Top Tier Soviet Fighter
With production numbering more than 17,000 by some counts, the Yak-9 is one of the most-produced fighters of all time. Introduced in 1942 to combat the German threat the Yak-9 immediately met with success, offering a fight to the Messerschmitts and Focke Wulf fighters that initially dominated the skies over the USSR during the Nazis' advance in 1941 with Operation Barbarossa. With great speed, better than 360 knots, and great high-altitude performance, the liquid-cooled V-12-powered Yak-9 was a very advanced machine for its day.