3 Review(s)

This is a story that has never been told before, pulling back the Iron Curtain to reveal the lives of the jet airliners of the Soviet Union, full of previously unseen stories and previously unpublished information.The Tupolevs, Ilyushins and Yakovlevs, including the supersonic Tu-144, get a chapter each, lavishly illustrated with rare photos from the past and present. An introductory essay details the history of Aeroflot and the Soviet aerospace establishment. Tragedy and triumph, crushing defeats and stratospheric successes in the parallel world of the airline scene during the Cold War.This book tells the story of every jetliner produced by the Soviet Union, including the Tupolev Tu-104 (the world's first successful passenger jet), the Ilyushin Il-62 (Aeroflot's flagship) and the supersonic rival to Concorde, the Tu-144. Other chapters cover the Tu-154 workhorse, the Il-86/-96 jumbo jet and the world's first regional jet, the Yak-40 (and -42). The meltdown of political certainties coincided with the Tu-204, which was able to form a bridge out of the old Soviet era into the current age. The story of commercial aviation and aero engineering behind the Iron Curtain is told in fascinating detail accompanied by beautiful illustrations taken from Russian archives by Charles Kennedy, one of aviation's best-known writers. Not only for aviation fans but also a fascinating look Soviet history, European socialism and the evolution of technology.Additional infoChapter each on the Tu-104/-124, -134, -144, -154 & -204; Il-62 & -86/-96; Yak-40/-42; and an essay on the history of Aeroflot. Bonus feature: SU's epic winter 1985/86 timetable reproduced in full. 158 pages and over 250 classic pics.