Tupolev TU-22/TU-22M: Famous Russian Aircraft Hardcover – July 15, 2012

As much as I enjoy the works of Yefim Gordon and Dmitriy Komissarov, especially the "Famous Russian Aircraft" series, they occasionally suffer from being excessively lengthy and detailed. Although I'm fascinated by Soviet and Russian military aircraft (I became an aviation buff around the time the Soviet Union collapsed, and it was really only in the last decade that "hard" details have become available), reading through paragraph after paragraph of hardware designations and English translations of institution names can be a bit of a chore.This title largely gets around that problem by being two books on one - a 171-page book on the Tu-22 and a 210-page book on the Tu-22M held together by a brief chapter on how the Tu-22 evolved into the Tu-22M. It's probably the most polished of the "FRA" books I own, and one of the more efficient. Each book is laid out essentially the same. Each aircraft receives a brief introduction focusing on their development, before transitioning to a chapter describing each built variant and a number of unbuilt projects. This is followed by a chapter on the plane's "anatomy," with detailed descriptions of the structure, major systems, powerplant, avionics, and weapons, each ending with a number of detailed external drawings. The next chapter presents a fairly detailed operational history of each plane with firsthand accounts from their crews. Wrapping things up are production lists for each type (with details such as construction and fuselage numbers, tactical code, version, and manufacture date), and brief descriptions of many of the accidents which have resulted in the losses of Blinders and Backfires.Visually, this book is a home run. The pages are printed on thick glossy paper (or at least the Midland Press edition is) and packed with wonderful color photographs and dozens of color profiles by Andrey Yurgenson and Andrey Zhirnov. Each "anatomy" chapter includes a large number of close-up photographs, and throughout the book are crisp multi-view photographs of most variants which were produced during arms control talks in the mid-1980s. The only real disappointment is the lack of diagrams of the Tu-22M and the lack of any detailed views of the Tu-22's crew compartment.Although the asking price is rather steep, this is an exceptionally fine, and fairly accessible, reference book which is sure to please fans of these unique, powerful, and beautiful aircraft. For any fans of this series reading, an updated and expanded edition of the MiG-29 "Famous Russian Aircraft" book is due out in May 2019, so don't fork over $400 for a used copy quite yet!

This is the ninth volume in the ongoing Famous Russian Aircraft series, although the books are not numbered in any fashion. It is reminiscent of the previous volume covering the Su-7 "Fitter" family of aircraft in that it reads like two books bound between the same covers. The Tu-22 "Blinder" and the Tu-22M "Backfire" were two completely different aircraft with nothing in common besides the design bureau that conceived them but as the book makes clear they are nevertheless closely related politically so the decision to cover them in the same book is perfectly sound.There are 10 chapters in the book with 5 devoted to each aircraft. There is an introductory chapter that details the origin of the aircraft and the initial trials. There is a chapter describing the different versions of each aircraft including experimental and one off designs. There is a chapter for each describing the details of the aircraft. Finally, there is a long chapter detailing the service history for each of the two aircraft. There is a chapter that details the Tu-22 in foreign service (the Tu-22M wasn't exported). There is also a bridge chapter between the two halves of the book.There are four appendices: a production list for each type and descriptions of the in service losses that each aircraft suffered. There were many more Tu-22 than Tu-22M accidents and the accounts make for fascinating reading.All is excellent and the photographic coverage is first rate with many outstanding color photos. There are also numerous contemporary technical drawings reproduced which supplement the text perfectly. There are also numerous color profiles of the aircraft but the schemes did not vary widely in Soviet/Russian service; Iraqi and Libyan Tu-22s offer the most variation.The extensive service histories are very detailed. As is well known author Gordon "calls them as he sees them" and his accounts of the origins of the Chechen and Georgian conflicts will raise eyebrows in western countries. But Gordon is by no means merely a Soviet/Russian apologist; he can be quite critical at times. Whether one shares them or not his viewpoints add much interest to the book.The book is a fourfold expansion to the book Gordon did on the same aircraft over a decade ago in the now defunct Aerofax series. Not surprisingly the present book completely blows the earlier one away in virtually every respect save one. The line drawings in the earlier book are better. The Tu-22 drawings are copied from the earlier book; the Tu-22M ones are new. Nevertheless, the drawings in the earlier book are more extensive.Highly recommended. I hope there are many more in this series to come.

The definitive book on the TU-22/TU-22M.

this one i received on friday.SIMPLY PERFECT..... Just the pictures is worth the price.no words to described this book.Get it now while the price is good .if you waite 3 years you will pay from 3 to 5 time the price.I know i have 25 books from this author and i see the price demanded for them .thank You Gary B

Sadly - this is the last book in Famous Russian aircraft series with Ian Allan deciding to focus more on the Railways.This is actually 2 mini books in one - on on the Blinder and the other on the Backfire - done in the usual style of the series with great pictures , artwork , technical description , design history and considerations , variant details and "at war" and in service with foreign airforces for the former.What it lacks is a good comparison with contemporary aircraft - buy it while the prices are still low - its the last of the lavish kind !!

What can I say! A superb volume produced by two authors who know their subject. As now been out a few years it is now a bargain for such an excellent book. Have to keep picking it up to browse the images which are excellent. Answers so many questions about this once bogey aircraft for NATO. Get it if you can if you have an interest in Russian/Soviet military aircraft.

Really happy with the purchase top notch yet again from Yefim Gordon and Co.

The complete history in words and pictures!If you have an interest in Russian (military) aviation, then this one is highly recommended, also for scale modelers.

Fantastic book and in great condition...worth every penny...thanks !