Yak-9T Free French Air Force

These are 1/72 scale decals for the Yakovlev Yak-9T assigned to Groupe de Chasse 3, Free French Air Force — a tank-busting Soviet fighter flown by French pilots fighting alongside the Red Air Force on the Eastern Front in one of the most remarkable chapters of Free French military history.

The Yak-9T was a dedicated anti-tank and ground attack variant of the Yak-9 family, distinguished by the installation of a formidable 37mm NS-37 cannon firing through the propeller hub — a weapon capable of penetrating the roof armor of German armored vehicles and destroying light tanks with a single hit. The heavy recoil of the NS-37 was so severe that pilots were advised to fire only single rounds in combat, and the gun's low rate of fire demanded precise marksmanship. In skilled hands, however, the Yak-9T was a devastating weapon against German armor, transport, and light naval vessels.

Groupe de Chasse 3 was one of the Free French fighter units that chose to fight on the Eastern Front alongside the Soviet Union, following in the footsteps of the legendary Normandie-Niémen Regiment — the most celebrated Free French aviation unit of the war. French pilots flying Soviet aircraft on the Eastern Front occupied a unique position in the Allied coalition, combining Gallic flying tradition with Soviet equipment and tactics in the brutal, unrelenting air war over the Eastern Front. For these men, fighting in Yaks alongside the Red Air Force was an act of profound commitment to the liberation of France — striking at Germany from the east while their compatriots fought westward from Normandy.

A rare and deeply evocative subject at the intersection of French national pride, Soviet airpower, and the Eastern Front's savage air war. Please allow some time for decal printing and shipping.