Meet the Yak-38: During the Cold War, the Royal Air Force developed the Harrier “Jump Jet,” an aircraft that went on to be a favorite of Hollywood. As Harrison Kass, writing in December of last year ...

The Soviets wanted a fighter that could fly from their first aircraft carriers. The carriers themselves were not conventional. They lacked a longer, flat-top take-off and landing deck. These hybrid ...

Runways are undesirable locations for military aircraft. Being tied to miles of concrete gives jet aircraft a built-in vulnerability as well as restricting their flexibility. At sea, it is extremely ...

We examined how the Soviet Union attempted to match the Harrier with its own VTOL fighter and why the Yak-38 never lived up to that ambition. From its flawed engine layout to limited range, weak ...