Yak-38 Forger VSTOL multirole fighter

The Yak-38 was Russia's only operational fixed-wing vertical/short take-off and landing (VSTOL) combat aircraft. Similar in function to the U.S. AV-8 Harrier, it served in the fighter/attack role on board the KIEV-class aircraft carriers. The Forger was the only operational aircraft to use a combination of engines for vertical and conventional flight.

The wing was a cropped delta with approximately 45-deg leading-edge sweep, relatively small area, and some anhedral. The trailing...