Later coded "4" (white).

The Yakovlev Yak-3 was the aircraft which equipped the famous French "Normandie-Niemen" regiment on the Eastern Front during WW2. The aircraft seen here at the time the picture was taken shows markings of Lieutenant Robert Marchi's (4 victories ). This aircraft arrived at Le Bourget on June 20, 1945 as n° 18 and returned to the Museum in 1947and was repainted with n°4 in 1976.

18 white was the marking of this aircraft when it arrived in Paris in 1945. 21 white was a previous identity, that appeared during restoration.

This Yak-3 is on display in the Normandy-Niemen pavilion with different markings on either side. The port side wears the "4 white" scheme of Lt Robert Marchi, who claimed 4 victories and 2 shared on the Yak-3. The starboard side wears the plane's original combat serial of 25 white, which it wore when it was donated by Stalin to France from Russia after WWII in 1945. In 1950, it was disassembled and then restored as a composite from components in a scrapyard and given the serial 18 white for display at Chalais-Meudon. Around 1970 it came to this museum and in 1976 repainted as "4 white".

During the Battle of Stalingrad the Soviets realised that the Yak-1 was badly outclassed and needed to be improved. The result was the Yak-3, which was robust and easy to maintain and much liked by both pilots and ground crew. As it was one of the smallest and lightest combat fighters during WWII, its high power-to-weight ratio gave it excellent performance and it proved to be a formidable dogfighter. Its main disadvantage was the weak resistance of the wooden wing. The Normandie-Niemen did not receive Yak-3s until December 1944, but had shot down 94 aircraft by the end of WWII.

Preserved in the Musee de l'Air wearing the markings of the Escadrille Normandie with served in Russia in 1944. The aircraft now wears code '4'.

On outside display at the WWII museum in Park Pobedy (Victory Park). This airframe was built in the 1990s on original tooling.

This is one of only two remaining original Yak-3s the other being in the Musee de L'Air in Paris. It was built in the late stages of the Second World War and powered by a Klimov engine, was a poweful adversary to the Germans. It is seen in a Soviet Airforce livery and is on loan to the Commemorative Airforce Museum. The lengthy slogan on this side of the aircraft translates to"The 2nd aircraft from Golovatyy - for the terminal rout of the enemy."

One of only two surviving Yak 3 in the world, this was a formidable fighting machine.

A group of Free French pilots, the Normandie-Niemen Regiment, fought with distinction on the Eastern Front in WWII. They ultimately flew the Yak-3, one of the finest fighters of the war. Flown to France in June 1945, 37 Yak-3s even entered service with the French air force.

The Yak-3 - a little hot rod of a fighter.

Though almost 5,000 of this type were built, this is one of only two surviving original Yak-3, the other being in the Commemorative Airforce Museum at Camarillo, Ca. Powered by a 1.222 hp Klimov engine this aircraft served in a French Regiment, 'Normandie-Niemen' on the Eastern front and was given by Stalin to its French Pilot in May 1945.

First flown in Oct 1943, the Yak-3 was a simple and lightweight design but is credited with being Russia's fastest and most manoeuvrable piston-powered design. Around 70 were received by Yugoslavia by the end of 1945, some being involved in action over post-war border violations. In August 1945 two US C-47s were shot down by Yak-3s, then in October an RAF one was forced to land at Niš. Only three original Yak-3s remain, of which this example retired from instructional use in 1957 is one