Yak-141 Freestyle [Russia]

The Soviet Union's (Russia) first VSTOL aircraft that could sustain speeds of upto Mach 1.8, the Yak-141 ,codenamed "Freestyle" by NATO, could never go into production as the military and the government did not have any money. It however made record after record as it flew on its test flights. One of the most memorable one is when it rose to 12,000 metres in hover mode alone. The only drawback was that its engine layout, though more powerful, was similar to the Yak-38's. Hence, during foward flight, its lift-jets were a burden more than an asset. (See diagram and picture). The dotted lines in the diagram show the parts that move (eg. the hatch behind the cockpit and exhaust nozzle at the rear).