Another in the superb series of books on Russian aircraft makers is this one on OKB Tupolev. This is a major history of this design bureau from its inception in the 20s under the communist system until today's capitalist-based aviation industry (one which is much less certain than days of old).

This means that every single aircraft designed by Tupolev is here. This includes his projects that never got to mock-up as well as his most successful designs. Tupolev was a pioneer in all-metal construction, using the corrugated skin that was so prevalent in the early years. There is the ANT-1 sports aircraft, the TB-1 twin engine bomber  and the huge ANT-20 'Maxim Gorky' along with the record breaking ANT-25.

Tupolev concentrated on large aircraft and bombers. This pretty well set him for the aircraft that were to come. He added the very successful Tu-2 and did a superlative job reverse engineering the B-29 into the the Tu-4 in just two short years.  Post-war the Tu-16 Badger and Tu-95 Bear were mainstay's of the Soviet Air Forces. In more current times the Tu-22 and Tu-160 provide strategic capabilities.

There were also a number of very successful jet airliners begining with the Tu-104 and continuing with the Tu-134 twin jet and Tu-154 tri-jet airliners. Today , it is the Tu-204 that is the flagship of Russian commercial aviation.

Other Tupolev designs include reconnaissance drones that were truly intercontinental in scope, agricultural aircraft as well as sports and executive airplanes.

All of Tupolev's designs are here, making this THE book to have and one that truly belongs on your reference shelf. It just doesn't get any better than this.

June 2006

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