Yak-141 In War Thunder : A Basic Review

Checking out the Yak-141 in War Thunder. This advanced VTOL fighter was intended for the Soviet Navy, but was only ready just as the Soviet Union was collapsing and in real life it never entered regular military service.
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TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro & History
02:32 Systems & Weapons
04:39 Flight Performance
06:55 Combat Tactics
09:30 Miscellaneous & VTOL
11:55 Conclusions

[@unlimitedtimez341]

I feel like you're the only wt youtuber that doesn't just call a plane dogshit because it cant dogfight and actually considers it's other roles and different ways to use it rather than just blindly attacking

[@TimsVariety]

o7 Almost everything is good at something. I like trying to find the something. :-)

[@halolime117]

It’s called being mature I’d say ^^

[@commandoepsilon4664]

@@TimsVariety "Almost everything..." looks at Hunter F6 Yes, *almost* everything.

[@kuronyra1709]

@@TimsVariety ... Even the Milan?

[@TimsVariety]

@@kuronyra1709 kzbin.info/www/bejne/oHywoWpvnaqlqtU

[@timmyhers9253]

The Yak-141 also got a NATO codename, which is "Freestyle," which sounds cool IMO. Big note: The F-35B (VTOL) variant of the Lightning II had its rotating engine nozzle design based on the Yak-141, as the F-35 designers and engineers did study the Yak-141 to aid in their designing of the F-35.

[@gizmo709]

The rotating nozzle design was a large portion in-house, based on the (unbuilt) Convair Model 200. The main thing Soviet research was needed for was actual mathematical values of such a nozzle. Basically, while lockmart had a basic nozzle design, they weren’t sure how one would actually perform in the real world, and would rather have data from one that actually flew than from a computer. That data helped them tweak and improve the design.

[@criticalhartzer]

Great review but I feel like you could have mentioned that the jet can only take two R27ERs and the lead marker for guns when having an enemy radar locked

[@TimsVariety]

You know, I really did think about mentioning the lead marker, but ... TBH I'm kindof expecting the snail to remove that feature , and I knew if I mentioned it that it would be gone by next week because of my curse where the snail LOVES to change something I talk about immediately after I say it, so I made the conscious choice not to mention it "just incase". A few of the other new jets have it too, and it'll get mentioned the next time I update my radar tutorial IF its still in the game then.

[@JaySea04]

@@TimsVariety why do you think it'll be removed?

[@TimsVariety]

@@JaySea04 They've been flakey about adding-then-removing lead indicators in the past, and plus gaijin just hates adding features that players actually want. They'd rather give us tank plows ;-)

[@williamgunter4268]

​@Tims Variety but now I can role-playing post apocalyptic mr.plow.

[@kokadosh8763]

​@Tims Variety yep, I still remember seeing when the F1 was just added and seeing it having the lead indicator. Those poor subsonics it faced never stood a chance

[@shadowbuilderp8258]

The maneuver by 9:00 was poetic

[@TimsVariety]

Can't lie, I was pretty happy with how that one turned out... ;-) I only showed one in the review, but I was able to use that *exact* same trick half a dozen times while preparing this video.

[@thepro08]

i like how he hate a missile and didnt die.... because some jets are better than other ones..... warthunder flavour of the month.... ruin your life edition...

[@Klaus_Klavier]

You can STOVL and it’s better than VTOL, just angle it to where the afterburner is still on and you’ll lift right off like nothing near instantly

[@Weeb32460]

It’s such a good looking jet. I love how it’s that rugged old Soviet look but also soo sleek and beautiful. I want a model kit of this damn plane lol.

[@MausOfTheHouse]

The Yak-141 looks so strange.

[@crow_boi3387]

Looks like something out of Star Wars

[@CS_Mango]

Nah. The f100 looks more like out of star wars

[@BipGamingMoment]

Looks so Cute* u mean

[@MausOfTheHouse]

@@crow_boi3387 Yeah, reminds me of the Y-Wing

[@inotetsu7656]

The Dollar store F35 or the tiny Mig25

[@Nottrules]

Checked your channel like an hour ago waiting for this! I was off by like two minutes but i love this plane and your reviews

[@toto-wolff]

Your reviews are simply the best. Thank you.

[@solid_fire9388]

great review as always

[@sooryan_1018]

This feels like the intro or the beta version of what the MiG-25 will be... Minus the VTOL and lack of BVRMs

[@TimsVariety]

If they ever add the Mig-25, it won't have anywhere near the level of agility that the 141 has.

[@ofekk213]

Awesome video as usual tim! Also, when you get to making a video on the Kurnass 2000, can you please mention how the AN/APG-76' model ingame is a placeholder AN/APG-66 copy, and that the real AN/APG-76 is not at all similar to the AN/APG-66 and is much better? The AN/APG-76's advantages over the AN/APG-66: * Operates on the stronger Ku band * Has improved range and can pick up fighter sized targets from further (74km VS 56km on the AN/APG-66) * Has better scan angles (for example: 60°x30° compared to 60°x10° on the AN/APG-66) * Has an air-to-ground mode, which features synthetic aperture technology for high resolution ground mapping. Funny thing is, the visual X-ray model of the AN/APG-76 appears to be correct, meybe Gaijin is planning on introducing ground mapping next update?

[@TimsVariety]

I'm going to be waiting a week or two for the Kurnass 2000, I'm kindof expecting the snail to patch the radar.

[@ofekk213]

@@TimsVariety I really hope so, the AN/APG-76 having placrholder AN/APG-66 specs makes me feel the snail asspulled the Kurnass 2000 on the last second.

[@purple_memer]

just a random thing with vtols in warthunder in general, when hit with a missle and missing a wing, use about 50% vtol so you can maintain control

[@vixenpearce9496]

When you think the youtuber will say the same things as the other but almost forgot it's tims variety

[@pleemd]

Tim I was in your lobby twice! Great vid :)

[@browning2471]

Pulling an all nighter because of some fuckass project I waited till the last minute to do- this makes it easier

[@marty4286]

Only 4 pylons at high/top tier? Mirage 2000 gets a new best friend

[@jonathangeorge8789]

Great Review Of Great Jet.

[@Combat-Wombat]

7:20 R-27 doing R-27 things

[@TimsVariety]

Heh, as soon as I saw that, I knew i'd have to find a place for it in the review lol. Just crazy.

[@ThaiLitzki]

In my mig 29 it tends to do this way too much and just expload.... even with a solid lock. No clue why.

[@bagelmaster2498]

Using the afterburner with the angled nozzle would legit just make it tip forward from the mismatched thrust idk how that’s even possible

[@LewisB3217]

Not modeled sadly

[@gregc9344]

6:47 Small correction, the afterburner can be engaged up to 56% nozzle deflection which as the max is 90 not 100 degrees, is only about 50 degrees of true angle.

[@Nottrules]

It actually goes further than 90 if you look while it’s not 100 degrees 56 would probably be more like 51-54ish

[@yarndog514]

Cringe

[@InVinoVeritas89]

TIMS UR THE BEST thank u for the info

[@jaidenheger20005]

i was waiting for this to see what the legend has to say about this beast! edit: well its a a beast compared to my SU-22M3

[@solvdev]

5:00 I laughed at the turn increase I just wasn’t expecting it 😂

[@thesparpanzer4151]

Cant wait to see the vak-191

[@kiryu5499]

Now do a video on the brand new struggle bus that is the tornado F.3

[@TimsVariety]

Soon.

[@kiryu5499]

@@TimsVariety yay!

[@francescoboselli6033]

Great review! Really liked the video! Regarding the plane: do you think that the fact that it can use V-tol to land at the helicopter pad in ground battle, can compensate for its lack of guide weapons and the few quantity of unguided weapons? Like: yeah ok I only have 4 bombs, but I can just run to helicopter pad and be back to the battlefield in a minute. Or simply top tier AA will punish you for this boldness? 😂

[@TimsVariety]

Honestly, on most maps the airfield is safer than landing at the helipads and its not much farther away.

[@niloynazmul2288]

Nice🎉

[@bwhittv1446]

Explain to me why the R-27T has ECMM but the R-24T performs far better ignoring flares lol. Feels the R-27T doesn’t do a good job ignoring first set of flares at the very least

[@Gucci.Gaming]

For the vapor cone couldn't you turn that setting off?

[@farmcat9873]

I see a lot of mixed reviews but thanks for your info and side of the jet. I thought this 141 had radar cannons to were you can use the lock to have your guns use the radar to fire and aim the guns while you are fighting so just the guns move and not the plane?

[@TimsVariety]

Not exactly. The radar lock (on SOME of the new jets) now updates your gunsight to accurately show where the shots will fly based on the distance/direction/etc of the target you have locked on your radar - and it works from the default 3rd person view. The guns are still fixed firing forward, and you have to steer the plane to aim, but you don't have to guess where they're going to fly. Assuming this feature stays - and it might not (read the other comments down below) - I'll be going over it in more detail in the next update to my complete guide to radar.

[@J39444]

Tim, going off track but I need your help! I’m trying to grind Swedish air and it’s painful to say the least. Any recommendations on what aircraft is the best to grind tier 4/5 with ?

[@TimsVariety]

... I actually have an entire video dedicated to just that question ;-) ... kzbin.info/www/bejne/d33Udn2co9x3oas But me personally - I used the Saab-105G

[@PA-xm5jp]

​@@TimsVariety I found both T-18B variants to be good for grinding through swedens rank 4/5 as they depending on the variant you can either start by doing a bomb run and then becoming a supporting fighter or just start the match by destroying bombers and all the space climbing interceptors and fighters

[@quicksilver-vv768]

Hey Tim, what do you think about the radar gunsights they just put in?

[@TimsVariety]

I'm expecting them to remove it (again...) , but if the feature sticks around it'll be mentioned the next time I update my radar tutorial since it gives a reason to lock targets in a gunfight. But my own opinion - very positive - I've been asking them for exactly this feature for literally YEARS.

[@NotShilKa]

Can't wait for the F-2 Sadly the snail said nope by now

[@davidpaulsen2681]

in the end, lockheed skunkworks bought the schematics

[@gansior4744]

Now wait for Italian Harrier II+ that they actually used in service

[@vasilije94]

Ok.

[@gansior4744]

@@vasilije94 didn't ask

[@stephenallen4635]

Funny how in War Thunder the mig 29, a plane with lower wing loading, drag coefficient, lower weight and size is outturned by this thing with its junkie flight model its got

[@BatteredWalrus]

Ngl I kinda want to see a Lockheed Martin skin for it, co sidering they bought all of the jets

[@L-P-V]

Anyone know what the holes at the end of the tails are for?

[@TimsVariety]

Fantail'ed ducted air vents used for yaw control in a hover.

[@hmshood9212]

I hope we get the MiG-1.44 and the Su-47 if we get to have prototype jets in the distant future

[@TimsVariety]

You heard it here first - the 1.44 will be an event vehicle right around the time the F-15 and Su-27 are introduced, and the Su-47 will be the Soviet rank 8 premium when rank 9 finally happens years from now. Just my own personal speculation - but I'd bet five bucks on it.

[@camilorodriguez5602]

@@TimsVariety well, the f15 and su27 are here, fingers crossed this happens, specually with this new events gaijin adds the 1.44

[@einar8019]

i wonder when sweden is going to get a gen 4 plane

[@antontribelgorn3641]

0:50 was the front engine enough to keep flying?

[@TimsVariety]

I had lost my tail controls, and just kept flying in a straight line for a while before finally crashing a minute or so later. At least for me, the VTOL system didn't save me from battle damage very often. That segment was included more to demonstrate the R-27T's amazing off-boresight tracking.

[@TrinSpin]

This is probably a dumb question, but does anybody know the purpose of those rings/loops at the end of its tail(s)?

[@TimsVariety]

Not a dumb question at all. They're exhaust nozzles with ducted fans in them used to control yaw in a hover.

[@TrinSpin]

@@TimsVariety Cheers for the quick answer!

[@optiqal477]

Hoped youd mention that the yak141 was sold to lockheed and it vastly sped up the F-35 development since they struggled with the engine

[@Franseven]

please could you push gaijin to re-open the unlink psn service? thank you

[@shminkydinky321]

just got this thing n grinding it stock n it’s hard to say if it’s good or not but so far it feels mid

[@stuartemmanuel3735]

The hand of Stalin will guide your missiles if you don't doubt.

[@vidra8191]

they added ccrp for cannons, is it legit or some kind of a mistake?

[@TimsVariety]

Somebody else asked about that in another comment. I think ... **THINK** .. so disclaimers and all that ... that this is how they are itemizing the radar lock computing gunsight feature.

[@mab2187]

I first saw this aircraft in the video game Heatseeker back on the PS2. I honestly prefer the real name of this Yak-41. 141 technically its true name aswell but keeping things original is my honest opinion. P.S I'mma trigger some freeaboos, *This plane is the reason the F-35 exists!*

[@TimsVariety]

Gaijin historically has sometimes failed pretty hard at naming their vehicles in-game. The whole Kitsuka/Kikka thing comes to mind.

[@WT_Lithuania]

teamkill go brrrrrrrrr

[@simon_figas1699]

What is the ccrp for the cannon?

[@TimsVariety]

I think ... **THINK** ... so heavy disclaimers here ... that that's how they're itemizing the radar lead gunsight, but I dont have confirmation yet.

[@moonman8684]

This thing should just get the r73s

[@EriIaz]

We don't call that radar "Zucc" :D It's called "Zhuk". Zh like the "g" sounds in "voyage", "visage", or... "cringe" :D

[@BlockyRaptor]

Gaijin try not to add a Russian top tier every fucking update challenge (impossible)

[@ambroz-xd]

When i saw the trailer i thought it was the Foxbat 😭😭😭

[@TimsVariety]

The front-end does look very similar, for sure.

[@Jaktara]

Just wanted to warn you that the tornado F3 has a bug in arcade so you might want delay its review.

[@TimsVariety]

I don't fly arcade for anything about BR 8.0 or so, so no worries there.

[@robertbacklund4438]

I think that this aircraft was purchased by Lockeed when they were designing the F35. A lot of the Yak 141 technologies live on in the F35.

[@petersmythe6462]

"We have an F-35 at home"

[@appa609]

It kinda looks like a discount f-15

[@bubblesofthecoast6393]

From looking at the Yak-141, you can really see it’s influence on the F-35. That’s literally the only reason I want it, though I got quite the grind to go haha

[@commandoepsilon4664]

I wonder how much of their similarity is due to influence or just convergent design?

[@lapantony]

​@@commandoepsilon4664 Lockheed purchased the technical documentation on Yak-141 in thr 1990s, so I'd say it's not only convergent design

[@conejero00]

Radar is just a copypaste from the MiG-29 radar, so no, it's not the first radar of it's kind on the game Also, I think you where saying its an PESA/AESA? It's not

[@TimsVariety]

According to multiple primary sources (Janes, Brassey's, etc), the X-Band N010 Zhuk uses an electronically scanned slotted planar array. Don't know what else to tell ya, man. Later models of the Zhuk have an AESA, which isn't the same thing.

[@conejero00]

@@TimsVariety Yes, that's the name that they have given to the radar. Sadly GJ is special and at the moment, in datamine, Yak-141 radar is completely the same as MiG-29, except it sees 5km more further I hope that you're right and GJ ends up giving them a different radar

[@conejero00]

Also thank you for being probably the CC that researches the most before doing a video, you already did a better job as researching the N010 than GJ

[@TimsVariety]

@@conejero00 They've had an unfortunate habit of doing exactly this. :-( They add a new plane, give it the "correct" radar but with copy-pasta stats from something similar, then they get around to fixing it quietly like 4 patches later.

[@conejero00]

@@TimsVariety They have changed the radar now! It has different scan angles now

[@hobbespremium8762]

I was 420th like

[@DM-qm5sc]

Israeli Karnass reviews? I know no one expected it in the new patch.

[@TimsVariety]

I'll get to it eventually.

[@mokaso]

And it’s basically a paper aircraft, even by Gaijin themselves as it was never fitted with a radar or weapons. But their logic was to give it whatever WAS available at the time. They’re even considering giving it R-73s and R-77s; missiles it also never had.

[@piscessoedroen]

What? If anything the r60 it actually never had while 73 and 77 is what it actually should carry

[@jfv2312]

First of all, it never carried any real armament, all the missiles it was seen with were inert or just mockups. Second, the R-60s only appeared as a possible loadout in the plane manual, it was always represented with R-73s, R-27s and, to a smaller extent, R-77 (although that one wasn't even in service by then). And finally we have the IRST fiasco, where Gaijin basically said "we'll give it one because it was standard for soviet fighters at the time" and went with that, Yak-141 was supposed to have one but never had it installed, with very few details about it.

[@mokaso]

@@jfv2312 That was the point of my statement. For what it is, this is a paper airplane that they just decided to make a top tier aircraft.

[@jfv2312]

@@mokaso yeah I was just agreeing with you, Gaijin's double standards these last few patches drive me crazy

[@einar8019]

so when are we getting the viggen with the mbda meteor

[@Vlad290999]

Thank God, there're people that don't call soviet made stuff - russian!

[@TimsVariety]

If it was made before 91, I'll be calling it Soviet. If it was made after that, it's Russian. Also, so long as the in-game flag is the red USSR flag, I'll be calling it the "Soviet tech tree".

[@raymarshall6721]

No difference when you have a KGB officer for a president.

[@Vlad290999]

@@raymarshall6721 there's a difference for those from other nations which were part of soviet union though. Lots of people worked on soviet era aircrafts and lots of them, or their kin, wouldn't like to be associated with russia or even worse being called "russian"!

[@rstebnicki]

Missing SL RP screen, gaijin keep their youtubers on short lead.

[@TimsVariety]

...huh?

[@rstebnicki]

@@TimsVariety before all youtubers inc you was showing base stats like rp/sl modifiers. Now looks like gjn nerfing this stats all the time, and wont let you guys show them too.

[@TimsVariety]

@@rstebnicki Don't read anything into it. As far as I can remember, I've only ever highlighted the full stat card (which would show the exact SL/RP mods) in a few of these reviews that were of exceptionally rare vehicles (like old stuff from the beta test) that don't show up on the tech tree anymore and couldn't be seen by players normally. I can't speak for anyone else, but gaijin has never asked me not to discuss any particular topic/information. If they ever did, I'd go out of my way to discuss it AND tell everyone they asked me not to, because it would feel highly unethical.

[@rstebnicki]

@@TimsVariety most broken in economy in this game, and no one talk about that - strange. This is main thing, you will fly or not. Like with bombers you can't use them as SL will bleed.

[@TimsVariety]

@@rstebnicki ... I have an entire video up talking about how the silver lions economy is fundamentally flawed, and going into pretty extensive detail as to how and why ...

[@ghost0d077]

I just don't get why these youtubers are talking this plane up I have it and it's highly fucked up because they deceived us on the release I got this plane thinking 4x27ER not what it has its dogshit slow overall and every other plane has 6 missles this is a massive disadvantage good radar or no radar this plane needs the 4 good missles to make up for its shortfalls the dumping of its speed and its slow speed overall and its very limited gun ammo this plane isn't what it's cracked up to be they are Def selling this plane

[@lapantony]

If they give it 4 ERs, whining form US mains will split the Earth in two

[@user-rz2kj3nn4j]

So unfair that Russia gets things 20_30 years ahead of us

[@AverageWTPilot]

you killed perennial E! 1:38

[@TimsVariety]

I dont recognize the name but he commented below here on this vid.

[@AverageWTPilot]

@@TimsVariety yeah it was funny considering how much he was notching and chaffing

[@ivancsontos7011]

nice to know the russian "fantasy" plane got a radar that actually works well

[@OiOi-Jim]

Exactly, while the Tornado F.3s radar has been so gimped it’s laughable

[@cezy4663]

so unfair that russia gets things 20-30 years ahead of us

[@justfly7730]

They stole the idea from F-35 You know its a joke

[@iansysoev9462]

Other way around buddy)

[@johnroscoe2406]

Ahhh yes, the Lockheed Martin 141. I don't know where you got that historical info from, but it very conspicuously leaves out anything that's not flattering to Ruzzia. For the record, only 4 were made, only 1 had actual avionics in it, it only flew at an airshow, and Yakolev was not able to complete funding it until Lockheed Martin entered in to the picture, which is also the same time it changed designation to -141. Yakolev went public with the entire affair in 1994. Everyone seems to want to ignore this. Very weird. Guess no one wants to ruffle Gaijin's pro-Z feathers.

[@TimsVariety]

I mentioned there were only "low single digits" made and that it never entered service. I didn't go into more detail about the individual prototypes because I didn't want the historical info to be 20 minutes long. I didn't mention the Lochkeed-Martin connection because I knew from past experience that if I even whispered a hint that the company that made the F-35 had even seen the Yak-141 that the comments would be flooded with "ackshually" comments about how the F-35 program had nothing to do with the Yak-141 even if I didn't claim that it did - so I simply chose not to mention it at all and ended it at the collapse of the USSR. I don't think anyone is ignoring, or unaware, that the entire post-soviet Russian aviation industry basically collapsed entirely in the early 1990s. As for that last bit ... I doubt anyone from gaijin watches my stuff, and I've been very public with my opposition to Russia's invasion (including on Gaijin's partner program discord, by the way...). You may draw your own conclusions, but please don't draw *assumptions*.

[@florinmatusea]

@@TimsVariety can someone elaborate about "gaijins partner program discord"

[@TimsVariety]

@@florinmatusea Gaijin hosts a discord server for people in the content creator partner program (youtubers, twitch streamers,etc - myself included) where we can talk about stuff with each other, talk to the gaijin staff directly (some of them, anyway), and get updates about new features and stuff.

[@unlockingsnow8571]

Nothing wrong with being pro Z. 2 sides to every story.

[@johnroscoe2406]

@@unlockingsnow8571 You're a naive fool.