 Soviet
Secret Projects Vol. 2
Fighters since 1945
By Tony Buttler and Yefim Gordon
Midland Publications, ©2005
ISBN 1-85780-221-7
Hardbound, 192 Pages
Available from Specialty Press
for $44.95
The interest in what-if and paper projects has increased
over the last decade, and what began as mainly a WW2 Luftwaffe interest
has expanded to cover many of the major aircraft manufacturing nations.
This latest from Midland Publications builds on their first volume of
Soviet and Russian secret bomber projects. The fighter development has
been just as dramatic, if not more so, than the larger bombers, and this
book highlights that. Like other designers during this period, some of
the paper projects were truly outlandish, while others were merely adequate
and quickly surpassed by technology. This book illustrates both types,
spanning half a century of development.
The book begins in the immediate post-war period with straight-winged
aircraft. As could be expected, these subjects are jet powered, as that
technology was the name of the day. Some of the projects illustrated actually
entered service, such as the Yak-17 and Yak-23, but most never got past
the prototype stage. Following this come chapters on swept wings and transonic
aircraft, supersonic aircraft, radar fighters, heavy fighters, vertical
take off fighters, rocket powered aircraft, flying boats, and variable
geometry fighters. The book finishes with sections on fighter development
in the 1970s and other recent and future projects.
What makes this book really interesting is that many of these subjects
actually were built and flown, at least in a prototype form. This is unlike
many other secret projects of other nations, which rarely get off the
drawing board. As such, this book has plenty of clear photos showing these
one-off types in all their glory. Additionally, there are scale drawings
throughout the book, providing general arrangements of several of these
aircraft. A small color photo section brings these planes to life (although
with the early subjects, this was little more than a colored number and
the red star on natural metal). Overall, these aircraft will make for
an interesting counterpoint to a Russian aviation collection, or even
a Cold War collection.
My thanks to Specialty Press
for the review copy. |
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