Yakovlev Yak-141
The Yakovlev Yak-141 (NATO reporting name Freestyle) was a supersonic VTOL fighter aircraft from the Soviet Union that was abandoned before entering production.
The program was initiated in 1975 as the Yak-41, a development of the Yak-38. The first conventional flight was accomplished on March 9 1987 and the first hovering flight on December 29 1989. The Yak-141 designation was adopted around 1991.
The VTOL ability is reached by a lift and lift/cruise engine who configuration, similarly to the F-35. Two lift jets are mounted behind the cockpit. In the horizontal flight, these are switched off. The main engine is installed in the rear fuselage area, with a swiveling nozzle and an afterburner. For hovering flight the exhaust gas jet is vectored downward around 90°.
The Yak-141 was capable of speeds up to Mach 1.7, and would have had a maneuverability comparable to the MiG-29
In August 1991 the program was stopped because of the shrinking military budget of the Soviet Union.
Specifications
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