Yak-141
Contents
Description
The Yak-141 is a rank VIII Soviet supersonic VTOL jet fighter with a battle rating of 12.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update "Sky Guardians". Carrying R-27ERs and boasting a radar range of 70 km, the Yak-141 is a terrifying opponent with fantastic avionics and sensors able to sling the best missiles of its BR at all ranges. Despite the slightly awkward appearance, this plane is a fearsome predator.
General info
Flight performance
This jet is shockingly agile, particularly at very high speeds. In addition, being a VTOL jet, it is able to accelerate much more quickly than other aircraft. It is usually the first to the end of the runway, only initially outpaced by Harriers. It can bring enough fuel to afterburn to the middle of the largest of locations, strategically deploy its missiles, usually still afterburning, and return home with fuel to spare. It also has the ability to afterburn while thrust vectoring, which, combined with its manoeuvrability, powerful engines, and hovering potential, make it quite versatile at close ranges, able to outperform and elude the most nimble of conventional fighters. The only downside of this aircraft is its roll rate, which can impair its reactivity at close ranges.
| Characteristics | Max speed (km/h at _,___ m) |
Max altitude (metres) |
Turn time (seconds) |
Rate of climb (metres/second) |
Take-off run (metres) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AB | RB | AB | RB | AB | RB | |||
| Stock | ___ | ___ | 15000 | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | ___ |
| Upgraded | ___ | ___ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | ||
Details
| Features | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat flaps | Take-off flaps | Landing flaps | Air brakes | Arrestor gear | Drogue chute |
| _ | _ | _ | ✓ | _ | _ |
| Limits | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wings (km/h) | Gear (km/h) | Flaps (km/h) | Max Static G | |||
| Combat | Take-off | Landing | + | - | ||
| 0 | 500 | ___ | ___ | ___ | ~__ | ~__ |
| Optimal velocities (km/h) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ailerons | Rudder | Elevators | Radiator |
| < ___ | < ___ | < ___ | > ___ |
Engine performance
| Engine | Aircraft mass | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine name | Number | Basic mass | Wing loading (full fuel) | |||
| Soyuz R-79V-300 (Main) | 1 | _,___ kg | ___ kg/m2 | |||
| Rybinsk (RKBM) RD-41 (Lift) | 2 | |||||
| Engine characteristics | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) | Max Gross Weight | ||||
| Weight (each) | Type | _m fuel | __m fuel | __m fuel | ||
| ___ kg | Afterburning Vectoring-Nozzle Turbofan | _,___ kg | _,___ kg | _,___ kg | _,___ kg | |
| Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB) | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (___%/WEP) | |||||
| Condition | 100% | ___%/WEP | _m fuel | __m fuel | __m fuel | MGW |
| Stationary | ___ kgf | ___ kgf | _.__ | _.__ | _.__ | _.__ |
| Optimal | ___ kgf (_ km/h) |
___ kgf (_ km/h) |
_.__ | _.__ | _.__ | _.__ |
Survivability and armour
Most hits from a missile are fatal, as with any top tier jet, but if used properly, the Yak-141 can dodge even very advanced missiles with its combination of speed and agility. Because of its powerful engine, this aircraft can still fly and manoeuvre effectively even with extensive fuselage damage.
Modifications and economy
| Flight performance | Survivability | Weaponry | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Armaments
| Ballistic Computer | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| CCIP (Guns) | CCIP (Rockets) | CCIP (Bombs) | CCRP (Bombs) |
 |
|
|
|
Offensive armament
The Yak-141 is armed with:
- A choice between two presets:
- 1 x 30 mm GSh-30-1 cannon, belly-mounted (120 rpg)
- 1 x 30 mm GSh-30-1 cannon + 60 x countermeasures
Suspended armament
The Yak-141 can be outfitted with the following ordnance presets:
- Without load
- 2 x R-60M missiles
- 4 x R-60M missiles
- 4 x R-27R missiles
- 2 x R-27ER missiles
- 4 x R-27T missiles
- 128 x S-5K rockets
- 80 x S-8KO rockets
- 4 x S-24B rockets
- 20 x S-13OF rockets
- 16 x 100 kg OFAB-100 bombs (1,600 kg total)
- 4 x 250 kg FAB-250M-62 bombs (1,000 kg total)
- 4 x 500 kg FAB-500M-62 bombs (2,000 kg total)
- 4 x ZB-500 incendiary bombs
- 4 x 23 mm GSh-23L cannons (250 rpg = 1,000 total)
Custom loadout options
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 mm GSh-23L cannons (250 rpg) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 100 kg OFAB-100 bombs | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | |
| 250 kg FAB-250M-62 bombs | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 500 kg FAB-500M-62 bombs | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| ZB-500 incendiary bombs | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| S-5K rockets | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | |
| S-8KO rockets | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | |
| S-13OF rockets | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | |
| S-24B rockets | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| R-27ER missiles | 1 | 1 | |||
| R-27R missiles | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| R-27T missiles | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| R-60M missiles | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Maximum permissible weight imbalance: 1,000 kg | |||||
Usage in battles
The Yak-141 is a very versatile aircraft, competitive if not dominant in all kinds of combat. It is a monster in long range engagements, with an advanced radar and almost flawless SARH missiles, as long as an opponent does not notch your radar, their lifetime is measured in seconds. This jet also excels in close combat, its cannon and R-60s making short work of opponents. For the tough cases, you can transition into relying on your VTOL ability to bring the fight to your strengths, stall speed fighting.
Long Range
As most initial engagements will begin at long range, it is recommended to bring two R-27ERs. These missiles are almost unilateral improvements on the R variants, with little sacrifice for a vast increase in range. Before enemies are spotted, switch the radar to HDN or head-on mode, so it searches slightly better for the hot aircraft you know are out there. It is also recommended to increase the scan azimuth of your radar so that you have a better chance of finding something. When contacts appear, you can filter out the AI planes based on distance and formation. They will be well ahead of the the first players, usually starting as one contact that slowly fragments. When other contacts come within range, it is recommended to use TWS or Track While Search mode to learn their placement in the sky and heading without alerting them of your attention. You can also use the "Switch selected target" function to check many different targets position and closing speed. Using this information, you can filter out targets based on closing speed and altitude. Contacts closing faster than about 700 m/s are probably missiles, while targets under about 450 m/s could easily notch your radar if they notice a lock. You also want to avoid targets that are hugging the ground as ground clutter can even fool pulse-Doppler radars when tracking a target less than 50 m from the surface. As for distance, while you can technically hit a target over 40 km from you, most pilots will begin notching when they see your missile approaching, if not as soon as the lock tone sounds. Therefore, it is advised to target hostiles under the 10 km range who will not have much time to react to your lock or missile.
Close Range
In head-ons, it is recommended to use your radar missiles, as they are essentially undodgeable if fired from more than about 4 km. However, it takes time to lock and launch, so sometimes it is better to sling an R-60 and hope for the best. While they are usually flared off the intended target, an R-60 can frequently parry an incoming missile, locking onto and destroying it instead. It is generally unwise to engage in a head-on that is too short range to use an R-27, as neither R-60s nor your single cannon is very effective. In most cases any damage in a close head on like this will be done to you, unless you are carrying gunpods. As with any other aircraft of this tier, it is ill-advised to enter a pitched, focused turnfight unless you are absolutely sure that no enemies are around, otherwise you will be a slow helpless target for a hungry missile. That said, the Yak-141 is a very dangerous opponent in a dogfight. It possesses the ability to vector its thrust and so turn in a way that belies your lumbering appearance. Your surprising turning ability can give you enough time, even when losing, to bleed their speed and force them to fight in a way that favors you. After a couple of turns, your speed will be low enough to engage your thrust vectoring. Lower your aft engine to about 55%, as it will still afterburn up to 57%, then use your fore engines to swing your nose toward your opponent. Your speed will continue to fall, but with the ability to hover, simply move to the center of your opponent's turn circle and transition to a dynamic hover, floating in the center of the circle while using your lead indicator to target them with your cannon. Try to get them to bleed until they stall or use your partial hover to outmanoeuvre them in a stall speed dogfight. Be careful, however, as it will take time to transition out of a short range fight. Enter at your peril.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- VTOL/Thrust Vectoring
- Surprising high speed manoeuvrability
- Excellent radar range/difficult to notch/IRST
- Sufficient fuel capacity for plenty of afterburning
- Heavy duty IR missile
Cons:
- Fairly low top speed for its BR
- R-60M is flared off easily
- Only carries four missiles
History
Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref></ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <references />. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under === In-game description ===, also if applicable).
Media
- Videos
See also
Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:
- reference to the series of the aircraft;
- links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.
External links
| USSR jet aircraft | |
|---|---|
| Bereznyak-Isayev | BI |
| Yakovlev | Yak-15 · Yak-15P · Yak-17 · Yak-23 · Yak-28B · Yak-30D · Yak-38 · Yak-38M · Yak-141 |
| Mikoyan-Gurevich | MiG-9 · MiG-9 (l) · MiG-15 · MiG-15bis · MiG-15bis ISh · MiG-17 · MiG-17AS · MiG-19PT |
| MiG-21F-13 · MiG-21PFM · MiG-21S (R-13-300) · MiG-21SMT · MiG-21bis | |
| MiG-23M · MiG-23ML · MiG-23MLD · MiG-27M · MiG-27K | |
| MiG-29 · MiG-29SMT | |
| Lavochkin | La-174 · La-15 · La-200 |
| Sukhoi | Su-9 · Su-11 |
| Su-7B · Su-7BKL · Su-7BMK · Su-17M2 · Su-17M4 · Su-22M3 | |
| Su-24M | |
| Su-25 · Su-25BM · Su-25K · Su-25T · Su-25SM3 · Su-39 | |
| Su-27 · Su-27SM | |
| Su-34 | |
| Ilyushin | IL-28 · IL-28Sh |
| Tupolev | Tu-14T |
