<p>Following naturally on from the MiG-15 and MiG-17 in the series, the MiG-19 'Farmer' now receives the full Aerofax treatment. Appearing in the 1950s, the MiG-19 represented a major technological leap for the VVS, as it was one of their first fighters capable of accommodating air-to-air missiles, ground color intercept system and other advances. By the end of the 1950s it had become the standard VVS fighter and was integrated into the inventories of most Warsaw Pact countries and other Soviet allies. It was produced in many thousands in the USSR, Czechoslovakia and China (as the J-6, JJ-6 and X-5 Fantan); a significant number of export customers included Cuba, Egypt, Albania, Vietnam and Pakistan. As usual, Yefim Gordon has come up with a mass of previously unpublished information and photos from original Russian resources.</p>

Mikoyan-Gurevich Mig 19: The Soviet Union's First Production Supersonic Fighter (Aerofax Series)

History

Gordon, Yefim

Military

Aerofax / Midland Publishing Ltd.

The establishment of NATO posed the need for the Soviet war machine to create a fast jet bomber capable of reaching targets throughout Western Europe and combatting the carrier task forces with which the US Navy could throw its weight around the world. The basic Tu-16 which first flew in the mid-1950s was developed into nearly 50 versions adopted for various roles, including nuclear-capable bombers, anti-shipping missile strike aircraft, torpedo-bombers and minelayers, numerous reconnaissance and ECM variants, assorted development aircraft for testing new engines, avionics and systems. The Tu-16 even found civil uses as a fast mailplane and a weather research/rainmaking aircraft! The Badger, as the bomber was known to the West, served as the basis for the Soviet Union's first jet airliner, the Tu-104. The nearly 1,500 Tu-16s built in the Soviet Union were an important factor in preventing all-out military confrontation between the East and the West. Since the mid-1950s and until the 1980s the Badger has been a regular picture on the pages of the Western press, snooping around Western naval groups every now and then. The type also had its share of 'hot' wars, getting its baptism of fire in the Six-Day War of 1967. Apart from three factories in the USSR, the Tu-16 was built under license in China as the H-6 and remains in service with the People's Liberation Army Air Force. Other foreign users were Egypt, Indonesia and Iraq. All known versions are described and a full account is given of the Tu-16's operational career in the USSR and abroad during the Cold War and in the days after that when many of the surviving Badgers were used as target drones. The book features many previously unpublished photos and a detailed production list.

Tupolev Tu-16 Badger (Aerofax)

Rigmant, Vladimir

<p>The Fencer, with its distinctive three-position variable-geometry wings, is the Soviet counterpart to the American F-111, though somewhat smaller and lighter, and to a lesser extent the Tornado. Its origins certainly owed a lot to Soviet observation of the American TFX competition and the resulting swing-wing variable-geometry solutions. First flown in 1971, it entered service from 1974 as a replacement for the Yak-28 and remains an important part of the Russian VVS inventory, with severa hundred having been in service. It is able to carry a wide range of air-to-surface missiles and is capale of carrying out precision attacks in hostile airspace at night or during poor weather. Much larger and more capable than previous Soviet aircraft, it combines great penetrative ability with a heavy and varied bomb load, but is such a versatile airframe that it has also been developed in various other versions including tactical bomber, electronic warfare, and reconnaissance. As usual with the Aerofax series, this book includes extensive detail of systems, equipment, weapons, etc., and a plethora of previously unpublished photographs and drawings.</p>

Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer (Aerofax)

Dexter, Keith

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Books by Aerofax / Midland Publishing Ltd.

See the best price to sell, buy or rent books by the Aerofax / Midland Publishing Ltd. publisher. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Mikoyan-Gurevich Mig 19: The Soviet Union's First Production Supersonic Fighter (Aerofax Series)

Tupolev Tu-16 Badger (Aerofax)

Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer (Aerofax)