First flown in 1956 and entering service in 1959, the MiG-21 'Fishbed' has proved to be one of the most successful of all Soviet era jet fighters, seeing service not only with the Soviet air force but with numerous other air forces worldwide. Among jet fighters, the
MiG-21 holds a wide range of records covering total production figures and the number of nations that operated it. For the first time this book will provide a detailed description of every single member of the MiG-21 family, from the Ye-2 swept-wing development aircraft to the latest 'distant relatives' of the 'Fishbed' developed in China. The book covers the MiG-21's combat career, including the Vietnam War, the Arab-Israeli conflicts, the Indo-Pakistani clashes, and various local wars in Africa. Also included are the fleet lists for each operator featuring known serials and construction numbers. A separate well-illustrated chapter will deal with the Chinese derivatives that were supplied to Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Iraq, Iran, and other nations.
For many years the Soviet designers deemed the MiG-21 to be the best light fighter in its category - until a Northrop F-5E Freedom Fighter captured in Vietnam found its way to the Soviet Union and met the MiG-21 in mock combat. The book details results of this 'flyoff', which came as a rude awakening for Soviet pilots and designers. Today, upgraded MiG-21s with state-of-the-art avionics still serve with the air arms of Romania....

This comprehensive new book describes the current state of Russia's military air assets - the Air Force/Air Defence Force, the Naval Aviation, the air arms of the Border Guards, the Federal Security Service and the Ministry of Interior (the police). The book details the Russian Air Force's current order of battle, starting with the top command (the Air Force Chief of Staff) and down to the operational regiments and squadrons. It also includes descriptions and specifications of the Russian Air Force's and the Russian Navy's main fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft - combat aircraft, transports and special-mission aircraft (reconnaissance, electronic warfare etc.). The book also provides details of the missile and bomb armament carried by Russian combat aircraft today. Much attention is given to the Russian Air Force's day-to-day operations, with reports of major exercises that have taken place in recent years involving the Air Force. A special chapter deals with Russia's air bases, and coverage is given to the Russian Air Force's test and research establishments, such as the 929th State Flight Test Centre in Akhtoobinsk, as well as to the training establishments in Ryazan' (strategic bomber arm), Lipetsk (tactical aviation), and Ivanovo (military airlift aviation). A chapter devoted to naval operations includes the history of the Russian Navy's sole aircraft carrier RNS Fleet Admiral Kuznetsov and its operational shipboard fighter regiment. The book features a wealth of colour photographs and is also illustrated by maps, charts, line drawings and data tables. Also included are colour side views of aircraft currently in service with the Russian Air Force and Russian Navy, such as the Mikoyan MiG-29 and Sukhoi Su-27 fighters, the MiG-31 heavy interceptor and many more important types and variants. The book also includes portraits of leading Russian Air Force commanders and notable military pilots, such as Gen. Aleksandr Kharchevskiy, Commander of the Lipetsk Flight Test Centre, who took President Vladimir Putin on an express inspection trip to Chechnya in a Su-27UB combat trainer....

This is the complete, comprehensive history of the famous Mikoyan Design Bureau, from its establishment in 1939 to the present day. Every aircraft type developed by the Mikoyan OKB is covered in detail, with descriptions of all known versions and a wealth of recently declassified data.
Line drawings are included for each major type, illustrating the difference between the versions, and there are also representative color side views and specification tables allowing the performance of different versions to be compared.
Production figures and information on MiG aircraft operated abroad are also included. The book contains an impressive array of previously unpublished photographs, which will delight all fans of Russian aviation....

This authoritative, new study reveals how imported American aircraft, engines, and aviation equipment were used in pre-revolutionary Russia, the Soviet Union, and today's Russia, influencing the development of aircraft industry, civil, and military aviation over the years.
U.S. aviation first 'set foot' on Russian soil in 1908, and since then many different aircraft have found their way there; between 1910 and 1916 the Russian Navy took delivery of Curtiss floatplanes and flying boats. Between the two World Wars, Boeing and Martin attempted to sell their aircraft to the Soviet Union, and many different variants were imported. Several of the most successful of these were not only imported but also built under license.
During World War II, Soviet airmen flew and fought in U.S. aircraft supplied under the Lend-Lease agreement and these planes proved very popular with Soviet aircrew. After the Cold War, cooperation was established between U.S. and Russian aircraft manufacturers and research establishments (such as the effort by Sukhoi and Gulfstream to create supersonic business jets); deliveries of U.S. aero engines for certain Russian aircraft have also taken place.
This unique book is illustrated with more than 600 vibrant photographs, many of which have never before been published, and several enviable line drawings and color profiles that will be of great interest to aviation enthusiasts everywhere....