home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
Wild Blue Yonder 1: 50 Years of Gs & Jets
/
Wild Blue Yonder - Episode 1 - 50 Years of Gs and Jets (Digital Ranch) (Spectrum Holobyte)(1-107-40-101)(1994).iso
/
control
/
printext.dir
/
00113_Field_113.txt
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1994-08-29
|
2KB
|
31 lines
Soviet Aviation
Throughout the Cold War Era, the Soviet Union suffered from a
rotting economy, rampant corruption and a dispirited work force.
Despite this, the nation still produced high-caliber fighter
planes. How could a country that could not feed itself from a
rich land create aircraft as good as anything produced in the
West? The answer is complex.
In part, the Soviet Union succeeded because of priorities. The
Soviet government lavished money, personnel and incentives on its
aviation industry. The Communists believed these programs had to
succeed no matter what the cost. Ultimately, the Soviet Union
built successful fighter planes because it had talented people.
Every airplane ever flown -- from the Wright Flyer to the Space
Shuttle -- was designed, built and flown by people trying to do
their best. Sometimes these people progressed with little
failure or distraction; other times, they worked in directions
fraught with error and tragedy. This is also the story of
aviation design in the Soviet Union.
MiG, Sukhoi and Tupolev manufacturers built superb aircraft,
regardless of their country's political system. Actually, Josef
Stalin imprisoned three great aircraft designers -- Andrei
Tupolev, Dmitri Grigorovich and Nikolai Polikarpov -- for
political dissidence, yet they continued to design aircraft for
him while in jail. Under such difficult conditions, it is a
wonder Soviet engineers were able to produce some of the best
fighters of the day.