 Ilyushin
Il-12 and Il-14
Successors to the Li-2
Red Star Volume 25
By Yefim Gordon & Dmitriy Komissarov
Midland Publications, ©2006
ISBN 1-85780-223-3
Softbound, 128 Pages
There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that the Douglas
DC-3 was an incredible aircraft, but after the Second World War, its capacity
as an airliner was just too small. Many companies began to create more
efficient replacements for the DC-3, and this included the Soviet Union.
Having received license production rights of the DC-3 before the war,
the PS-84, and later Li-2, as the DC-3 was known in Russia, proved itself
to be an outstanding performer in the cold climes of the Soviet Union.
Its replacement would have to have similar performance, and the resultant
Ilyushin Il-12 and Il-14 did just that.
Originally designed by Ilyushin without a government contract, the Il-12
soon entered production and proved itself quite well. Improvements led
to the Il-14, which featured improved takeoff performance and handling.
Both types soon supplanted the Li-2 in civil and military service, including
operations in the far north and far south. This book presents the history
of this famous twin in exquisite detail, presenting both the development
and production histories. The written word is backed by plenty of good
quality (and a few mediocre, but nonetheless fascinating) photos, and
there are several pages of drawings showing the general arrangement and
interior fittings of these two planes.
While we may not exactly be inundated with Il-12 and Il-14 models, should
you decide to build one, this is one book well worth having. If nothing
else, it shows with great aplomb the post-war design and construction
practices in the Soviet Union. It is an excellent addition to the already
impressive Red Star series. My thanks to Specialty
Press for the review copy. |
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