I must say that I was completely surprised by this book when it arrived in the mails here at world headquarters. As soon as I saw it, the first thing I said was "Cool!". I wish I'd had this book several years back when I was building the Revell AG Orlyonok. It would have been a real help and excellent reference.  For those of you who are not completely up to speed on just exactly what these things are, they are called WIG vehicles. WIG stands for Wing In Ground-effects and there are three classes of WIG. One is the type that is basically a boat and does not get very high. The second class is one that can get to a bit of altitude if it has to (by that I mean a hundred feet or so). The third is a type which is as much an aeroplane as a WIG. The second and third types require a pilot's license while the first qualifies as a boat.

The benefit of a WIG craft is that they are much faster than a boat and can operate over any relatively smooth surface such as snow or a beach or low swampy area. They can also be built to be huge. The Orlyonok on the book's cover has a hinged nose to allow large vehicles to be carried and weighs 275,000 pounds when fully loaded. It can also travel at a speed of 250 mph, not bad for a boat. Though the type was entering service with others in the pipeline, the collapse of the Soviet Union put the type on hold as money became scarce for development. However, there is still a lot of interest in the craft and work is still proceeding in both military and private ventures. It has a heck of a lot of promise, especially in high speed passenger service as a ferry or other ocean-going service.

The book covers basically all that is known about WIG craft and includes very early work right up to those actually built in prototype and production form. Projects abound with some pretty incredible craft projected or planned. WIG development has also been going on in the new private sector in Russia. Most of these are smaller craft for use as private excursion use or patrol. WIG development has been going on in other countries, but Russia has about a 20 year head start and so that is where this book concentrates all its efforts.

I must say that I found the concept fascinating and was soon drawn into the book and the vehicles portrayed. All but one or two of the pictures were brand new to me and there are a number of excellent three view drawings of the various WIG craft developed or planned. 15 pages of color photographs are included in the back as well as well over 100 other black and white images. 

This book is one that once you pick it up, you'll have trouble putting it down. I found it to be a super read and one on a subject about which I knew almost nothing. It is one that I'd recommend you add to your library.

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