Yak-38 loadout

[opus999]

Does anyone have any information about the possible load outs for the Yak-38 Forger?  I've only found 2 diagrams online, but they have some different combinations on them, so I don't know if they are complementary, or if one or the other is incorrect, or what.

 

I've found quite a few pictures of operational Forgers, but not with the load out I have in mind.

 

I've seen plenty of models with different combinations, including the load out I have in mind, but I'd rather get a photo or diagram reference rather than "modeling a model".

 

Any info would be helpful -- thanks!

[Blimpyboy]

 

You may have seen these already:

 

 

 

 

 

Here are some with gun pods:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unguided rockets:

 

 

 

 

 

Unguided rocket pods:

 

http://www.imfdb.org/images/5/5f/36-80-Navy-6.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guided air-to-surface missiles:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Air-to-air missiles:

 

http://авиару.рф/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/6.YAk-38-so-slozhennymi-krylyami-na-palube..jpeg

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unguided bombs:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

'Something':

 

 

 

 

Assorted munitions:

 

http://авиару.рф/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/10a.Raskladka-vooruzheniya-YAk-38..jpg

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 19, 2022 by Blimpyboy

[Shorty84]

Hi, 

4 hours ago, Blimpyboy said:

Something':

 

 

this is an air sampling pod (RR8311-100) for radiation reconnaissance. 

 

Some other possible but less common loadout options:

 

S-24 unguided rockets

 

RN-28 nuclear bomb

 

Cheers

Markus

Edited July 19, 2022 by Shorty84

[Smudge]

Thanks @Blimpyboy for posting these photo's. They're fantastic. Never seen such good Soviet era Flight Deck scenes. 

 

I do wish Amodel would re-release their 1/72 Yak-38 Forger. Just can't find them anywhere. Or maybe we could wish for a new kit from some enterprising company 

 

There's an interesting camouflage scheme on the single seater at the front of that lineup

 

 

9 hours ago, Blimpyboy said:

 

 

 

Don't recall seeing that one before. I'll have to check my Begemot decal sheet, see if it's on there  ( Nope, it's not  )

 

Apologies for thread drift, Forgers are one of my all time favourite jets, Fascinating, if slightly flawed  Not exactly renowned for their load carrying capabilities. Interesting to see such a range of different stores being carried.

 

Cheers.

 

 

 

 

Edited July 19, 2022 by Smudge

[bentwaters81tfw]

Imagine delivering an RN-28 with a Forger. Not exactly adept in getting out of it's own way in clean configuration.

[Shorty84]

Yeah, delivering a free-fall nuclear bomb in an aircraft which flies neither very fast nor very high is that kind of mission your family gets your 'Hero of the Soviet Union' award handed over afterwards 😕

[Finn]

They did send some to Afghanistan to do combat trails:

 

During April and May 1980, four Yak-38s and four AV-MF pilots were deployed to Afghanistan as part of a 50-day trial codenamed Romb-1, although the ‘hot and high’ conditions prevented any meaningful combat missions from being undertaken – in total, 12 combat sorties were made, but only two 100 kg (220 lb) bombs could be carried.

 

Jai

[Des]

For  the 'Operation Romb' evaluation in Afghanistan some of the aircraft were given a tactical camouflage scheme but operating conditions meant that their already limited endurace/stores capacity was reduced even further to at very best a 120 Km./74.5 miles radius with ordnance loads up to 500 Kg./1100 lb. according to some sources for STOL take-off/VTOL landing in the most optimum cooler conditions.

 

VTOL both ways or any kind of operations at the hottest parts of the day limited stores capacity even further and range to virtually within sight of the airfield and from what I recall a special landing mat was required to prevent damage to the runways.

 

Both the Aerofax book on the 'Forger' and the International Air Power Review coverage are excellent reference sources.

[Pete in Lincs]

From what I've read, I agree with the above comments regarding endurance and stores capacity.

Note that the only one in the pictures above that has all four pylons loaded is Bort yellow 95. Maybe a publicity shot?

I always wanted to build a 1/48th Yak 38 in Empire Test Pilots School markings! What if we'd stolen one from somewhere?

[Des]

40 minutes ago, Pete in Lincs said:

What if we'd stolen one from somewhere?

 With performance like that it might only have been Cold War ideological differences that stopped the MoD buying it as a cheaper option to the (Sea) Harrier.

[CT7567]

3 hours ago, Pete in Lincs said:

 

I always wanted to build a 1/48th Yak 38 in Empire Test Pilots School markings! What if we'd stolen one from somewhere?

 

This would make for a remake of Firefox that would be either vastly less realistic, or vastly less exciting 🤔

 

2 hours ago, Des said:

 With performance like that it might only have been Cold War ideological differences that stopped the MoD buying it as a cheaper option to the (Sea) Harrier.

Couldn't you just enlarge the dorsal intakes a bit and swap out the lift powerplant for a Spey or two? 🙃

[Des]

10 minutes ago, CT7567 said:

Couldn't you just enlarge the dorsal intakes a bit and swap out the lift powerplant for a Spey or two? 🙃

 

The mind boggles at what a money pit such a project could have become , would have made the excesses and overruns of the Phantom FG.1/FGR.2 , Nimrod AEW.3 , Typhoon , Apache AH.1 to name but a few seem like a drop in the ocean 🤣

[CT7567]

7 minutes ago, Des said:

 

The mind boggles at what a money pit such a project could have become , would have made the excesses and overruns of the Phantom FG.1/FGR.2 , Nimrod AEW.3 , Typhoon , Apache AH.1 to name but a few seem like a drop in the ocean 🤣

"Drop in the ocean" might be all-too accurate! 😆

[opus999]

Wow!  Thanks @Blimpyboy and @Shorty84 for the pictures!  Some of the photos Blimpyboy posted I had seen, but many I had not!  The two schematics posted at the beginning were the ones I was referring to in my original post.

 

I see there is at least one photo with two rocket pods per wing,  The second diagram shows a UB-32 and UB-16 on each wing.  That's a possibility if I can find the "nose cone" to my other UB-16. Although...

 

7 hours ago, Pete in Lincs said:

Note that the only one in the pictures above that has all four pylons loaded is Bort yellow 95. Maybe a publicity shot?

 

I wondered the same.  Since the majority of pictures I've seen only have one pylon per wing loaded, I'd guess it wasn't a regular occurrence to have both. 

 

Maybe it's more realistic to load one pylon....

 

15 hours ago, Smudge said:

I do wish Amodel would re-release their 1/72 Yak-38 Forger. Just can't find them anywhere. Or maybe we could wish for a new kit from some enterprising company 

 

Seconded!  I couldn't find the Amodel version anywhere the few times I looked.

13 hours ago, bentwaters81tfw said:

Imagine delivering an RN-28 with a Forger. Not exactly adept in getting out of it's own way in clean configuration.

That's the same thing I thought when I saw that picture!

[Des]

On 7/19/2022 at 12:48 PM, bentwaters81tfw said:

Imagine delivering an RN-28 with a Forger. Not exactly adept in getting out of it's own way in clean configuration.

Did a search to see if there was any mention of the RN-28 being capable of parachute delivery as a Nuclear Depth Charge (as was the WE177A carried diagonally under the Westland Wasp) but there was not making it essentially a gravity bomb for use against surface targets while dropped from level flight or by toss bombing which depending on circumstances may have provided a minute or so to make a start at a getaway.

 

On the other hand weighing in at around 250kg. it would not have overtaxed the Yak-38 in that regard or at not least in moderate weather.

[Bobby No Mac]

 

A tiny bit of decal silvering going on with that one...