Midland Publishing

Yakovlev Yak-36, Yak-38 & Yak-41: The Soviet Jump Jets Red Star Volume 36

by  Yefim Gordon

Reviewed By  Charles Landrum, IPMS# 26328

MSRP: $36.95 ISBN: 978-1-85780-287-0 Review Sample provided by Specialty Press: www.specialtypress.com For those of us who were Cold Warriors facing the Soviet Navy on the high seas, the Yak-38 Forger was a symbol of their growing arsenal. While the Kiev Class aircraft carrying cruisers were not real aircraft carriers, they posed a credible threat with their long range anti-ship missiles with mid-course guidance. Plus the Forger, despite its known limitations and could not be ignored, it was a Soviet tactical air force at sea in a role that previously belonged to the NATO allies. It was quite a surge forward. The real threat was to vulnerable friendly anti-submarine warfare aircraft prosecuting Soviet submarines in the contest waters around Europe, the North Atlantic and the Northern Pacific. At the end of the cold war, the Kiev Class and their Forgers were put in lay up as they were prohibitively expensive to operate in lean times. The Yak-38 ultimately was a metaphor for Soviet blue water ambition, a capability that never reached designed potential. The format and style is that of the now familiar Red Star series. Softbound in 8 ½ x 11 format, it contains 144 pages with 265 B&W and color photos, and detailed 3-view drawings of all three aircraft types. The book is rich in information and narrative that focuses more on the development, design, engineering and operation of the Yak family of VSTOL aircraft. While the book also covers the Yak-36 the developmental progenitor of the Forger and the Yak-41 Freestyle, the much more capable successor to the Yak-38, only the Yak-38 entered service. The chapter breakdown of the book: Introduction Chapter 1 - Yakovlev's Freehand Chapter 2 - The Naval Yak is Born Chapter 3 - Tests and Production Chapter 4 - The Yak-38 in Detail Chapter 5 - Above the Oceans Chapter 6 - The Shattered Dream: The Yak-41 Chapter 7 - The Yak-41 in Detail The introduction outlines the context for VSTOL aircraft development in the Soviet Union. It discusses in limited fashion not only Soviet experiments, but efforts in the west that spurred efforts in the east. Chapter One discusses the ungainly progenitor to the Forger, the Yak-36 Freehand. With only three airframes built, it never became more than a developmental aircraft. While the aircraft eventually put in an exciting performance, so much so that it was debuted to the West, it never had the capability as a combat aircraft and was retired in favor of development of its successor the Yak-36M (eventually Yak-38). Outlined in Chapter Two is the development of the Yak-36M. Included are developmental drawings, models and full scale test models. Most fascinating is the full scale airframe mounted under a Badger bomber. However, all of these images show a design that is close to the prototype and production aircraft. What is not evident is how the Yakovlev bureau went from the Yak-36 configuration to the one that became the Yak-38; it was a considerable shift. My guess is that as talented as a researcher as Yefim Gordon is that the information was not available in the Yakovlev bureau. Chapter Three is large and covers the lengthy period of development of the single seat combat variant and the two-seat trainer aircraft. The chapter traces the test and evaluation of the aircraft ashore and afloat and chronicles a series of mishaps the airframe suffered. It has a wealth of photos, color and B&W including some remarkable photos at sea. Later in the chapter Yefim Gordon documents innovative trials performed by the aircraft from a trucked towed mobile platform and from a container ship converted to temporary sea-control platform. The latter was an idea also studied by the UK and the US with the Harrier. The most surprising part of this chapter was the revelation that the Soviets sent Forgers to Afghanistan in the early days of the Soviet occupation, at the same time that the Su-25 deployed there. Camouflaged for the theater, the Yaks had a high sortie rate and performed well but the aircraft did not have the same payload or range as the Su-25, Su-17 and other attack/strike aircraft in theater. Plus in VSTOL mode they burned through the perforated steel planking. No doubt, the Soviet Navy needed the assets back and that also factored in the decision to end the experiment. Also pictured is the low visibility gray scheme that some of the reworked Yaks returned to the Soviet Fleet with. For modelers and armchair aviators alike, Chapter Four provides a wealth of detail on the operational aircraft, both external and internal. It includes full coverage of all aircraft systems some with good quality images. Of note is information on the lift and propulsion engines, instrument panel layout, wing folds, and armament. My favorite chapter is Five, the at sea operation of the Forger. Unfortunately it is a short chapter even though the Forger operated at sea for 15 years; mostly due to the Soviet operational patterns and the limitations of the aircraft. The pictures are wonderful, many being the familiar details western intelligence photos by aircraft, but some are beautiful clear, full color pictures taken by Soviet photographers. The chapter wraps-up with rows of Forgers taken out of service and put out to pasture. Chapter Six chronicles the development of the improved Forger, the Yak-41. Here the design transition from the Yak-38 to the Yak-41 is clearly laid out with nice photos of the period models. Next there are numerous quality photos of mockups and developmental airframes. What comes out is the innovation put into this airframe and propulsion system. Mr. Gordon draws a correct connection between the innovation of the Yak-41 propulsion and the remarkably similar propulsion system of the VSTOL variant of the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter (Lightning II). As the chapter concludes, the Yak-41 became the victim of a shift of focus in the Soviet/Russian Navy to conventional take off and landing aircraft and severely reduced resources that could no longer support multiple lines of aircraft development. The final chapter is Chapter Seven, which provides the capabilities and details of the airframe. This is the most information that I have seen in one place on this airframe. The book concludes in typical Red Star fashion with detailed line drawings of all three aircraft detailing the differences between the airframe differences. The drawings are wealth of information. The chapter also includes a production list of Yak-38 airframes. The forty year history of Soviet VSTOL aircraft development and fielding is in many ways a footnote in a rich history of aircraft development. The numbers are small and the lifespan of each aircraft short. However, it is fascinating to read how the Yak designers engineered solutions to many of the same problems that plagued the Kestrel, Harrier and Super Harrier development in the west and helped the Soviet Naval Aviation take ship launched fixed-wing aircraft to sea. The legacy of this body of work will undoubtedly live on in the F-35B, as the US and its allies develop and likely field this latest VSTOL fighter. Given the quality of the material, the ease of presentation, and the uniqueness of the aircraft, this book is a good addition to your aviation library. Special thanks to Specialty Press for providing the review copy; copies can be ordered directly at www.specialtypress.com.

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