[Tallguy]

Thanks! Hadn’t seen much of the YAK-38 and forgot a lot of the details. The write-up in Wikki suggested that initially the “Forger” was limited to VTOL (no rolling take-offs). But their shipboard vertical landing was “hands-off”! Looks like they’re mostly retired now, or at least that they’re none serving at sea.

[GonzoGOP]

Looks like they’re mostly retired now, or at least that they’re none serving at sea.

The retired the Kiev class so the Yak-38 no longer had a reason to exist. It never was a very good aircraft, it was just all they had that could operate from the Kiev class.

VTOL is hard to do. Only the Brits have done it right so far. The F-35 might be able to do it, if it actually flys. Of course the F-35B (STOVL) also suffers from dismal range and bomb load. It is a trait of any VTOL/STOVL aircraft. Those lift fans and extra engines take up space that otherwise could be fuel or bombs.