Summary and key points: An icon of aviation, the fighter jet has undergone tremendous evolution over the last century. While some fighters, such as the F-15 Eagle and the F/A-18 Hornet, achieved legendary status, others were complete failures.

– The Yakovlev Yak-38 had reliability issues, the MiG-23 suffered from poor handling and the Convair F-102 Delta Dagger had a worrying safety record. The Heinkel He 162 was a rushed, ineffective design from Nazi Germany and the Vought F7U Cutlass, while innovative, was underpowered and unreliable.

-These planes are among the worst fighter jets ever built.

5 fighter jets that missed their target in aviation history

The fighter jet is probably the most iconic aircraft type in the annals of aviation. When the average civilian thinks of an aircraft, the image that often comes to mind is that of a fighter jet, with its sleek silhouette, roaring engines, and relative instability.

Combat aircraft have evolved since their introduction over 100 years ago. From the simple biplanes of World War I to supersonic, super-cruise, ultra-maneuverable and fifth-generation stealth fighters, the fighter aircraft is a constantly evolving concept. Far more than an icon of aviation, it is a fundamental weapon, vital to war planning and force structure. Militaries around the world spend a large portion of their overall budget on the design and development of combat aircraft. In fact, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is the most expensive weapon system in world history.

Fighter jets are worth the praise and military investment, especially top-of-the-line aircraft like the F-15 Eagle or the F/A-18 Hornet. But aviation history is full of botched fighter jet projects. Let’s take a look at five of the worst fighter jets of all time.

Yakovlev Yak-38

During the Cold War, the Soviet Union vied with the West to develop the most powerful military technology. When the British introduced the Harrier GR.1 in 1967—a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft—the Soviets tried to counteract this. Their answer was the Yakovlev Yak-38, a VTOL aircraft with relatively good performance. But the Yak-38’s integration of the rear engine with two turbofans made the aircraft incredibly difficult to control. If one of the two turbofans failed, the Yak-38 would spin out of control. And because the turbofans were sensitive to dirt and dust (such as those found in Afghanistan), they were prone to failure.

The Yak-38 was also a tactical failure: it had only four suspension points and its operational range was limited to just 320 kilometers. When the Soviet Union collapsed, the Yak-38 was abandoned, while the Harrier is still in service today.

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23

The Soviet-Russian aircraft manufacturer Mikoyan-Gurevich has a long history of design achievements. The company’s abbreviation “MiG” is synonymous with “enemy aircraft” in the West, and for good reason. But MiG has also produced a whole series of duds.

The MiG-23 was supposed to be another success for MiG, like the MiG-15 or the MiG-21 before it. But the MiG-23 with the swing wings turned out to be a nightmare: it was difficult to handle, had no stability and an engine that often overheated and failed early.

The MiG-23’s maintenance costs were much higher than expected and the jet’s combat performance was much worse. In service in Syria and Iraq, the MiG-23 struggled in encounters with F-4s, F-14s and F-15s. Even the MiG-21, which was supposed to replace the MiG-23, was superior to the MiG-23 in combat. The MiG-23 was promptly retired (except in Syria and North Korea) in favor of the MiG-27.

Convair F-102 Delta Dagger

The Convair F-102 Delta Dagger Century Series was America’s first all-weather supersonic jet fighter and the first American delta-winged fighter. When the aircraft entered service in 1956, problems immediately arose.

The F-102, designed as a high-speed aircraft, did not reach Mach 1 – the fuselage had to be redesigned to handle the transonic wave drag. After the redesign, the aircraft was able to reach Mach 1.22, but other problems arose that required a series of fixes. The Air Force did not apply uniform fixes to the F-102 fleet, so different F-102s had different capabilities.

The F-102’s biggest problem, however, was its safety rating. Of the 1,000 F-102s produced, 259 were lost in accidents, resulting in the deaths of 70 pilots.

Heinkel He162

Nazi Germany deserves credit for introducing jet technology with the Messerschmitt Me 262. Towards the end of the war (and the end of the regime), the Nazis experimented in a desperate attempt to produce more fighter jets. The result was the Heinkel He 162, also known as the “People’s Hunter.”

The He 162, like the Volkswagen, was designed to be built as cheaply as possible and with semi-skilled labor. Why? Because the Nazis were struggling to keep their war economy going towards the end of the war; they were essentially exhausted. Accordingly, the He 162 was built mostly from wood, as metal alloys were not available. The design was completed in about two months, and as one might imagine, the aircraft flew poorly. Three hundred He 162s were rushed into action, but it was far too late. Nazi Germany collapsed and the He 162 was forgotten, having had no impact on the war.

Vought F7U-Cutlass

The Vought F7U Cutlass was visually unique. This was a design from the early days of the jet age, when designs were not yet standardized and there was room for experimentation. The F7U was the result of these experiments: it had no tail and swept wings.

In my opinion, the F7U very It looked cool and was the first aircraft the Americans had built with swept wings and an afterburner. The unusual design offered exceptional performance and maneuverability, but suffered from a number of problems. The engine was underpowered, earning the F7U the nickname “Gutless Cutlass.” Many of the systems were also novel and proved unreliable. A poor safety record caused pilots to stay away from the aircraft, and the plane was retired in 1959.

About the author: Harrison Kass

Harrison Kass is a defense and national security writer who has written over 1,000 articles on world affairs. Harrison is a lawyer, pilot, guitarist, and part-time professional hockey player. He joined the U.S. Air Force as a student pilot but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.

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