Tech & Auto
The 11 Worst Fighter Jets Ever Built
By JUSTIN OWEN
Su-7
The Soviet Union's Sukhoi Su-7, released in 1959, was fast but lacked range because of its unreliable engine. It was designed for dogfighting but performed poorly in this role.
Designers gave it thin and highly swept wings, which called for faster landing speed and made landing difficult. To make matters worse, its cockpit visibility was abysmal.
Su-57
Sukhoi Su-57 is the Russian military's attempt to keep up with the fifth-generation fighters, but its manufacturing is far behind the West. It also uses older engines.
Its stealth panels do not align with the tolerances required for stealth aircraft. They were built by hand one at a time, without the extreme precision and automation of Lockheed.
Su-33
Built in the '90s for service on a carrier, Sukhoi Su-33 leaves a lot to be desired, with max speed and climb rate just above average. It also has outdated avionics on board.
Additionally, it can't be armed with some air-to-ground munitions, limiting its usefulness. Plus, being an enormous aircraft, its size is its biggest flaw.
Yak-38
Yakovlev Yak-38 was relatively good, and its engineering worked, but the integration of the rear thrust engine and two lift turbofans made it notoriously difficult to handle.
A simple mechanical failure in either of the lift fans could send the Yak spinning out of control. Its operational range was just 320 kilometers, further eroding its usefulness.
MiG-23
Pilots operating MiG-23 had trouble with handling and instability, and the engine service life was much too short and often overheated. This led to higher operating costs.
The MiG-23 proved to be inferior in nearly every way in several battles, with the model being outperformed by American-made F-14s, F-15s, and F-4s, and even Mig-21s.