Yakovlev Yak-9 (8/16)

The Yakovlev Yak-9 was the best fighter plane used by the Soviet Union during World War II. The Yak-9 was introduced to the war during the battle of Stalingrad in 1942 where it played a vital role in a Soviet victory over the German Luftwaffe. The Yak-9 went on to help the Soviets win air superiority over the Germans again at the battle of Kursk. The Yak-9 was built using an all around vision canopy and a light weight design which allowed for more fuel and armaments. More than 16,000 Yak-9s were built for the war, making it the most produced Soviet airplane at the time.