Soviet Combat Aircraft

Fülszöveg

In aviation terms Mikhail Gorbachev's glasnost policy became reality in 1988, when modern Soviet combat aircraft were exhibited and flown at the Farnborough Airshow, and Soviet designers and test pilots discussed their products relatively openly with members of the Western technical press. In subsequent airshows several other fixed and rotary-wing combat aircraft have been displayed, and in generál they have been very impressive in terms of their technical capability and the way in which they have been flown. New Soviet fighters such as the MiG-29 and Su-27 represent their fourth jet generation. The first post-war decade saw progress from the MiG-15 to the transonic MiG-19. The second generation was represented by the Maoh 2 MiG-21 and various supersonic fighters from the other design bureaux. In the third generation, exempiified by the swing-wing MiG-23 and Su-17 high supersonic capability was retained, while airfield demands were reduced. Most recently, Soviet combat aircraft such... Tovább

Fülszöveg

In aviation terms Mikhail Gorbachev's glasnost policy became reality in 1988, when modern Soviet combat aircraft were exhibited and flown at the Farnborough Airshow, and Soviet designers and test pilots discussed their products relatively openly with members of the Western technical press. In subsequent airshows several other fixed and rotary-wing combat aircraft have been displayed, and in generál they have been very impressive in terms of their technical capability and the way in which they have been flown. New Soviet fighters such as the MiG-29 and Su-27 represent their fourth jet generation. The first post-war decade saw progress from the MiG-15 to the transonic MiG-19. The second generation was represented by the Maoh 2 MiG-21 and various supersonic fighters from the other design bureaux. In the third generation, exempiified by the swing-wing MiG-23 and Su-17 high supersonic capability was retained, while airfield demands were reduced. Most recently, Soviet combat aircraft such as the MiG-29 and Su-27 have demonstrated a quantum leap in air combat capability. Although a fifth generation might have been expected to appear in the mid/late 1980s, the only new Soviet combat aircraft seems to be the Yak-41, which will become the world's first production supersonic V/STOL aircraft. This apparent hiatus, coupled with the recent flow of information on the first four generations, make this the right time to review Soviet jet combat aircraft developments. Roy Braybrook is probably the bestqualified Western writer to disouss these developments, with many years of experience of combat aircraft design, and having studied Soviet progress in fighters and attack aircraft since the early 1960s. In this book he analyses the strengths and weaknesses of Soviet combat aircraft design, and identifies the areas in which the West currently lags behind. Front cover A single-seat Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker fighter intenceptor maintains impeccable echelon starboard formation on an Su-27UB combat trainer The Su-27 epitomizes the rise of the Soviet aerospace industry to the highest international standards. lOhris Allan Aviation Library) Vissza