Yak-39 Faker

[anthonyp]

(Soviet National Anthem plays in phonograph in background)

COMRADES!!!!

I come to you from a most confusing winter in the Workers' Socialistic Republic of Michigan.  It was very cold, very snowy in December.  January, it was almost like summer in the Crimea, and now, one day it is summer, next it is colder than Siberia on a bad day.  And from the way these subversive news readers who would be shot if we were back in GLORIOUS Mother Russia prattle on about how their lattes are freezing, it makes my vodka boil!

But enough about the weather.  Comrades, I bring to you a long forgotten development of Soviet VSTOL ingenuity!!  I present you the Yak-39 Vodka Chaser (decadent NATO code-name:  Faker), a development of the GLORIOUSLY successful (successful, I tell you!) Yak-38.

This plane is modified from the Yak-38 in that we put more powerful engines in it (hence the aluminum heat shielding on the under aft fuselage), larger wings with which to hoist more ordinance in the air to destroy the greed-mongering West, a larger tail and horizontal stabilizers, as well as a larger radome with which to house a powerful radar capable of seeing cowardly American planes and ships wherever they may hide!

This particular example is in the GLORIOUS colors of our former (and soon to be again) ally to the south, Serbia-Montenegro.  It flies off of their converted Moskva class VTOL cruiser, the Darko Milicic, who is a national hero, currently being held prisoner on the bench of the Workers' Paradise Detroit Pistons basketball team!

It is armed for combat, against whom is the question, for they have fallen away from the wise guiding influence of the Soviet Premiere, and are attempting some sort of soon to fail self governance.  But they will realize their error, and return to direction from Rodina!!

Comrades, truly, a great day is coming!!

Comrade Captain Anatoly Josef Pakizorich, Naval Aviation Bureau

(Soviet National Anthem fades out)

This is obviously an old 1/72 Revell Yak-38, modified.  I found a very brief description in the "Soviet Secret Projects: Bombers Since 1945" book.  It basically says the Yak-39 was to have larger engines, a larger wing, larger tail, and a large radome.  I took that to mean it looked like a beefed up Yak-38.

I had an old 1/72 Harrier laying around that sacrificed its wings and stabilizers to this build.  The tail came from a long ago destroyed for parts Mig-29.  The nose is a heavily modified and puttied Hasegawa Macross VF-1 nose that I had extra from their VT-1 kit (it had two nose sections in it).  The AS-20 Harpoonski (Kayak) missiles came from a Zvezda Su-30KN kit.  

The decals came from a Fujimi Mig-29 kit that I've since lost the directions for, so I guessed at the locations of the markings.  The paint scheme is also a guess, since I didn't know what Serbia-Montenegro would paint naval aircraft as.  This thing almost ended up in the markings of a myriad of other countries, including East Germany, Venezuala, India, Japan, China, and even the USN.  If I had my latest shipment from Hannets when I decided to finish the kit, it might even have ended up Irish, Cuban, or Polish.

[anthonyp]

More images

[anthonyp]

And more

[anthonyp]

And finally a comparison pic for the Yak-38's wing and the AV-8B's wing.

[Brian da Basher]

Tovarich Anatoly, you are indeed a most productive comrade and pride of the Rodina! You should be awarded the Order of Trotsky for you incredible feats of production for the defense of the Workers' Paradise!  

That's one sweet little whif there....love the camo and those cool markings and the neat backstory!

Anatoly, the greedy, weak capitalists shake with fear at your fine efforts on behalf of Mother Russia!

Brian da Basherski

P.S. Here's a great site if you ever need the skinny on foreign markings:
Roundels of the World

[anthonyp]

Da, tovarish!  I have the intended website already bookmarked (that is how I was able to figure out what in Stalin's name the roundels were in the first place), but what you have linked to...  Comrade, I must tell you, I have referred you to the KGB and GRU for linking to such a... such a...  Well, comrade, words escape me!  Your link, as it is now, takes one to the most devious of Western institutions:  Microsoft.

Comrade, for the sake of all those who know you, deny you did it on purpose, and perhaps, only you will be invited to the Workers' Vacation Paradise of Siberia, where you can toil, er, partake of the frontier spirit!

Comrade Captain Anatoly Josef Pakizorich, Naval Aviation Bureau

[K5054NZ]

My friend, we must have the Serb-Montenegrans come back to us! Their aircraft colour schemes are to defect for! (I did not say that, Tovarisch, the capitalist Americans planted it!)



Fantastic, Anatoly, I love it! I have a 1/100 Revell Yak-38 (very sucessful indeed, look at how the Argentines used them in 1982!), if only I had a 1/100 Harrier and 1/100 Fulcrum. If anyone is willing to donate their wings and tail to me, please do so!



Terrific model! For the moment though, da svedanya!

[elmayerle]

Comrade, you did, of course, add the extra lift engine to balance the more powerful main engine, did you not?

Seriously, that was one of the main "other changes" mentioned in more than one book on Yak V/Stol efforts.

[anthonyp]

Comrade Evanski, the corrupt Western book that this fine plane was based off of only mentions the engine modifications as:  "One 14,770lb (65.6kN) R28V-300 lift/cruise engine was fitted, with swivelling nozzles, together with two 9,040lb (40.2kN) RD-48 lift jets..."  

I took that to mean that the general arrangement of the engines would remain unchanged, and with the lift engine doors closed, one could conceal from the beedy, spying eyes of the West the true lift engine capabilities.  Plus, with the successful experimentation in rolling takeoffs and ski-jump deck ends, I figure having two lift engines might provide enough lift to get this plane into the air with increased payload.

There is maddeningly little information on this project on the interweb, surely a plot to keep secret this most impressive aircraft!

[Brian da Basher]

Oops they'll take away my "Order of Yehzov" for that one. Here's the good link:

Roundels of the World

I am looking forward to my all-expenses paid "vacation" to the Gulag Archipeligo.


Brian da Basher

[Shasper]

Za Rodenia!


Tovaritch Shasperov B)  

[lancer]

Comrade Anatoly,
Once again, you have done the glorious Rodina a great service with this wondeful creation. The central committie have been informed of your tireless work for the betterment of the fraternal socialist brotherhood.

ZA RODINA Tovarich

Comrade Colonel Lancerov - GRU

[Joe C-P]

Not that the classic Yak-38 needed any upgrade to combat the capitalist running dog pilots of the trembling imperialist navies, but this is an excellent upgrade, which should only make it easier for our brave Soviet pilots to lash the enemy back to cower fearfully in port!

Three cheers and an extra bottle of vodka for the Hero of the Soviet Union, Comrade Captain Anatoly! Up the Rrrrrrevolution!


Commissar Iosef R

[Hobbes]

Comrades,

thanks for publishing those pictures. We knew you were up to something, but those planes of yours are so slow that our propeller-driven reconnaisance aircraft fall out of the sky if they try to match speed for taking closeups.

By the way, those plans you used for the wing: it's a design we rejected. You'll find out what's wrong with it soon enough. Have fun testing!


Sincerely,

the CIA.  





PS your spy Anatoly sends his regrets. He'll be staying at Club Fed for a while longer.  

[elmayerle]

Comrade Evanski, the corrupt Western book that this fine plane was based off of only mentions the engine modifications as:  "One 14,770lb (65.6kN) R28V-300 lift/cruise engine was fitted, with swivelling nozzles, together with two 9,040lb (40.2kN) RD-48 lift jets..."  

I took that to mean that the general arrangement of the engines would remain unchanged, and with the lift engine doors closed, one could conceal from the beedy, spying eyes of the West the true lift engine capabilities.  Plus, with the successful experimentation in rolling takeoffs and ski-jump deck ends, I figure having two lift engines might provide enough lift to get this plane into the air with increased payload.

There is maddeningly little information on this project on the interweb, surely a plot to keep secret this most impressive aircraft!

Truly, comrade.  Is typical of western propaganda; if they can't belittle us, they make us look very tough so as to get funding for their own projects.  You are right, with the doors closed, no one knows how many engines.  *smacks head for humming Western propaganda song "Behind Closed Doors"*