After World War II, the Soviet Union and the USA, who had been allies in the war, started moving towards political and military confrontation. The Soviet Union urgently needed a strategic bomber capable of striking at the USA. Thus, the windfall of three battle-damaged B-29s forced to land in Soviet territory was most welcome. The Soviet Union kept them; a huge reverse-engineering effort ensued, resulting in a Soviet copy of the Superfortress (the Tu-4) and a major technology boost to the Soviet aircraft and avionics industries. From then on, the "Soviet Superfortress" evolved independently,...
After World War II, the Soviet Union and the USA, who had been allies in the war, started moving towards political and military confrontation. The Sov...
Developed in the 1960s/1970s, the Tu-144 was the Soviet Union's only practical venture into supersonic commercial aviation. Though its career was all too brief, it was a major technological achievement for the Soviet aircraft industry. The book provides in-depth coverage of the "Concordski," including projected versions, the Tu-144's production and service history, and a comparison with the Concorde. First flown on the last day of 1968--ahead of the Concorde--the Tu-144 had to undergo a long gestation period before the production version entered service in November 1977. Unfortunately, its...
Developed in the 1960s/1970s, the Tu-144 was the Soviet Union's only practical venture into supersonic commercial aviation. Though its career was all ...
