Soviet and Russian Testbed Aircraft [9781902109183]
Date Added: Thursday 08. September, 2011
This is yet another huge volume from our most prolific writer on Soviet aviation. Previous volumes have provided us with more information of Soviet and Russian aircraft than we could ever dream of a few years ago. Now we are presented with a vast amount of information of experimental projects, that would have been on the secret list not so long ago.
Because of the huge amount of information within the pages of this book all I can do is pick out some of the most interesting items. The book is divided into eight chapters, covering such things as Weapon Testbeds, Weather Research aircraft and Propulsion Testbeds etc. That being so you will find a mixture of ex- World War 2 machines and the latest hardware.
Some of the developments are quite normal, such as air–to-air refuelling modifications. But there are bizarre looking experiments. One such machine is a Tupolev Tu-4LL with a monster RR Nene engine slung underneath giving the aircraft just inches of ground clearance. Of course this sort of development work was not just carried out using WW2 machines, the Tupolev Tu 142LL testbed, with a very large jet engine slug underneath, was certainly an eye catcher. Like the Americans, the Soviets carried out a number of evaluation trials in the world of avionics with some pretty unusual appendages. But perhaps the strangest experiments were carried out in the field landing gear. The least bizarre is the huge multi-wheel combination tried out on the Russian B-29. But it is the tracked main gear that is the oddest. This was tried on aircraft ranging from the Polikarpov R-5 to the IL-2. However I suppose the real prize goes to the experiments with a massive inflatable skirt under the fuselage.
These are just few of the large number of experiments carried out by the Soviet aircraft industry – this book has them all. There are more photographs than I could attempt to count and these are supported with plenty of artwork, making this the most comprehensive book on this subject that you are ever likely to see, thus giving the conversion fanatic a field day.
Ernie Lee
My thanks to Crecy for the review sample.
Because of the huge amount of information within the pages of this book all I can do is pick out some of the most interesting items. The book is divided into eight chapters, covering such things as Weapon Testbeds, Weather Research aircraft and Propulsion Testbeds etc. That being so you will find a mixture of ex- World War 2 machines and the latest hardware.
Some of the developments are quite normal, such as air–to-air refuelling modifications. But there are bizarre looking experiments. One such machine is a Tupolev Tu-4LL with a monster RR Nene engine slung underneath giving the aircraft just inches of ground clearance. Of course this sort of development work was not just carried out using WW2 machines, the Tupolev Tu 142LL testbed, with a very large jet engine slug underneath, was certainly an eye catcher. Like the Americans, the Soviets carried out a number of evaluation trials in the world of avionics with some pretty unusual appendages. But perhaps the strangest experiments were carried out in the field landing gear. The least bizarre is the huge multi-wheel combination tried out on the Russian B-29. But it is the tracked main gear that is the oddest. This was tried on aircraft ranging from the Polikarpov R-5 to the IL-2. However I suppose the real prize goes to the experiments with a massive inflatable skirt under the fuselage.
These are just few of the large number of experiments carried out by the Soviet aircraft industry – this book has them all. There are more photographs than I could attempt to count and these are supported with plenty of artwork, making this the most comprehensive book on this subject that you are ever likely to see, thus giving the conversion fanatic a field day.
Ernie Lee
My thanks to Crecy for the review sample.
Rating: 
[5 of 5 Stars!]
[5 of 5 Stars!]
