New book in the Midland's 'Famous Russian Aircraft' serie.

[Laurent]

After the MiG-31, the MiG-29 and the Su-27 (to be released soon I believe)... the MiG-21 ! No release date yet. The book will be 512 pages !

[Laurent]

After the MiG-31, the MiG-29 and the Su-27 (to be released soon I believe)... the MiG-21 ! No release date yet. The book will be 512 pages !

It's out. 720 pages, more than 3 kg: http://www.ianallanpublishing.com/product....at=0&page=1

[pollie]

Hmmm, I'm wondering how accurate it is? Given the fact Yefim Gordon publishes about ten books a year, that is probably a rhetorical question...........

[Laurent]

Hmmm, I'm wondering how accurate it is?

Not enough for you (and I) probably. I'll buy it anyway because of the pics, the profiles, the drawings. There must be something good in a 720 pages book.

Given the fact Yefim Gordon publishes about ten books a year, that is probably a rhetorical question...........

Sure but this time he wasn't alone writing. Yefim Gordon may not be a good writer/historian/researcher but nobody else writes such kind of books in English.

[RedStar]

I can't argue the point that there's factual problems in some of his books, but in most respects they are well better than anything else that's coming on the same subjects. And as has been noted 720 pages should have at least a few new nuggets of information.

Have seen this in one of my old supplier lists (that I still get) for a couple of years now, and can't wait to see how it turns out. I have the other three, and find them all to be useful!

But as has always been the golden rule of research never rely on one source alone - so like most everything else, this will just be one more book in my MiG-21 reference arsenal.

[David Walker]

Huge book! I'll be curious to see how much it costs here in the states.

Edited April 7, 2008 by David Walker

[Flankerman]

Have you MiG-21 guys seen the last three issues of the Ukrainian magazine 'Aviatsiya i Vremya' ?????

Issue 5/2007 covers the early MiG-21 - with some excellent scale drawings...

Issue 6/2007 covers the rest of the MiG-21 series......

Finally, Issue 1/2008 details the Chinese F/J-7 versions ....

Well worth getting for the drawings alone - just about every MiG-21 variant covered...

Ken

[Joe Meredith]

Theres a sample page of this book available for viewing on the Transport Diversions website, here

[Laurent]

Theres a sample page of this book available for viewing on the Transport Diversions website, here

Thanks Joe. The text doesn't look like a copy/paste of the old Aerofax book. That's good.

[Joe Meredith]

This slab of a book arrived today, and I thought the edition on the Flanker was huge! I haven't had much chance to look at it in depth but it seems to follow a similar pattern to the previous titles, the chapters in this are:

Introduction p3

Part 1: The Origin of the Family p7

Part 2: Off to a fine start p55

Part 3: The Interceptors p93

Part 4: Mass Production p127

Part 5: The Trainers p193

Part 6: Experiments And Projects p 213

Part 7: Beyond the Great Wall p249

Part 8: In Soviet Air Force Service p341

Part 9: MiG-21 At War p359

Part 10: Face to Face with the Adversary p403

Part 11: The MiG-21 in detail p411

Part 12: MiG-21 in detail p453

Appendix: MiG-21 production list p700

Have added the page numbers to show the depth of some of the sections - almost 250 pages on the various operators with hundreds of profiles and photos.

Joe

[Laurent]

I've received my copy a few days ago and I've started reading it. I'm at part 4 and I've passed part 3 which I was really interested in: 2nd generation MiGs aka PF/PFS/PFM versions where I wanted to see what he would say about the evolution from PF to PFM. It seems to me than Gordon really inspired himself from an article published in an issue of M-Hobby (which was translated in English in an issue of Airfleet). The text and the iconography may not be very coherent: the pics always describe single-piece canopied wide chord fined planes as early PFMs when the text suggests they could or should be late PFSs. There's plenty of good stuff elsewhere in the book anyway.

I've also read his Su-25 Aerofax. It's irritating to see that there's strictly the same text in the same book: the part about Angolan Su-25s is duplicated in chapter 8 (Su-25 in action) and 9 (Su-25 operators). I don't like this behavior :D

[Irving Babbitt]

Thanks for the review, Laurent. That's too bad about the readability of the new book. I bought the Early Soviet Jet Aircraft volume, and despite being fascinated with the subject matter, the text has utterly defeated me.

Again, thanks. It's good to know what's in store for me if I make the leap on this one.

[Laurent]

Thanks for the review, Laurent. That's too bad about the readability of the new book. I bought the Early Soviet Jet Aircraft volume, and despite being fascinated with the subject matter, the text has utterly defeated me.

Again, thanks. It's good to know what's in store for me if I make the leap on this one.

You're welcome Irving. I have mixed feelings about Yefim Gordon books. The good thing is that there's a least one person that writes books in English about Soviet aircrafts. The problem is that he's more a compiler of articles he found in magazines and on the web that an author. I sometimes feel like he dumps archive files in his books and that in each of them he asks himself "oh dear I have still eleven pages to fill up... what am I'm gonna put in them ?". Knowing that I'll always been disappointed to a certain extent I buy his book but not at full retail price. He's cheap so I buy cheap.

[Linden Hill]

I just had chance to take a look at this book. It seems the principal author has been able to recycle the Krylov line drawings (and profiles) from the 1993 Aviation and Cosmonautics two-part MiG-21 special for a second time (some already appeared in the earlier Aerofax book).

Other colour profiles seem a little suspect. See page 469 ('Bangladeshy Air Force'?). The author/compiler might also have had the good grace to credit Tom Cooper for some of the 'African Mig' profiles in the book. Oh, and if you find a photo in another publication and want to use it in your own, simply putting the word 'Archive' before your own name is going to catch up with you one day if the original source ever decides to take legal action.

Some pretty Chinese profiles, though.

There must be easier ways of supplementing a KGB pension.

Edited May 2, 2008 by Linden Hill

[Laurent]

I just had chance to take a look at this book. It seems the principal author has been able to recycle the Krylov line drawings (and profiles) from the 1993 Aviation and Cosmonautics two-part MiG-21 special for a second time (some already appeared in the earlier Aerofax book).

I don't know if recycling is the proper word. Updating could be: did the drawings include the MiG-21-2000, Lancers, Bison, bis with anti-surge nose ring ?

The 'MiG-21 at war' and 'Operator' chapters aren't bad. No quotes or stories to liven up the text but it's pretty informative if the reader doesn't know much about the conflicts in which the aircraft was engaged in. I'd say that Keith Dexter is the author of these chapters. They don't look komissarogordonish to me.

[Linden Hill]

I don't know if recycling is the proper word. Updating could be: did the drawings include the MiG-21-2000, Lancers, Bison, bis with anti-surge nose ring ?

Laurent, Krylov's drawings predated the Lancer and others. I don't find any Lancer drawings in the book.

So far as I can work out, the original Krylov drawings included have not been updated at all, but new ones have been added to the book (e.g. the F-7s, etc.). You can tell the Krylov drawings as the canopy area is filled by blotchy parallel lines, rather than a solid rastered grey area.

God, I'm getting boring...

Edited May 2, 2008 by Linden Hill

[Laurent]

God, I'm getting boring...

For most readers yes I suppose

The author of the drawings is Vladimir Klimov AFAIK. At least it's supposed to be in the Krilia Rodin n°1 1994, the Aerofax and the FRA book.

[Deino]

I finally received my copy a few days ago and Hmm … most of the critical point are already mentioned especially Mr. Gordon’s kind of writing … maybe another author like Piotr Butowski would have written a much better book, but I think this one will be the most comprehensive for many years to come.

Besides the fact that I’m truly not a fan of the Fishbed I leave the critics to the professional MiG-21-insiders, but as I’m maybe a bit familiar with the Chinese J-7’s history I want to add at least some comments on this chapter:

First of all, who expected tons of new pictures maybe even from the original supplier will be sadly disappointed as only few of the photos come directly from the manufacturer or other Chinese sources, … I have to say none of them can’t be found in the WWW as Yefim Gordon usually quotes with "via InterNet".

Second as some of us are very familiar with several Chinese military aviation news groups or forums … after reading a few pages it becomes clear that Yefim Gordon is not really a “member†of these groups, most of his material is only investigated badly or simply he re-used his old material from the older publication.

Therefore I would like to add a simple list, after two days of superficial examination:

• p.268 clearly shows a J-8I and not a factory fresh J-7II

• the side profile on p. 282 called a J-7IIH is either wrong, because the J-7IIH was never equipped with the AA-8 but instead used the PL-8 or it is misprinted as an Iraqi F-7B (with AA-8)

• A JZ-7 designated reconnaissance version, in corresponds to the Russian MiG-21R never existed ... there may have been experiments with reconnaissance pods and the mentioned ELINT Pod, but this designation is wrong

• The J-7EH is described as version, able to fire the YJ-2 ASM – this designation is also wrong and should be YJ-82 = C.802 to carry, … that’s also wrong even if often "rumoured" some time ago. IMO it’s just impossible as the C.802 is a much to heavy weapon for the J-7’s wing pylon

• The description of the J-7FS’s evolution is only incomplete and the side profile obviously to crude ! It was not modified according to an E, but to an G including the one-piece front canopy

• Still even more wrong ore the two designs of the J-7MF/F-7MF... particular in the direct comparison to the latest Chinese designs (see Haneto’s proposed new Chinese booklet !!)

• In all colour profiles starting from the J-7E there’s a small green antenna located in the upper vertical stabilizer … this antenna – even if located in the right place is not painted green but instead the wrong panel. Additional all J-7 from the E on have a slightly deeper rudder, whivjch is missing in all profiles and scale drawings

• The "blue" J-7G with the number 20137 (p. 318/319) is not really a blue machine but an altered image of a standard serial machine – actually the first published picture of a G from that regiment – and was slightly altered in its colours when posted for the first time.

• The biggest mistake is a version called F-7X, and mentioned as the last failed attempt to produce a final updated version for the export …..in truth this “version†is a very nice what-if made by a nearly famous CG-artist called “LEGOâ€, who also “developed†improved versions of the J-8 in similar manners

• At least – even if not 100% sure – the 5 multicoloured Olympia-J-7 are also wrong as they are only known from a CG … and I can’t think of only a secret demonstration to he IOC but no public unveiling. But here I could be wrong !

Finally one last comment regarding the listing of the known operational J-7 of most diverse versions in the "appendix of user": For my opinion this is only a list of all known aircraft – known by Yefim Gordon – sorted by number and version. More substantial IMO would have been to give a review of al known regiments / divisions and when they operated which version … as it doesn’t say anything about possible missing aircraft – quite usual as missing numbers seem to indicate for Mr. Gordon that this ac does not exist … ! It also given no information about possible relocations, restructuring of Divisions and their regiment and so on

I do not know now whether I sound too negative altogether and if looked too critically within the China range for "peas", but I am surprised how many very obvious – even if minor – mistakes and errors are included and therefore I only hope that the reason for that is Mr. Gordon’s unfamiliarity with this topic and that he had done a better research for the Russian and other foreign versions.

Cheers, Deino

PS: ... perhaps finally with Haneto’s help something more correct can be published later after the translation of that fine Chinese J-7 booklet !!

[Laurent]

Aaaah finally finished reading it. So. Here's my review. The chapters are:

1. The origin of the family. 47 pages. Ye-2,-4,-5 and -50 (jet and rocket powered). Some pics of the Ye-50/1 crash and of the pressure suit used (cool fishbowl helmet with a flat pane) have been added since the Aerofax.

2. Off to a fine start. 37 pages. MiG-21F and F-13

3. Interceptors. 32 pages. MiG-21PF, PFS and PFM. Distinguishing a PFS from a PFM may be difficult if Gordon is right but he didn't care about that in the pictures he puts. Wide chord single piece canopied planes are always 'early PFMs'...

4. Mass production. 65 pages. R, S, SM, M, MF, bis, upgrades

5. Trainers. 19 pages. U, US, UM.

6. Experiments and projects. 35 pages. Ye-8, Ye-7PD, MiG-21I. Nice quote from Mosolov telling how he almost died because of the terrible Ye-8 engine problems.

7. Beyond the great wall. 91 pages. Refer to Deino's post.

8. In Soviet Air Force service. 17 pages. Cuban crisies and Afghanistan mostly.

9. MiG-21 at war.43 pages. Keith Dexter may be the author of this chapter as the text is more scholar : brief description of the conflicts, some dates and figures. A lot better than what could be found in the Aerofax or the crappy Warbirdtech.

10. Face to face with adversary. 7 pages. F-5E was evaluated at compared to the MiG-21bis. The Tiger II was better at low speed, nicer to maintain and fly. Nice info about the tendency of single engined twin air intaked jets to suffer from compressor stall.

11. MiG-21 in detail. 41pages. Looks very very similar to the corresponding chapter in the Aerofax book. The size of the intake is still the same between a PF/…/MF and a bis which is wrong according to fellow ARCers that know the MiG-21. Ok ok the difference is just 5cms in diameter... There's a game included in this chapter: there are plenty of detail pics than are just enlarged part of other photos of the book. Find the original picture in the book !

12. MiG-21 operators. 246 pages. Probably written be Keith Dexter again. The units and what versions were used are described. Nice info about what were MiG-21PFMs, MiG-21SPSs and SPS-Ks in DDR, MiG-21MA in Czechoslovakia, MiG-21RFM in Romania, etc.

Yefim Gordon is more a compiler than a writer. He sometimes (or always ?) forgets to double-check what he writes and he can hardly be called an historian: sources not told, no bibliography or references chapters. The 'at war' and 'operators' chapters probably have not been written by Gordon and that's good: I've found them to be quite nice !

This book is not for historians and people who spend their life accumulating documentation on the MiG-21.They'll probably find plenty of incoherences in it, copy/pastes from other documents, the same boring pictures that can be found anywhere else, etc. Ok. But what if the reader knows all these things, that he doesn't want to accumulate plenty of books and spend all his days in front of the computer ? What if he knows that Yefim Gordon books aren't always reliable but that he likes to have a big fat MiG-21 book with (often poor quality) pictures of exotic planes ? This reader will probably like the FRA book even if it doesn't answer all the questions that he may ask himself. I recommend this book.

[flanker]

I also saw that Yefim Gordon had written that some Iraky BIS were in Yugoslavia!

These are not BIS but SMTs with bis hump!

They are converted in owerhaul plant Zmaj(Zagreb) then transvered in owerhaul

plant Moma near Belgrade.They recived YU insignia and tested in few flights(Batajnica AB).

Now some of them are in Museum(Yugoslav Aviation Museum,Surcin,Belgrade) and some are

destryed.

[pollie]

I also saw that Yefim Gordon had written that some Iraky BIS were in Yugoslavia!

These are not BIS but SMTs with bis hump!

They are converted in owerhaul plant Zmaj(Zagreb) then transvered in owerhaul

plant Moma near Belgrade.They recived YU insignia and tested in few flights(Batajnica AB).

Now some of them are in Museum(Yugoslav Aviation Museum,Surcin,Belgrade) and some are

destryed.

Are you sure some of them are in the museum? AFAIK four are outside MOMA in Batajnica. There were no Iraqi MiG-21s in the museum or museumstorage last time I was there (last August).

[flanker]

My mistake:)They are museum birds but still not transvered from the AB.

[Laurent]

The book contain pictures that bother me. There are pics of planes with 2nd generation spine (PF/FL/PFS/PFM), single piece canopy, wide chord fin & parachute fairing at the base of it. Gordon calls them early PFMs like he did in the Aerofax book. Now I assume that PFMs had the SPS system (blown flaps) but the pics do not suggest this: the shape of the flap actuator coaming isn't right for SPS. So what are the planes in the pictures ? Russia would have kept FLs instead of sending them to India ?

Edited May 16, 2008 by Laurent