 Sukhoi Su-7/-17/-20/-22
Soviet Fighter and Fighter-Bomber Family
By Yefim Gordon
Aerofax Publishing, ©2004
ISBN 1-85780-108-3
Softbound, 176 Pages
Available from Specialty Press for $36.95
The latest title from Aerofax looks at one of the most famous aircraft
from the Soviet Union, the Su-7/-17/-20/-22 family. Easily the most successful
ground attack platform of the VVS during the Cold War, the Su-7 family
began as a dedicated fighter aircraft, with the first prototype rolling
out in 1955. In 1990, the last Su-22 aircraft rolled off the assembly
lines, giving this aircraft a production run of over 30 years, an amazing
achievement and a testament to the design. Yefim Gordon does an outstanding
job of telling the story of this famous aircraft in this book.
The only way to tell the story of this aircraft is chronologically,
as there is just too much information to present it in any other manner.
Gordon starts out with the development of the S-1 aircraft, the initial
design aimed at equaling such aircraft as the F-100, being developed
at roughly the same time. Looking at the photos of the S-1, the lineage
is quite clear, as it looks very similar to a production Su-7. Once the
development period is over, and production begins, the book follows the
various modification processes as they came up, such as the swing-wing
concept with the Su-17. Interspersed with the technical descriptions
are operational records, both with Soviet forces and in foreign air forces,
such as India and Egypt.
The text is only half the story here, though. What really catches the
eye are the copious photos spread throughout the book. A large number
of these photos are in color, showing some very interesting camouflages
on this Sukhoi aircraft, including some striking Indian examples. In
addition to the aircraft, there are plenty of photos showing off the
widely varied collection of weaponry these aircraft can carry. This plane
could carry quite a bit, to say the least. Finally, there are scale drawings
and some color profiles, providing that last little bit of information
to make this book a very complete text.
This is a must-have book for anyone interested in Soviet jet aircraft,
as it does a great job of showing the development process and operations
of one of the most famous Soviet aircraft to come out of the Cold War.
My thanks to Specialty Press for the review copy. Visit their website
for ordering information on this and other Aerofax titles.
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