Post-war 1945 photograph featuring Soviet pilot N. F. Kizim standing on the wing of his Yakovlev Yak-9U fighter aircraft (151st Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment) at Yambol airfield, Bulgaria.
Soviet Ace Pilot N. F. Kizim with His Yak-9U Fighter in Bulgaria (1945)
This striking post-WWII photograph captured in 1945 shows Soviet fighter pilot Nikolai Filippovich Kizim standing on the wing of his Yakovlev Yak-9U fighter aircraft (Tactical No. 29) at Yambol airfield in Bulgaria.
Assigned to the elite 151st Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (13th Guards Fighter Aviation Division), Senior Lieutenant Kizim was a distinguished veteran of Soviet air campaigns over Eastern Europe who later served as a combat flight commander during the Korean War (1950–1953).
Technical Advancements of the Yak-9U
The Yak-9U represented the ultimate operational refinement of Alexander Yakovlev's famous WWII fighter family, introducing significant aerodynamic and structural enhancements:
- VK-107A Engine Integration: Powered by the formidable 1,500 hp Klimov VK-107A liquid-cooled V12 engine, the Yak-9U achieved a top speed of over 670 km/h (416 mph), making it one of the fastest piston-engine fighters in the Red Army Air Force arsenal.
- Airframe Modernization: The "U" (Uluchshenny – Improved) variant featured mixed metal-and-wood wing construction, refined radiator ducting, a aft-shifted cockpit canopy for improved field of view, and a streamlined oil cooler intake.
- Personalized Markings: The fuselage below the cockpit displays the Guards badge emblem alongside the Order of the Patriotic War medal marking, while a patriotic inscription reading "Lensky" is painted across the forward engine cowling.
- Post-War Balkan Deployment: Following the capitulation of Nazi Germany, Soviet fighter regiments were stationed at strategic Bulgarian airfields such as Yambol to secure Southern European airspace during the early geopolitical transition toward the Cold War.
Service Legacy of Pilot N. F. Kizim
Pilot Nikolai Kizim's career spanned both World War II air combat over Europe and Jet Age combat operations over North Korea, where his unit engaged United States Air Force jet fighters along MiG Alley in 1951–1952.
📍 Location: Yambol Airfield, Kingdom of Bulgaria
📅 Date: 1945 (Post-VE Day)
📷 Photographer: Unknown
📰 Primary Source: Private Photo Archive of N. F. Kizim / Central Archive of the Russian Ministry of Defence (CAMD)
Recommended reading:
- Late-war fighter design: Performance evaluation of the Klimov VK-107A-powered Yak-9U
- Regimental combat history: Operational record of the 151st Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment
- Post-war deployments: Red Army Air Force units stationed in Bulgaria (1945–1947)
- Jet Age transition: Soviet WWII fighter aces in the Korean War air battles