Customer Reviews

Wings of the Red Star: MIG Force - Duel Over Korea/Phantom's Foe/Foxbat [VHS]

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I enjoyed this series which documents the peaks of Soviet aviation using Russian archives and Peter Ustinov (just to let us known that the producers meant business) to show us the other side of the story of mil-av. (The series also included entries for swing-wing fighters like the MiG-23, bombers like the Blackjack and gunship helicopters like the Hind".) The show not only documents the aircraft, but the political and historical context that shaped their development and use. We learn about TSAgI (not sure of the exact spelling), the Russian aerodynamics and hydrodynamics institute that led the way to developing advanced aircraft for a burgeoning soviet military, and encounter the figures who would give that drive its fuel.

The first tape shows the development of the MiG-15, the pioneering swept-wing fighter that would gain legendary status in the skies over Korea. The context here is the Soviets' phoenix-like resurgence from the ashes of "The Great Patriotic" war, a heady time in which pain was subsumed by the triumph over fascism. Nothing seemed impossible for the Soviets, and the MiG was an aluminum representation of that dream. From their first jets - basically WWII fighters with large and unsightly jets replacing the piston engine - the Soviets learn the lessons of compressibility and delayed critical mach. Having given primacy in fighter design to Lavochkin and Yak during the war, the Mikoyan design bureau finally exploited its research in jet-powered aircraft by unveiling their MiG-15. The MiG competed with a similar design from Lavochkin (visibly distinct with its higher-placed wings) that outflew the Mig, but would have been harder to maintain. The MiG flew in Korea and the mideast, setting the stage for conflicts where narrowing gaps between aircraft heightened the importance of training. (The MiG first fell to an F-80, an older American jet with unswept wings.)

The story continues with the MiG-21, a delta-winged fighter, but not a tail-less delta, which the Russians had a demonstrated aversion to. The cold-war has lost its post-WWII innocence, the MiG is a more determined entry. Exceedingly hobbled by poor range (it's small fuel fraction is further reduced because the plane - already unforgiving - needs much of its fuel for ballast), the MiG-21 is nevertheless invincible within a short hop from its homebase. Thus, the "Fishbed" represents the compromises made to ensure matchless horizontal agility.

The package concludes with the MiG-25, in which the Russians sacrificed agility for raw speed - to cut down weight, structural supports were deleted, reducing the plane to a limit of 4g. The "Foxbat" was the apex of Russian aviation - more advanced aircraft were introduced, but the Foxbat represented the ultimate in singleminded design, an almost fanatic pursuit of a single design goal. Latter Soviet jets were more practical machines - maneuverable and fast, able to fly from rough airfields (a Soviet design tradition) while using more sophisticated equipment - and weren't produced with a single, doomsday mission. Thus, more than its successors, the Foxbat reflected on the mind and the will of Soviet designers.

This was a great series - pursuing a (then) seldom appreciated subject from a rare perspective. (How many stories about how great the F-15 is can we stand to hear?) Ustinov's narration gives the story the quality of a Russian tragedy, while a serviceable score keeps things from devolving into camp.

The complete series, "Wings of the Red Star", on the relatively unknown (certainly unappreciated) history and development of military aircraft in the former USSR is a first-class production and deserves to be available and issued in a complete DVD set. The series is all the more terrific by dint of the well-spoken and beautifully inflected voice of the late Peter Ustinov, whose narration gives this series a real sense of class. Unfortunately, little of the impressive film footage from the period of Russian aircraft development until the middle of the twentieth century is available, with almost nothing known of the series in a DVD format. With the 'grounding' of the Ustinov narrated series following its broadcasts on the Military Channel, a very fine historical production is now relegated to obscurity. Surely someone or some company 'out there' could get this series off the ground and make it available to the general public and historians alike. With all the many and often mediocre DVD series on World War II and the aftermath of the Korean War, surely a fine series as "The Wings of the Red Star" deserves to be available to any and all interested in the history of flight.

These are great videos. Sir Peter Ustinov's narrative is excellent, and the technical and political history of the cold war era is excellent as well.
These are more for the cold war era history buff like myself.

MiG-15, compareable to Japanese "Zero" in WW11,
MiG-21,good,light competitor against heavy F-4 Phantom Fighter
MiG-25,incomparable,one and only heavy,"high and fast'Interceter
of the world!

From 1990,"Reformed"Communist Soviet Leader,Michail Gorvachev and following
1st President of Russian Federation, Boris Yelstin,relativly light Secret informations
and Archeivescame outside to West. These 3 volumes of Records narrated by Peter Ustinov
was really valuable records direcly made from Russia.Edition started from basic design
of MiG Bureau,development and production.Introduction of Mikoyan and Gurevich and associated
Classic musics were also very impressive.
During KoreanWar, 1,Nov,1950,First appearing small,agile,fast,swepted-wing MiG-15'"Fagot"
gave great supplies to Pre-existing UN,F-80,F-84,F-9,and Metere F.8, straight-winged slower
obsolute Jet Fighters. Immediate involvment of US best, swept-winged F-86A Sabre Fighter.
MiG-15 was faster,more maneuverable,higher ceiling, better rate of climb,heavier armament
(1X37mm cannon,2x23mm cannon- mainly for invading stratgic,heavy Bombers like B-29,B-36,)
compere with 6Xi2.7mm machine guns of F-86A which only favoured on Faster diving speed.
Later Revised F-86E/F became better Air Fighter than MiG-15bis.
During Vietnam War,small,lighter,fast,better maneuvered,especially on horizotal,high altitude,
MiG-21"Fishbed" than was better "Dogfighter"than strong,heavier,lesss maneuverd,only Missle
oriented F-4 Phantom without cannon,but with good radars .MIG-21 were equpied with 1X 20mm or
30mm cannon with Air-to-Air missles.Later F-4D/E loaded 1X20mm 6 barreled Rotay Vulcan cannon
and Air- to-Air missles. MiG-21 was good competeter with F-4D/E including "Dogfight"
Higher altitude is better for MiG-21,low~mid altitudeis better to F-4D/E.
Generally ,MiG-21 ambushed at loer level,but on bombing F-105D Thuderchiefs with following
escorting F-4D/E, after rapid climing and attacking on bombiing F-105D Thunderchiefs,ran away
avoided coming F-4D/Es.so called"Hit and Run" tactics.
MiG-25"Foxbat"is only existing heavy but strong,fastest(Mach 2.8~3.0),highest(24,385m~37,650m)
flying All-wheather,Inyerceptors to prepare possibility of US high flying,fast(Mach 3.0)
B-70 Valkyre heavy strategic Bombers(US cancelled program of B-70 Valkyre) Now, only remaining
possbility of High flying, Fast USAF SR-71 Reccoinnance Airplanes.