The latest volume in the 'Red Star' series examines the development of Soviet VTOL aircraft designed by the Yakovlev Aircraft company. As with other volumes in the 'Red Star' series, the book includes a comprehensive account of the development and operational record of the aircraft.

8-1/2 x 11, 400 b/w photos, 16 pgs of color, plus line drawings

Alexandr S. Yakovlev was one of the most versatile aircraft designers of his age, but he had the misfortune to work in the USSR which made him almost unknown to the outside world. In 1926-27 he built his first aeroplane and from then on he designed structures which were, time and again, ahead of their time.

This is the latest among Midland's very successful 'Secret Projects' series. This, the second of three volumes covering Soviet secret aviation projects, is devoted to post-World War II fighters and will include designs from famous bureaus such as Lavochkin, Mikoyan, Sukhoi, Yakovlev, Myasishchev, and Tupolev. The book covers early post-war fighters, competitions for the first-generation supersonic designs (MiG-21 and Su-7/-9), advanced designs of the 1960s which led to the MiG-2 and competitions to build the specifications which resulted in the MiG-29, Su-27, and MiG I-44. A number of previously unpublished Yakovlev designs from the late 1950s and early 1960s form a separate chapter, followed by another covering Yakovlev's VSTOL work. The book also describes the competition between design bureaus for orders and shows the progress made in aircraft design behind the Iron Curtain. It will give both experts and enthusiasts the chance to compare this work to Western aircraft programs of the era.

A special prequel to The Two Lost Mountains from Australia's favourite novelist and the author of both the Jack West Jr and Scarecrow series. When a satellite hunter intercepts a top-secret transmission from the Moon, his old friend Jack West Jr is his only hope... The Two Lost Mountains is out now.

This important case study reports on the V/STOL development activities in the Soviet Union. As in the West, the Soviets also began using flying test rigs in the late 1950s. By combining the lift engines with modifications to existing engines, the Soviets were able to deploy the Yak-38 Forger only two years after the Harrier. The Forger was in service for 15 years before the political situation forced its retirement from service. Packed with illustrations, references, glossaries, and bibliographies, this case study is a necessary resource for the studies of V/STOL aircraft and systems designers.

Among the best-selling aviation titles of recent years have been Midland's Lutwaffe and British Secret Projects series. Soviet secret projects now come under the spotlight. This first volume covers bomber concepts from the various design bureaus from the 1940s onwards. Many unusual and sophisticated aircraft are featured in these pages, allowing comparisons between what the Soviets were working on and what was being produced in the West during that period.