Established in 1934, the Ilyushin design bureau is one of the best-known Soviet/Russian aircraft design companies. Over the years the Ilyushin OKB has developed aircraft for widely varying roles. Its first aircraft to achieve production status, the DB-3 bomber, entered service in 1936. The IL-2 (Shturmovik) armoured attack aircraft brought Ilyushin well-earned fame; this aircraft was used with considerable success during World War 2. Ilyushin's involvement with combat aircraft continued with the experimental IL-22 four-jet bomber of 1946 and the extremely successful IL-28 tactical bomber of 1947 - the Soviet counterpart of the English Electric Canberra. However, it was those years that marked the bureau's transition to transport aircraft from the twin-engined IL-12 of 1945 developed as a 'DC-3 replacement', followed by many successful aircraft, including the four-turboprop IL-18 airliner (1957), the four-turbofan long-haul IL-62 (1961), the IL-76 military/civil freighter (1971) and the first Soviet wide-body airliner, the IL-86 of 1976. The company has also moved into general aviation with the IL-103 four-seater. This book presents the full history of this famous organisation and the aircraft it produced. Written by well known Russian authors and based on detailed research in original Russian sources, it follows on from the earlier and successful Midland histories of the Mikoyan and Sukhoi design bureaux.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
By AK
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
The team of Yefim Gordon and Dmitriy & Sergei Komissarov pulled another tour the force with this one - a history of the Ilyushin design bureau and its efforts. While there is an introduction on the background of Sergei V. Ilyushin and his successors, the general treatment of the bureau is light, compared to the coverage accorded to the aircraft.
There the authors do a solid job, with all the types, from the I-21 pre WW2 interceptor prototype, to all the versions of the Il-2, Il-10, Il-28, Il-42, Il-102... in the attack aviation section, to the many transports and passenger aircraft (Il-12, Il-14, Il-18 (and the naval Il-38 variant), Il-62, Il-76, Il-78, A-50, Il-86, Il-96, Il-114 and all the prototypes around these), to the final grasps in light aviation (Il-103) all being covered (too many to all be listed).
The focus is generally on the design requirements and process, the actual characteristics of the aircraft (including detailed descriptions), all the versions and the production processes and peculiarities. Operators and foreign production are both covered but operational use is not gone into in much detail (slightly more for the Il-2) and the numbers in service in foreign air forces are included only in some cases.
The book is also full of pretty interesting pictorial material, drawings, etc., with the main part being served by B&W photographs and the colour ones being included separately at the end.
In addition to the rich information on the design bureau's efforts, one also gets a much better understanding of the production processes in Soviet aviation over time, quirks such as the spinning characteristics of early MiG jet fighters are explained, and there are many other gems that will keep the aviation enthusiast entertained.
While the number of types may be more limited than with some other design bureaus, the production numbers and the importance of the designs is certainly up there with the best of them, and the book is a fitting tribute to the once proud (and now somewhat struggling) design house.
There the authors do a solid job, with all the types, from the I-21 pre WW2 interceptor prototype, to all the versions of the Il-2, Il-10, Il-28, Il-42, Il-102... in the attack aviation section, to the many transports and passenger aircraft (Il-12, Il-14, Il-18 (and the naval Il-38 variant), Il-62, Il-76, Il-78, A-50, Il-86, Il-96, Il-114 and all the prototypes around these), to the final grasps in light aviation (Il-103) all being covered (too many to all be listed).
The focus is generally on the design requirements and process, the actual characteristics of the aircraft (including detailed descriptions), all the versions and the production processes and peculiarities. Operators and foreign production are both covered but operational use is not gone into in much detail (slightly more for the Il-2) and the numbers in service in foreign air forces are included only in some cases.
The book is also full of pretty interesting pictorial material, drawings, etc., with the main part being served by B&W photographs and the colour ones being included separately at the end.
In addition to the rich information on the design bureau's efforts, one also gets a much better understanding of the production processes in Soviet aviation over time, quirks such as the spinning characteristics of early MiG jet fighters are explained, and there are many other gems that will keep the aviation enthusiast entertained.
While the number of types may be more limited than with some other design bureaus, the production numbers and the importance of the designs is certainly up there with the best of them, and the book is a fitting tribute to the once proud (and now somewhat struggling) design house.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars
4 reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Detailed History of the Ilyushin Design Bureau
8 Mar 2005
By John Matlock
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
The Ilyushin design bureau began in 1933 with the assignment of Sergey V. Ilyushin to specialize in the design of light combat aircraft. (Tupolev was to design heavy aircraft)
The first design was a fighter which was never built. The second design was the famous IL-1 Shturmovik ground attack aircraft. In various versions, this had the highest production quantity of any World War II airplane, and probably of any airplane ever.
During World War II the bureau also produced a series of light or medium bombers, but production volumes were small when compared to the IL-2.
After the war the Ilyushin bureau moved into jets with a series of medium bombers such as the IL-28.
Meanwhile beginning in 1943 the bureau began to explore the design of a twin engine passenger liner. This plane the IL-12 became the DC-3 equivalent of Russia, and began a line of passenger planes that has continued until the present day.
This book is a complete story of Ilyushin, covering virtually every aircraft, every variation that they have built. It's information that has simply not been available in the west, unless perhaps you worked for Air Force Intelligence. This is part of a series of books put together by Midland Publishing, all of which are great.
The first design was a fighter which was never built. The second design was the famous IL-1 Shturmovik ground attack aircraft. In various versions, this had the highest production quantity of any World War II airplane, and probably of any airplane ever.
During World War II the bureau also produced a series of light or medium bombers, but production volumes were small when compared to the IL-2.
After the war the Ilyushin bureau moved into jets with a series of medium bombers such as the IL-28.
Meanwhile beginning in 1943 the bureau began to explore the design of a twin engine passenger liner. This plane the IL-12 became the DC-3 equivalent of Russia, and began a line of passenger planes that has continued until the present day.
This book is a complete story of Ilyushin, covering virtually every aircraft, every variation that they have built. It's information that has simply not been available in the west, unless perhaps you worked for Air Force Intelligence. This is part of a series of books put together by Midland Publishing, all of which are great.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Opening the Iron Curtain on Aviation!
21 Sep 2005
By Paul Crawley
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
Yefim Gordon has done a marvelous service to aviation history with this impressive work. He is helping to crack open a subject long masked by cold war secrecy. This is just one of several very good recent books on Soviet/Russian aircraft that he and others such as Dmitriy and Sergey Komissarov and Vladimir Rigmant (to name just some of them) have co-authored in varying combinations.
The library of photos they offer is extensive and wide ranging. So, too, is the amount of background history and technical detail. While the technical depth may be too detailed for some, it provides a wealth of material for everyone from modelers, to plane spotters to aviation engineers. There's plenty for every reader interested in this subject, including occasional humor and political commentary.
I now own several of these works and can't wait until the next one comes out.
Well done, gentlemen!
Paul Crawley
Atlanta, GA
USA
The library of photos they offer is extensive and wide ranging. So, too, is the amount of background history and technical detail. While the technical depth may be too detailed for some, it provides a wealth of material for everyone from modelers, to plane spotters to aviation engineers. There's plenty for every reader interested in this subject, including occasional humor and political commentary.
I now own several of these works and can't wait until the next one comes out.
Well done, gentlemen!
Paul Crawley
Atlanta, GA
USA
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Yefim Gordon is the master of Soviet Aviation
3 July 2007
By Loren Griffith
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
I have never seen the level of detail that Mr. Gordon has given in this book in any book on Western aircraft.
He scores again on providing and in depth look at each aircraft that the Ilyushin Design Bureau has created. The pictures and drawings make this worth it's weight in gold. The history and detailed information takes one's breath away at the level of information that he has managed to get obtain.
You won't find a better resource for information on Ilyushin aircraft anywhere.
He scores again on providing and in depth look at each aircraft that the Ilyushin Design Bureau has created. The pictures and drawings make this worth it's weight in gold. The history and detailed information takes one's breath away at the level of information that he has managed to get obtain.
You won't find a better resource for information on Ilyushin aircraft anywhere.
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