Yakovlev Yak-141 ''Freestyle''
Yakovlev Yak-141 (NATO reporting name Freestyle) was a supersonic VTOL fighter aircraft from the Soviet Union. Design and structure The Yak-141 (a development prototype of the Yak-41) was, like the 1960s prototype Dassault Mirage Balzac/Mirage VIIIV, an attempt at a supersonic VTOL aircraft. The British Hawker-Siddeley P.1154 supersonic version of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier project was cancelled as part of the massive defense cuts of 1960s before a prototype could be built. The Yak 141 gained VTOL ability through a combination of a lift and lift/cruise engines, as did the Balzac and earlier Yak VTOL designs. The two lift jets were mounted behind the cockpit. These contributed only to take-off and once in horizontal flight were switched off. The main engine was installed in the rear fuselage area, with a swivelling nozzle and an afterburner. For take off and hovering the exhaust from the jet was vectored downwards through 90° working in conjunction with the forward lift jets. To obtain sufficient power for vertical take off, the afterburner had to be used, which imposed serious limitations on the types of runway surfaces that could be used. The Yak-141M was supposed to fly at speeds of Mach 1.7, but it was never able to fly supersonic, and was claimed to have had a maneuverability comparable to the MiG-29 'Fulcrum'. It was designed for the Soviet Air Force (VVS), not for the Soviet Navy (VMF), as was the original Yak-41. Specifications Yak-141 General characteristics Crew ...
