Customer Reviews

Mikoyan MiG-29 Fulcrum

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I have seen the Mig-29 at very close quarters.Yefim Gordon is a well known Russian aviation writer who has excelled in the past with some superb books on Russian military aviation.

This latest book published by MotorBooks International must fall in the genre of the superlative and is a "must-have" for all military aviation fans.

The book explains in chronological order the design and development of the Mig-29 , the truimphs and disasters of the Mikoyan team and the early flights of the prototypes.It covers all the various variants of the Mig-29 in service including the naval variants and the latest Mig-29 SMT series in great details which will surely interest American aviation buffs who may not have close access to this Russian superfighter.

Yefim also covers in great detail the service history and sales to various countries including India and Malaysia and the various truimphs , including superb twelve pages of colour artwork of various countries which will surely thrill aviation modellers.

The book also covers the incredible performance characteristics of the Mig-29 (which I can vouch for) including the reasons for the superb acceleration of the Mig-29 and its legendary dogfighting abilities.The author also covers the aircraft structure , engine configuration and armament options in great detail with some superb colour photographs.

There is also a chapter on Mig-29 in comparison with other fighter aircraft which is quite thought provoking and can lead to a healthy debate in various avaition forums and e-groups.

The book has been translated from Russian (so it is really authentic) and the English is impeccable.The only drawbacks in the book as an aviation buff I have seen are :

1.The rivalry between the rival Sukhoi fighter design bureau is not fully covered and Yefim Gordon prefers to maintain a neutral stance when comparing with the SU-27 Flanker.

2.No reasons are given for the aircraft fatigue and quick engine overhauls as experienced by us on the Mig-29 in the Indian airforce.

3.A mentioncould have been made of the recent Eritrian campaign where the Mig -29 has reportedly net with success.

Overall I would say this is a tremendous book and a must for all Mig-29 buffs - the technical drawings,colour artworks, chronological history and colour photographs make it a really worthwhile.

There are very few good technical books on Russian fighter, and if you want to have a reference book on the MIG-29 - this is it !

This book virtually got everything you want to know about this fighter jet. Mig 29 Fulcrum is one of the best fighter jet in the world and it was also the most feared conventional weapon by the Western world during the cold war.

Yefim Gordon's expertise in (USSR) Russia's military aviation is unsurpassed to-date. This book illustrates how the Mig 29 came about into existence, its development over the years, all the variants with a lot of detail background information. If USSR still exists, this book would be classified as one of the top secret of the Soviet Air Force.

Apart from the wealth of content, the pictures are very rare and valauble, the colour-plates are outstanding and the drawings are very informative.

I have read several good books on Mig 29 but this one is the best ever. After reading this one, you don't need to look for another book on Mig 29.

Brilliant. With the limited English language resources available on this type, this book fills a lot of the gaps in its development and its current and future course that can now be read in English thanks to the translation work. For anyone seriously interested in the Mig-29, I can not recommend this book more. To date, the most comprehensive sinlge reference source on the Fulcrum I think.

Yefim Gordon's book on the MiG-29 is full of interesting photos, facts, and color profiles helpful to modelers. My main complaint about the book is that it is 226 pages long (excluding index) and the first 79 pages are dedicated to deveolpment and 'nuts and bolts' of the airplane. This is fine for modelers or avaition mechanics and aviation engineers, but rather dry reading for the historian. The book improves dramatically with the chapters covering the Russian Navy, Air Force, and foreign users of the MiG-29. As another reviewer has already stated, I found the chapter comparing Western aircraft to the MiG to be heavily biased in favor of the Russian aircraft. Perhaps Yefim Gordon is trying to get a job as a used fighter salesman for Mikoyan? It's worth thinking about as Desert Storm proved the weaknesses of the MiG-29 to the world. True, the Coalition was not facing Russian trained pilots, but the Iraqi Air Force failed to down any type of Allied fighter in the campaign during air-to-air combat. Still, I would recommend the book to anyone interested in Russia's modern fighters or the MiG-29 in particular. I enjoyed it.

This book, like the others by the same author, are the most comprehensive books about russian aircraft. It covers history,development, production, deployment and even some comparison with contemporary western fighters. Despite this it is still a very readable book and does not get bogged down with technical jargon and numbers.

The author himself seems to have a real passion for aviation subject and this shows in the book, making it very enjoyable to read. Having said that however, the author does have a very slight bias towards russian aircraft. A VERY SLIGHT one.

Most of the information is in the text, though it has some interesting photos of key components or variants.

Overall, a very good book that has alot of background information yet still easy to read. A feat in itself.

This is a great reference book! A must have for anyone seriously interested in this machine. Excellent artwork and background information- well worth the price!