As early as 1979, Soviet aircraft designers started work on a programme called I-90, a fighter for the 1990s. Two Soviet aircraft design bureaux took on the task, Mikoyan and Sukhoi. Work began in 1983 but with the dissolution of the Soviet Union the project stalled.In 2002 the Russian government kicked off a new programme under which Sukhoi began development of what was then known as PAK FA (Future Tactical Aviation Aircraft System). Known in house as the T-50, this aircraft strongly resembled the American F-22 Raptor in overall appearance.The first prototype took to the air on 29th January 2010 and in 2017 the fighter was allocated the service designation Su-57. In 2018 the aircraft had its combat debut when four of the prototypes were briefly deployed to Syria during the Russian campaign against the IS terror network in that country. Production was officially launched in May 2019, with the Russian Air Force having 70-plus on order.The book charts the development and trials history o
In 1963, Eugen Sanger, became head of the Eurospace organization which promoted the 'AeroSpace Transporter'. In response to a Eurospace call, aircraft makers in France, Germany and UK designed recover
Utilizing this slow and relatively lightly armed WWII warplane the German Luftwaffe spearheaded the Blitzkrieg assaults from Poland in 1939, through to North Africa and beyond. From the very first day
Britain has a wealth of museums of all sizes, all with incredible exhibits, yet only the 'big' collections tend to get the limelight. All over the UK are amazing aircraft collections, containing aircr
The B-47 was the aircraft upon which Strategic Air Command (SAC) based its capability pending the development and delivery of the B-52. First proposed during WWII as a high-speed piston-powered reconn
Like fighters, many bomber projects were drawn by British aircraft manufacturing companies in times of potential or actual combat. While names such as Canberra, Vulcan, Victor, TSR2, Harrier and Torna
First published in the 1970s, Military Aircraft Markings has become an indispensable annual publication for any aircraft enthusiast, historian or student of military aviation.At the heart of 'MAM' is
By the turn of the century China had reaffirmed its position as one of the world's leading military powers. With much importance attached to fleet renewal; the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAA
This must-have touring guide and trusted reference source to the aviation museums, warbirds, collections and relics in the British Isles has been in constant demand for over five decades. Now in its 2
In August 1945 RAF Transport Command found itself with almost 2000 C-47 Dakotas acquired under Lend-Lease that had to be returned, destroyed or paid for. This left the RAF with converted bombers such
English Electric's Canberra saw an unbroken 46 years of service in the UK as a test and trials aircraft from 1951 until final retirement in 1994. Flown by Government research establishments, military
Originally conceived as a replacement for the famous MiG-21, changing priorities turned the MiG-23 into a STOL fighter with variable-geometry wings that first flew in June 1967. After two years of tes
As early as 1944 France began the task of re-building its military aircraft industry and developing high performance aircraft for its armed forces. In doing so, French aircraft manufacturers produced
