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.

One of the new-production Yak-3s built by Yakolev in the 1990s using original plans and dies, powered by an Allison V-1710 engine. Painted in the marks of General Major Zakharov, a Hero of the Soviet Union who claimed 10 victories in WWII

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

With Grumman Wildcat G-RUMW behind