Russian Aircraft of the Cold War: 1945-90

Russian Aircraft of the Cold War: 1945-90

From the late 1940s until 1991, the Soviet Air Force was the largest military air arm in the world, providing the core of Warsaw Pact air power that matched NATO during the five decades of the Cold War. A highly sophisticated air force capable of supporting ground troops, gathering intelligence and launching long-range air strikes, the Soviet Air Force could deploy 10,000 aircraft at its peak in 1980. Illustrated throughout with detailed artworks with authentic markings and exhaustive specifications, Technical Guide: Russian Aircraft of the Cold War is a compact guide to the military aircraft deployed by the Russian Air Force from the end of World War II to the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991. Organised by type, this book includes every significant aircraft used by the Soviet Air Force, from the MiG-15 jet that enjoyed such huge success against Western aircraft during the Korean War, to the Tu-95 long-range bomber, which was capable of carrying nuclear devices, and the ever-adaptable Mil Mi-8 'Hip' helicopter, which has been used as a troop transport, reconnaissance, electronic warfare, assault platform, artillery spotter and airborne command post. The guide is illustrated with profile artworks, three-views and dynamic view artworks of the more famous aircraft of the period, such as the Ilyushin Il-28 'Beagle', a jet bomber that fought in Middle Eastern wars in the 1950s and 1960s, to the MiG-21 'Fishbed' interceptor, the most widely produced aircraft of all time.