Yakolev Yak-40.

 The Russian jet that just keeps going?

One reason for the longevity of the Yak-40 is that there is no alternative to it in Russia, compared to western types in business jets has big profits financially behind them and a demand for comfort and entertainment, if not rest and relaxation?

But the Yak-40 has held its ground as a small airline, a business jet and in the field of being an air ambulance, which is handy when dealing with long distances to be covered across Siberia, but it also has many other functions with the military and with combined-cargo operations moving smaller things to remote places!

The Yak-40 may be coming to the end of its working career, but until a new replacement is found it will soldier on in the role of being an essential air ambulance for remote places and moving essential staff to where they are needed!

MIL Mi-24 Helicopter.

Another Unique Design.

That no western design company has followed, and one wonders why?

The Mil helicopter designers are but a few who built helicopters in the former Soviet Union, Kamov and Yakolev were the other two. The Mil's started with the Mi-1 and then just progressed in size up to the Mi-6/10 and on to the most succesful Mi-17/117, Mi-171.

But the origins of the the Mi-24/25-35 have a much different take, it was the Afghanistan wars of the 1970'-80's that called for a combined helicopter roles so that both specialised troops could be got on to an area fast and protected by heavy fire.

The rocket pods on the Mi-8/17 were not suitable, so it was decided to combine two machines into one, transporter and gunship. There have over the years been many variants from the early glazed noses to the present aircraft style canopies. 

The west meantime do not seem to have taken advantage of developing a similar type, but rather have kept to fast transport backed up by supporting helicopter gunships.

Yakolev Yak-24. Horse.

Twin Rotor Helicopters.

Everyone likes to think that it was the Americans who where the first to concieve this type of helicopter, the Boeing-Vertol 107 Knight and the YHC-1B Chinook. Both these machines made their public debut in 1961 and since then it has been the Chinook CH-47 that has taken the field.

But these helicopter platform systems developed by the United States were the end result of an abandoned Soviet project known as the Yak-24, which was developed from 1954. The Soviet army needed a helicopter that could move troops and more than one vehicle to the battle from. A civil version for Aeroflot known as the Yak-24P could carry 39 passengers and fly at 130 mph, cruising at 112mph and a range of 186 miles. It could had a weight ratio of 35-38,500lbs.

Later development of the machines into the 1960's was halted, after stability problems and the Russians felt the development and deployment of the Mil Mi-6/10K was a far better option.

V/STOL Jets.

The history of the V/STOL (Vertical take-off and short take-off landing) Jets began in the 1950's in the UK, with the secret Pegasus project. By the 1960's British aviation company Hawker-Siddley had developed the engine and were working on an aircraft, which would later be known as the Harrier jump jet.

The British developed two versions of the Harrier, a ground attack and a navel version, known as the Sea Harrier. These top gun aircraft were exported to Italy, Spain and India, while the U.S. were permitted to build their own versions initially under license. AV-I/II Advanced Harriers.

Many new techniques were developed for the naval versions, first by the British and then the Americans. One being a ramp, which was fitted on to aircraft carriers and allowed the jets to produce a rolled take-off, cheaper on fuel. Spain and Italy built smaller pocket sized carriers dedicated to V/STOL jets and helicopters, such as the Spanish Matador class ships.

Soviet Russia had to get in on the act too and they developed the Yakolev Yak-36, which was more of a rolling take-off, rather than vertical type (R/STOL). This aircraft was believed not as stable as the Harriers, but the Russians developed it into the Yak-38 and later on to the perhaps still secret Yak-41/141 supersonic jet. Soviet aircraft were naval deployed and the Soviets had to then dedicate themselves to building their first aircraft carrier.

Soviet Russia is believed to have exported a small number to India, India is the only nation to have both western and Russian types in service.

The British Harriers saw their first combat experience in the Falklands war of 1981 with Argentina, over the (Malvina's islands). Since then the U.S. have developed super versions of their AV-series, the F-35 and F-22.