Yakovlev Yak-36
OKB Yakovlev · Soviet Union · first flew 1963 · fighter
The Yakovlev Yak-36, also known as Izdeliye V and given the NATO reporting name Freehand, was a Soviet technology demonstrator for a VTOL combat aircraft.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, delta |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Large nose air intake feeding two engines in the forward fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Short cropped delta wings of 37 degrees leading-edge sweep with 5 degrees of anhedral
- Large nose air intake feeding two engines in the forward fuselage
- Bicycle-type landing gear
A compact swept-wing jet with a big nose intake, two swivelling nozzles low on either side of the fuselage, bicycle landing gear and a high-set tailplane.
Specifications
- The Yakovlev Yak-36 has a length of 17 m (56 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 10 m (33 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 900 km/h (559 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Yakovlev began work on a VTOL system in 1960. In response to a 1961 contract for a single-seat V/STOL fighter it proposed a twin-engined aircraft with swivelling exhaust nozzles, and four technology demonstrators were ordered. It first flew on 9 January 1963.
Variants
Four prototypes were completed. One was used only for static testing, one for take-off, landing and free-hovering tests, and the third incorporated an improved autopilot.
Where you'll see it
The fighter version was not developed further. The third prototype crashed but was rebuilt, and the fourth crashed in February 1971 and was not rebuilt. Two underwing hardpoints could carry bombs, gun pods or rocket pods.
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