Yak-38 "Forger" (Unusual Aircraft Collection)

The Yak-38 was a Russian naval fighter which could take off and land vertically, at least some of the time.

NATO assigned the reporting name "Forger" to the Yak-38 because of its similarities to the British Harrier "jump jet".   The Harrier has only one engine whose thrust is directed out four nozzles, but in addition to its main engine the Yak-38 had two small engines near the front which were only used for takeoff and landing.   The plane's computer could automatically land the aircraft on a carrier by receiving positioning information from one of the ship's computers.

The Yak-38 entered service in 1976, but problems quickly arose because it lacked the power to take off with a useful weapons load.   The problems became even worse when trials were undertaken in the humid air off the coast of Africa, the aircraft frequently being unable to take off at all.   When the planes were sent to Afghanistan for combat testing in 1980, the high altitude and hot temperatures meant they could only carry two 220 pound bombs.   Nevertheless the aircraft continued to operate until the 1990s before they were retired, this one now sitting amongst the clover at the Russian Air Force museum at Monino, near Moscow.