The Yak-38 Forger was considered by many to be the Soviet Harrier. Like in the West, Soviet aircraft design bureaus were fascinated by the potential of VSTOL aircraft and undertook their own developmental efforts. The Forger was borne out of a requirement for a VSTOL fighter for the Soviet Navy to take to sea on the Kiev Class ships. The Kiev Class was technically not an aircraft carrier, but instead described as a heavy anti-submarine cruiser and, later, a tactical aircraft-carrying cruiser. The Forger was used both for air defense and in a short-range anti-ship role. Unlike the Harrier, the Forger did not survive the Cold War. The plane was functionally obsolescent and work was well underway on its replacement, the Yak-141 Freestyle, when the collapse of the Soviet Union heralded the retirement of the Kiev Class and the need for a VSTOL fighter.

If most of this review feels like dèjà vu all over again, well, it is, sort of. When my HobbyBoss F-14D kit arrived for me to review, included was a set of the SAC landing gear. This is the same product number that I reviewed against the HobbyBoss F-14A, and as the landing gear did not change from the A to the A+, B, and later D models, the set is appropriate for all. I have added comments for actual installation, but otherwise, much is unchanged.

The Parts

Upon opening the box, the modeler will find two frets of detail parts, six vacuformed parts which assemble into the ruined building, and one part, the base, representing the street, sidewalk, and a small pile of rubble that fell from the building in the process of becoming…ruined.

The detail parts are injection molded. Included in the detail parts are parts for:

• A short length of wrought-iron fence (not shown on the box art)
• A street lamp (visible on the box art)
• A main door and framing parts for the door frame (visible on the box art)
• Set of window frames, window shutters, and framing materials for the windows

MiniArt usually includes detail parts that are generic in nature and can be added to other structures, or added to the simulated pile of debris on the base.