Red stars in print

Air Classics, Oct 2002 by Hulett, George

The collapse of the Soviet Union brought about radical changes during the last decade of the 20th century. Benefiting the aviation enthusiast is the release of material on Soviet aircraft that had previously been unobtainable. This month we look at three new books that ten years ago would have been impossible to print. All three are available from Specialty Press at 800-895-4585.

During the 1950s and 1960s, the Soviet design bureau Yakovlev was responsible for a series of swept-wing twin-engine jet combat aircraft, all covered in Yakovlev Yak-25/16/28/28 - Yakovlev's Tactical Twinjets by Yefim Gordon.

The Yak 25 Flashlight was flown in 1953 and was a tandem-seat fighter interceptor with bicycle landing gear. From this basic design stemmed other developments including the Yak 25RD Mandrake reconnaissance platform and Yak 26 three-- seater with strengthened wings. The Yak 27 was a further improvement known as Mangrove but as Flashlight-C in its 27P night-fighter guise.

The slightly larger Yak 28 Brewer first appeared in public during 1961 at Tushino and though bearing a strong family resemblance to the 25/26/27, was a completed new design and it largely replaced the IL 28. Different developments were known by NATO as Firebar, Brewer and Maestro.

The book ($27.95) discusses each of the Yaks in a very detailed and heavily illustrated format with a mass of new information, details and illustrations from original Russian sources. Recommended.

The Polikarpov I-16 has enjoyed somewhat of a resurgence in popularity courtesy of Sir Tim Wallis who brought the type back from extinction and the fighter is very well covered in Polikarpov I-16 - Its Forerunners and Progeny by Yefim Gordon and Keith Dexter ($27.95). Third in the Red Star series, the Polikarpov I-16 is often dismissed by aviation historians because it did not fare well against its more modem adversaries in the Second World War.

It was often referred to in the West by the disparaging nickname Rata - Russian for rat! The I-16 was nevertheless an outstanding fighter in its day - among other things, because it was the world's first monoplane fighter with retractable landing gear. Its capabilities were demonstrated effectively during the Spanish Civil War and it was still in front line service when the German armed forces invaded the Soviet Union in 1941.

This book details every variant of the diminutive fighter, including development aircraft and unbuilt projects. An account is also given of Polikarpov's early monoplane fighters that presaged the I-16 and of the later designs that evolved from it. Details are given of all surviving examples including the six aircraft which were restored courtesy of Sir Tim to airworthy condition in Russia in the 1990s. Heavily illustrated.

Flankers - The New Generation by Yefim Gordon ($27.95) details the multi-role Sukoi Su 30, Su 35, and thrust vectoring Su 37 along with the "big head" Su 23FN/Su 34 tactical bomber, the Su 27K (Su 33) ship-- borne fighters and its two-seat combat trainer derivative, the Su 27KUB. The book also describes the customized versions developed for foreign customers - the Su 30KI (Su 27KI), the Su 30MKI for India, the Su 30MKK for China and the latest Su 35UB. Illustrated with 252 color photos and 14 pages of color art work.