The Yakovlev Yak-38 was Soviet Naval Aviation's only operational VTOL strike fighter aircraft,
in addition to being its first operational carrier-based fixed-wing aircraft. It was
developed specifically for and served almost exclusively on the Kiev-class aircraft carriers.
Design and development Designed by the A.S. Yakovlev Design Bureau
JSC, the first drawings showed a supersonic aircraft strongly resembling the Hawker P.1154
in study in the United Kingdom, but with two R27-300 engines. Supersonic performances would
have implied many difficulties of development, and it was decided to initially develop a
relatively simple aircraft limited to Mach 0.95. Although the Yak-38 and Yak-38M were
developed from the land-based Yakovlev Yak-36, the aircraft had almost nothing in common.
The prototype VM-01 was finished on 14 April 1970. Though outwardly similar to the British
Hawker Siddeley Harrier, it followed a completely different configuration. Together with a vectorable
thrust engine in the rear used during flight, two smaller, and less powerful, engines were
housed in the front portion of the fuselage and used purely for take-off and landing.
The aircraft used a similar layout to the German experimental VTOL strike fighter, the
VFW VAK 191B, which began development in 1961, and the contemporary Dassault Mirage IIIV.
An advanced feature that Yak-38 possessed was an automatic ejection seat. When one of
the take-off engines failed, once the aircraft rolled past 60 degrees the pilot was automatically
ejected from the aircraft. Operational history
The majority of Yak-36M initial production deliveries were to the 279 OKShAP, initially
based at Saki, the AV-MF’s training centre in Crimea. Pilots for this unit were drawn
from the Yakovlev OKB and the LII at Zhukovsky, as well as from the AV-MF.
The February 1978 entry into service of Minsk, the second Kiev-class ship, was accompanied
by a further series of Yak-38 shipboard trials, beginning in April 1978, and with the emphasis
now placed on developing procedure for STOL operations.
The Yak-38's limited useful payload was always its Achilles' heel, but the high ambient temperatures
that had been encountered in the Black Sea during the summer 1976 trials frequently prevented
the aircraft from carrying any external stores at all, despite a reduced fuel load. Similar
problems were then encountered when Minsk sailed off the coast of West Africa and then
in the Indian Ocean; in these instances the lift jets proved unwilling to start under
hot and humid conditions. An oxygen-boosting intake system helped alleviate the problem,
and was installed from September 1979 during routine overhauls. In July 1979, Minsk arrived
in the Sea of Japan, where the vessel was home-ported at Strelok Bay, the Yak-38 component
of its air wing thereafter being provided by the 311 OKShAP subordinate to the Pacific
Fleet. During April and May 1980, four Yak-38s and
four AV-MF pilots were deployed to Afghanistan as part of a 50-day trial codenamed Romb-1,
although the ‘hot and high’ conditions prevented any meaningful combat missions from
being undertaken – in total, 12 combat sorties were made, but only two 100 kg bombs could
be carried. In September 1982, Novorossiysk - the third
Kiev-class carrier - was commissioned. By now the V/STOL technique had been well practised,
and the resulting increase in the Yak-38’s overall performance and capability was exploited
during the passage of Novorossiysk from Severomorsk to join the Pacific Fleet. In a maritime context,
the Yak-38 was not limited to the decks of Kievs. In September 1983, AV-MF pilots operated
from the civilian Ro-Ro vessel Agostinio Neto, and NII-VVS pilots conducted further tests
from another ‘Ro-Ro’, Nikolai Cherkasov. In both cases, use was made of a heat-resistant
landing platform; further land-based trials tested the practicality of dispersed landing
platforms, in a similar concept to the RAF’s Harrier operations in West Germany.
Variants
Yak-36M "Forger" The initial pre-production version, differing
slightly from the Yak-38. It weighed only 6,650 kg compared to the Yak-38's 7,370 kg
and the engines were slightly less powerful. Yak-38 "Forger-A"
The Yak-38 was the first production model, it first flew on 15 January 1971, and entered
service with the Soviet Naval Aviation on 11 August 1976. A total of 143 Yak-38s were
produced. Yak-38M "Forger-A"
The Yak-38M was an upgraded version of the Yak-38, the main difference being the new
Tumansky R-28V-300 and Rybinsk RD-38 engines. The maximum take off weight in VTOL was increased
from 10,300 kg to 11,300 kg in short take-off mode). The air intakes were slightly widened
and the pylons under wings were reinforced to carry a 2,000 lb weapons load. The Yak-38M
entered service with the Soviet Naval Aviation after June 1985, a total of 50 Yak-38M were
produced. Yak-38U "Forger-B"
Two-seat training version for the Soviet Naval Aviation, this version differed from the basic
aircraft in having an enlarged fuselage to accommodate a two-seater cockpit. The Yak-38U
entered service on 15 November 1978, a total of 38 Yak-38U have been produced with the
38th aircraft being delivered in 1981. Unbuilt projects
Yak-36P Intended supersonic follow-on to the attack-optimised
Yak-36M, adding AI radar, medium-range air-to-air missiles and advanced navigation equipment.
A third RD-36-35 lift jet was also added to cope with increased take-off weight.
Yak-36A Project for version with R-49V lift/cruise
engine and two lift engines; one fuselage completed for tests under Tu-16LL.
Yak-38MP Yak-38M fitted with a weapons system derived
from that of the Mikoyan MiG-29 and including N019 radar and advanced nav/attack suite.
Yak-39 Multi-role fighter/attack aircraft project
dating from 1983, employing one R-28V-300 and two RD-48 engines, PRNK-39 avionics kompleks;
S-41D multi-mode radar, larger wing, increased fuel capacity and expanded weapons options
based around Shkval or Kaira PGM designation systems.
Operators Soviet Union
Soviet Navy - Soviet Naval Aviation Specifications
Data from Combat Aircraft since 1945 General characteristics
Crew: One Length: 16.37 m
Wingspan: 7.32 m Height: 4.25 m
Wing area: 18.5 m² Empty weight: 7,385 kg
Loaded weight: kg Max. takeoff weight: 11,300 kg
Powerplant: 1 × Tumansky R-28 V-300 turbojet, 66.7 kN
Powerplant: 2 × Rybinsk RD-38 turbojets, 31.9 kN each
Performance Maximum speed: 1 280 km/h
Range: 1,300 km Service ceiling: 11,000 m
Rate of climb: 4,500 m/min Wing loading: kg/m²
Thrust/weight: 1+ Armament
Guns: GSh-23L 23mm gun pod. Carried in one or two UPK-23-250 pods fixed under the external
pylons of wings. Hardpoints: 4 with a capacity of 4,400 lb and
provisions to carry combinations of: Rockets: various types of rockets.
Missiles: 2 anti-ship or air-to-surface Kh-23. The Kh-23 required a guidance pod on one of
the pylons. R-60 or R-60M air-to-air missiles could be carried under the external pylons.
Bombs: two FAB-500 or four FAB-250 general purpose bombs under pylons, two incendiary
ZB-500, or two nuclear RN-28 bombs. Other: external tanks.
See also Related development
Yakovlev Yak-36 Aircraft of comparable role, configuration
and era Dassault Balzac V
Harrier Jump Jet series VFW VAK 191B
Yakovlev Yak-141 References
Notes
Citations
Bibliography
External links Yak-38 photo gallery
Yak-38 Informationn Yak-36, Yak-38 and Yak-41 information
Walkaround on 2 Yak-38 in Monino Aviation Museum, Russia