This book represents probably the most detailed study published in the English language of the camouflage and markings of the fighter aircraft of the Soviet Air Force during World War II. Erik Pilawskii is a scholar of the Soviet Air Force in World War II and has undertaken several years of research to produce this ground-breaking book. With information drawn from previously inaccessible Soviet archives, the author first presents a detailed analysis of the developments, trends, patterns and irregularities of the color systems seen on Russian fighters and offers a fascinating insight into the workings of the Soviet manufacturing system responsible for this task. He then brings readers a technical study of each of the main fighter aircraft and variants, and each description is followed by coverage of camouflage and markings, factory-applied, field variations and seasonal.

Red Star vol.3
Aviation historians often dismiss the Polyikarpov I-16 because it did not fare well against its more modern adversaries in WWII. It was often referred to in the West by the disparaging nickname of Rata, the Russian word for rat! Nikolay Polyikarpov's I-16 was nevertheless an outstanding fighter in its day--among other things, because it was the world's first monoplane fighter with a retractable undercarriage. Its capabilities were demonstrated effectively during the Spanish Civil War and it was still in front line service when the German armed forces fell on the Soviet Union in 1941.
This book details every variant of this diminutive fighter, including development aircraft and unbuilt projects. An account is also given of Polyikarpov'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 that were restored to airworthy condition in Russia in the 1990s.

Red Star vol.20
While Soviet combat aircraft have received extensive coverage, the many UAVs developed in the Soviet Union and, more recently, Russia remain unsung. Nevertheless, this is a subject deserving attention. The first Soviet UAV to find large-scale use was the La-17 developed by the Lavochkin OKB, a fighter maker of World War II fame; it came in both target drone and reconnaissance versions. The Tupolev OKB, best known for its heavy bombers and commercial aircraft, also had a line of UAVs of varying size. The first of these was the Tu-123 Yastreb which started life as a heavy cruise missile but evolved into a supersonic unmanned spyplane; the book also describes the Tu-141 Strizh (Swift), which again came in reconnaissance and target versions, the Tu-243 Reys (Flight) and the latest Tu-300 recce/strike UAV.

In the early 1950s a need arose in the Soviet Union for a heavy transport and assault helicopter capable of airlifting cargo weighing up to 6 tons (13,230 lbs) - primarily artillery systems. THe chief Soviet "helicopter maker" - OKB-329 headed by Mikhail L. Mil - took on this important task. The prototype of the V-6 (eventually redesignated Mi-6), which first flew in June 1957, was a much larger machine. For the first time not only in the Mil OKB's practice but also in the world helicopter design practice, the powerplant consisted of two gas turbine engines; another peculiarity was the use of auxiliary wing offloading the main rotor in cruise flight. The Mi-6 provided a major boost to the Soviet Air Force's capability. In 1959 it served as the basis for the unconventional Mi-10 capable of straddling bulky loads.

Series "Red stars in the sky" aims to cast more light on the aircraft and the pilots of the Soviet Air Arm in WWII. This second part focuses on bombers and assault aircraft.

Series "Red stars in the sky" aims to cast more light on the aircraft and the pilots of the Soviet Air Arm in WWII. This first part concentrates on fifhter aircraft and pilots.

Series "Red stars in the sky" aims to cast more light on the aircraft and the pilots of the Soviet Air Arm in WWII. Like the first part of "Red Stars" this part concentrates on fifhter aircraft and pilots.

Red Star vol.4
This charts the development and service history of the first-generation Soviet jet fighters designed by such renowned fighter makers as Mikoyan, Yakovlev and Sukhoi, as well as design bureau no longer in existence--the Lavochkin and Alekseyev OKBs, during the 1940s and early 1950s. Each type is detailed and compared to other contemporary jet fighters. As ever the extensive photo coverage includes much which is previously unseen.

This detailed review of Soviet experimental aircraft from the early 1900s to the latest Russian prototypes of today is the first book to take a close look at all of the major Soviet experimental aircraft in one concise volume. Working from original sources, the authors have produced an outstanding reference which, although concentrates on hardware, also includes many projects that were built but never flew, and even a few that never got off the proverbial drawing board. About 150 aircraft types are described, each with relevant data, including many three-view drawings.

Red Star vol.1
Conceived in the early 1980s to ease the threat posed by the American ATF program, these fighters were developed as the Soviet Union's fifth-generation fighters. This book gives a detailed account of how Russia's two leading fighter aircraft designers competed for the order and how a third contender never made it to the hardware stage. It deals with the way these aircraft were conceived, designed, built, and flown.

As the Warsaw Pact disbands and the military information on Soviet material becomes more accessible, aviation professionals and enthusiasts are studying Russian topics more intensively than before. This volume seeks to act as a base for a broader study of Soviet rotary wing aviation.

The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, about to be launched as America's premier Air Dominance Fighter, will replace the vaunted F-15C Eagle as the world's foremost fighter aircraft.
Once operational, it will be the swiftest, stealthiest, and deadliest plane in the skies, ready to out fly and out fight any opponent. Its Supercruise feature allows it to exceed the speed of sound without afterburners-an aviation first. Its radar profile is nearly as small as that of the stealth-dedicated F-117A Nighthawk. And its First-Look, First-Kill capability makes it virtually impervious to enemy counter-strike.
Profusely illustrated, this eye-opening volume documents every stage of our military's quest for the next Air dominance Fighter, while illuminating every aspect of the fierce warbird that ended that search... the F-22 Raptor. From drawing board to wind tunnel, test flight to tactical deployment, here is the most extensive survey available today of the fighter that will escort our armed forces into the 21st Century.

Shlapentokh undertakes a dispassionate analysis of the ordinary functioning of the Soviet system from Stalin's death through the Soviet collapse and Russia's first post-communist decade. Without overlooking its repressive character, he treats the USSR as a "normal" system that employed both socialist and nationalist ideologies for the purposes of technological and military modernization, preservation of empire, and expansion of its geopolitical power. Foregoing the projection of Western norms and assumptions, he seeks to achieve a clearer understanding of a civilization that has perplexed its critics and its champions alike.

Red Star vol.6
This book explores the development of Polikarpov's fighting biplanes from the 2I-N1 to his first aircraft to see production; to the I-3 and the I-5 created while the designer was in prison. This design paved the way for the I-15 which earned fame as the Chato during the Spanish Civil War and also saw action against the Japanese, and the I-15bis, which owed its existence mainly to Soviet Air Force's prejudice against gull wings; and the famous I-153 Chaika, a gull-wing biplane with retractable-landing gear. Experimental versions of this aircraft are also included.

Бои без правил.
Свыше 3500 иллюстрации. Использованы приёмы и техника из более чем 800 видов единоборств.

Weapons design is as crucial an aspect of a combat aircraft's development as the work of the airframers or propulsion specialists. Soviet and Russian combat aircraft generally have a well-earned reputation as capable fighting machines -- a reputation due in no small part to the punch they pack.
This new book examines the development of different classes of weapons carried by Soviet/Russian aircraft. One chapter is devoted to cannons, while others cover missiles developed by various design bureaus, including the now-famous Vympel, Raduga and Zvezda companies -- air-to-air missiles, from the Mikoyan KS-1 anti-shipping missile of the mid-1950s to 'smart weapons' of today, such as the laser-guided Raduga Kh-29L and TV-guided Kh-29T.

Red Star vol.11
This is the story of the Soviet Union's first intercontinental jet bomber, which was to have become a carrier of nuclear missiles and the Soviet answer to the Boeing B-52. Much to the surprise of many, the little-known Myasishchev bureau was chosen to do the job; it had been disbanded a few years earlier and reinstated solely to create such a bomber. Known to the West as the Bison, the new bomber employed many innovative features (including a bicycle landing gear) and was created within the short period of just one year; Western military observers were stunned when the aircraft was formally unveiled at the 1953 May Day parade. The M-4 and the much-improved 3M remained in service for 40 years until retired and scrapped in compliance with the START treaty.

Red Star vol.36
The Yakovlev Yak-38 Forger was the Soviet Navy's first and only VTOL (Vertical Take Off and Landing) multi-role combat aircraft. Outwardly similar in design to the British-built Harrier, the first prototype of the aircraft was completed on April 14, 1970, and it made its maiden flight January 15, 1971. Before production ceased, 231 aircraft were built, including 38 two-seat trainers. The aircraft suffered from severe payload restrictions, particularly when operating in hot environments, such as the Indian Ocean. Following the break up of the Soviet Union, the Yak-38 saw service with the Russian Federation and Ukraine air forces, although all have been withdrawn from service.