Yak-36
Yak-36 at Monino
Role	VTOL technology demonstrator
Manufacturer	Yakovlev
First flight	9 January 1963
Primary user	Soviet Air Force
Number built	12

The Yakovlev Yak-36 (NATO reporting name: Freehand) was a Soviet technology demonstrator for a VTOL multi-role combat aircraft.

The aircraft had vectored thrust engines, similar to the Harrier. One engine was mounted forward of the cockpit, and one was below the cockpit. The exhaust exited through vectoring nozzles in the center of gravity which were vectorable through about 90º.

The Yak-36 made its first hover on 9 January 1963, the first transition from vertical take-off to forward flight and back to vertical landing on 16 September 1963.

The next development step was the Yak-38 which flew for the first time in 1971 as the Yak-36MP.

[edit] Operators

 Soviet Union

• Soviet Air Force

[edit] Specifications (Yakovlev Yak-36)

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 16.75 m (54 ft 11 in)
• Wingspan: 7.4 m (24 ft 3 in)
• Height: 4.4 m (14 ft 5 in)
• Wing area: 17 m² (183 ft²)
• Empty weight: 8,200 kg (18,077 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 11,800 kg (26,014 lb)
• Powerplant: 3× Tumansky R-28-300 + 2xTumansky RD-36 turbofan, 62 kN (14,000 lbf) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 1,150 km/h (695 mph)
• Range: 410 km (254 miles)
• Service ceiling 12,000 m (39,400 ft)
• Rate of climb: m/s (ft/min)
• Wing loading: kg/m² (lb/ft²)

[edit] See also

Related development

• Yak-38
  

Comparable aircraft

• Hawker Siddeley Kestrel