In the first postwar years, people would say that the victory was won thanks to Mikulin’s engines and Yakovlev’s aircrafts. Not only the pilots of Normandy-Niemen squadron were fighting on board the airplanes designed by Yakovlev. YAK fighters piloted by two times Hero of the Soviet Union Arseny Vorozheykin shot down 46 enemy’s aircrafts. Future Chief Marshal of Air Force Alexander Koldunov and Marshal Yevgeny Savitsky also piloted YAK models during the war. YAK fighter became a part of Soviet culture, as bard Vladimir Vysotsky devoted a song to it.
Along with fighters, Alexander Yakovlev designed bombers, transport airplanes, passenger aircrafts, sporting and training models, as well as helicopters and even drones. The Experimental Design Office with Yakovlev in charge has produced over 200 types and modifications of flying machines! 100 models of them were put in quantity production, which is also an impressing result.
