▁and ▁with ▁a ▁def ensive ▁arm ament ▁of ▁a ▁single ▁Sh K AS ▁machine ▁gun ▁in ▁a ▁d ors al ▁mount ing . ▁A ▁total ▁of ▁ 3 8 1 ▁examples ▁were ▁built ▁with ▁production ▁ending ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 3 . ▁ ▁A ▁few ▁examples ▁of ▁an ▁improved ▁version ▁of ▁the ▁Y ak - 6 ▁with ▁swe pt ▁outer ▁wings ▁were ▁flow n , ▁with ▁the ▁modified ▁version ▁sometimes ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Y ak - 6 M . ▁The ▁Y ak - 6 M ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁larger ▁Y ak - 8 ▁which ▁fle w ▁in ▁early ▁ 1 9 4 4 . ▁ ▁Oper ational ▁history ▁The ▁Y ak - 6 ▁was ▁used ▁with ▁great ▁effect ▁at ▁the ▁front ▁lines ▁in ▁the ▁Great ▁Patri otic ▁War ▁both ▁as ▁a ▁transport ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁bom ber , ▁prov ing ▁popular ▁with ▁its ▁cre ws , ▁although ▁the ▁potential ▁for ▁the ▁aircraft ▁to ▁enter ▁a ▁spin ▁if ▁over loaded ▁or ▁care lessly ▁handled ▁resulting ▁in ▁production ▁ending ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁in ▁favour ▁of ▁the ▁similarly ▁power ed ▁Sh cher b akov ▁Sh che - 2 . ▁By ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁most ▁oper ational ▁units ▁of ▁the ▁V VS ▁had ▁a ▁Y ak - 6 ▁as ▁a ▁utility ▁aircraft . ▁In ▁the ▁Battle ▁for ▁Berlin , ▁the ▁Y ak - 6 ▁was ▁fitted ▁with ▁ro cket ▁launch ers ▁under ▁the ▁wings ▁for ▁ten ▁ 8 2 - mm ▁R S - 8 2 ▁miss iles ▁for ▁use