining altitude, thus reducing the aircrafts climbing rate. Cooling have improved after installation of an air intake under a motor compartment, but it has ...
