Ilyushin Il-2/Il-10 (Famous Russian Aircraft) Hardcover – March 4, 2010

Having read and enjoyed the previous books in Midland's Famous Russian Aircraft series I was excited when it was announced that the famous Ilyushin Il-2 would be getting the same treatment. Could a format designed for complex modern aircraft with long service histories work for an earlier WWII type? The answer seems to be...for the most part, yes.Naturally the format had to adjusted. The first chapter in the book is an interesting history of close support aircraft in the Soviet Union prior to the Il-2.Color photography doesn't seem to have made it to the Soviet Union prior to the 1950s so the photographs are overwhelmingly in black and white, including the jacket cover. Color photos are restricted to preserved and/or restored examples. There is an entire chapter devoted to that unlike previous volumes, no doubt to add more color to a somewhat drab book. Color also makes its appearance in the form of large numbers of color profiles, drawings of national insignia as they evolved through the war years, and drawings of various personal and unit awards and decorations.Also unlike previous volumes there is a long (and welcome) chapter devoted to outstanding Il-2 pilots and gunners and their careers and reminiscences. Especially interesting to me was the section on the first born of the space age, Gheorgiy Beregovoy. I'm curious if the 24 years between his two Hero of the Soviet Union decorations is a record of sorts.There are some complaints. There is no index. There really is no excuse for this in a book this expensive and comprehensive. There are no maps. For a book in English aimed at an audience likely to be unfamiliar with the minutiae of Soviet geography this is a serious shortcoming. Some of the line drawings are reproduced somewhat less than perfectly but nothing huge. The line drawings are generally adequate, although the Il-8 and Il-16 are not covered. The two page cutaway on pages 378 and 379 is very crude with no call outs. If it is a reproduction of a contemporary drawing it might be excused. If it is a modern production it should not have made the cut.More seriously I think there should have been much more discussion on the different approaches to close support taken by the various combatants. There is some discussion of the Il-2 compared to the German Ju 87, Hs 129, Fw 190 but it is superficial. Completely ignored is the British and American trend toward the strike fighter (Typhoon, Tempest, P-47).But on balance this book is a welcome addition to the Famous Russian aircraft series with much new information and corrections of misinformation. I hope other WWII era Russian aircraft get the same treatment. Highly recommended.

The IL-2 was one one of the most important aeroplanes that flew in World War II (the Great Patriotic War to the Soviets) although it has received far too little attention in the West. This book goes a long ways towards redressing that unfortunate omission. The book looks very nice, hardbound and with a jacket cover. The pages are done in a nice, glossy paper. However, there are some typos, but not enough to be overly annoying. If you've read their other book on the IL-2 and IL-10, it's similar, although more comprehensive. The text, as far as I can tell since I don't have the primary information in Russian these gentlemen have access to, seems to be accurate and agrees with the other sources that I've read on the IL-2, and I've read a few books on the Shturmovik (like a dozen or more). At any rate, I did not notice anything that stuck out as being outrageously inaccurate. There are many interesting photographs of IL-2's, some I haven't seen before, and I've seen hundreds. The colour profiles and drawings are a mixed bag, unfortunately. Although they are more accurate than in their previous work, for example, most of the single-seaters now have the correct black/green topsides colours, and they even include some attempts at reproducing the later three-colour scheme, they also include questionable green/tan schemes and still include the spurious green/"AII Brown" scheme. The drawings, although well-done, also contain some inaccuracies such as stating that a particular drawing represents a wooden-fuselage Shturmovik where the drawing still has the metal panel lines draw in. However, the text is well-done, covers the development and service of the IL-2 (and IL-10) and is very readable. So still and all, it's the best and most comprehensive work on the Shturmovik that I've read in English and I would definitively recommend it for anyone interested in the IL-2 and its successor, the IL-10, or even in Soviet WWII aviation in general.

I still stand by my original review below (I am leaving it unaltered and amending in front of it.)It took me 3 reads of the book to find one line that explained all the confusion. Simply put, No official designations exist for all the various Il-2 variants. None were ever accepted into service. That is the point a new designation is assigned in the former Soviet Union and the current Russian Federation.Given these facts I have changed some of my ratings below. But I leave the original review intact as it still stands on it's own.=============Begin Original Review============At the time of writing this review I own every one of the Famous Russian Aircraft series from Midland publishing / Ian Allen Publishing. Launched on the MiG-31 followed by the MiG-29 and the Su-27 the series set high standards. The most recent books however have failed to live up to those standards. In the Il-2/Il-10 book it is a case of confusion run amok much like World War II threw the production and variant design of the Il-2 into chaos. There is a lot of data to mine out of this book on the subject of the Ilyushin Shturmovik aircraft of World War II, but you have to sift and sift to find it.I am amending all my FRA reviews with the below datasheet:I weight the last three far heavier than the first three for my overall scoreTranslation errors (lower score for more errors) 4.5On topic Data (Better is higher) 4.5Pertinent comparisons to similar aircraft 1.5Data errors from table to text (Lower for more errors) 3.5Aircraft Sub-Variant data breakdown N/A for Il-2 (see note at top) and 3.5 for Il-1,-10,-8,-16Specific data on Weapons carried 3.5 Weapons described but lacking details of other FRA series

Product : BookSeries : Famous Russian AircraftType : Ilyushin IL-2 & IL-10 Shturmovik - with references to IL-1, IL-8 & IL-16Authors : Yefim Gordon, Sergei and Dmitriy KomissarovLanguage : English text throughoutFormat : Hardback & dust jacketDimensions : 29cm x 22cm x 2.5 cmNo. of Pages : 431Stars : 10 (if I could)Packaging : Sturdy waterproof packet in a well packed Amazon boxDelivery : Arrived on time.Condition : Excellent. Undamaged.Other : A voluminous tome (a BIG and heavy book)Recommended? : You may WANT more books on the IL-2/IL-10 but this is the only one you will ever need!This book has it all - 431 pages rammed to the rafters with everything IL-2 and IL-10)(and even some things IL-1 and IL-8 and IL-16.....)16 chapters start off with a potted history of Pre-war (Great Patriotic War / World War II) soviet attack aircraft and then go on to discuss in detail the subjects of the book, the IL-2 and IL-10, with a passing nod to the IL-1, and in part 15 the IL-8 and IL-16.Using a plethora of black and white and colour photographs, colour profiles, detail sketches and first hand accounts (Part 7 - They fought in the IL-2) the book brings the aircraft(s) to life.For the scale modeller, Chapters 9 and 14, go in depth on armour, armament, control surfaces, cockpit details - just about everything you would need, and throughout the book there are a wealth of colour profiles showing Russian and various foreign (including German and American [T2-3000 - "44 Yellow"]) liveries. "The IL-2 in foreign service" is covered in Part 8, "The IL-10 in foreign service" is covered in Part 13.For the aircraft historian, the previously mentioned Part 1 : "Pre-War Soviet Attack Aircraft", Part 6 : "The IL-2 in Action", Part 7 : "They Fought In The IL-2", Part 12 "The IL-10 in Action" in particular and just about any of the rest of text and photographs in general.For the aircraft enthusiast / engineer Parts 2,3,4,5,11 deal with the prototype and production variants (40,000+ examples produced in 4 years from 1941 to 1945).Where to see them "in the flesh" : Part 16 "The IL-2 and IL-10 in Museums and Collections.To summarise - an excellent tour de force - a pleasure to read and although it is on the expensive side it does more than pay for itself when you think of how many other IL-2, IL-10, IL-1, IL-8 & 16 reference books you would need to buy to get the information contained in these pages.Again, you may WANT more books on the Shturmovik, but this is the only one you will ever need.Buy and enjoy.

The Ilyushin Il-2 ground assault aircraft and the T-34 tank won the war for the Red Army during the Great Patriotic War. This book looks closely at the development of the Il-2 and its later cousin the il-10 -both deadly machines of the day -sadly not many survived over the years.A very thorough work and it is to be recommended on that strength alone.

Possibly the most comprehensive book on the Ilyushin IL-2 / IL-10 you will ever find. I doubt you will find any more information anywhere. Hundreds of photos and colour illustrations. Detailed data, and stories from those who flew them. I can't recommend this highly enough, whether you are a modeller, or just an airplane fan, you will find what you need here.

What can i say? Other than another masterpiece by the authors. Everything you need to know about and aircraft that helped win the war on the Eastern Front. Buy while you can at the discount prices available at the moment.

Had been looking for this book for a year at the right price. Always been interested in the Il-2, and knew that Yefim Gordon was one of the better writer's on aircraft often overlooked in favour of US/UK types.The book does not disappoint, with detailed sections and photo's rather rare.Overall I definitely would recommend this book for anyone with any interest in this aircraft's valuable service. Useful for historians, researchers and model makers alike.