Though it hasn't always been that way, China is currently one of the giants in the aviation industry and one of the few left in the world where most of their aircraft are built entirely within national borders. But it wasn't always like that. Prior to the 1949 revolution, China's aircraft industry was little more than aircraft maintenance and rework with only a very few places assembling or manufacturing aircraft, and most all of those of foreign design. Being in a constant state of war didn't help things and it was the unifying force of the communist take-over that allowed that to happen.

Initially, and to some extent nowadays, the Chinese basically back engineered designs of other companies or modified extant aircraft it was building under license to meet their own needs. In the early years of the 1950s, it was pretty much Soviet designed aircraft that were the produced, thanks to the assistance provided by the Soviet Union. However, in the 1960s a rift occurred between the two countries that required the Chinese to pretty much go it alone and from that, a huge aircraft industry was to grow. Nowadays, Chinese designs are pretty much extensively used in all aircraft types, though it seems that in helicopters, a lot of French influence is still very much visible.

In this book by aviation author Yefim Gordon, and Dimitriy Komissarov, we get an in-depth look at all the various types that have been developed by the Chinese over the years. In addition, we look at the various aircraft industries that have grown up to produce these designs. The book starts off with a brief background into the various design bureaus and the people who now head the various factories. Then things are broken down into the types that have and are being built. It starts with Fighters, then Bombers, Strike Aircraft, Transports and Airliners, Special Mission aircraft, Light Utility aircraft, Helicopters and UAVs. Each section includes the prototypes, variants and sub-variants of each type including what is currently being developed or on the drawing boards.

Each section is superbly illustrated with photographs, many of them in full color. There are also line drawings and color profiles of most of the important types. This includes aircraft built for export as the Chinese have been doing very well in that particular area. One of their most important export customers have been Pakistan and Albania with other smaller nations also receiving aircraft of Chinese manufacture.

It is a book that is quite complete and will offer hours of reading pleasure and is sure to find a prominent place on anyone's reference shelf. It is one that I thoroughly enjoyed and can easily recommend to you as well. 

August 2009

Review book courtesy of Specialty Press, where you can order your copy of this and many other superb aviation and modeling books. Visit their website at the link above or call them at 1-800-895-4585

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