Vukolov, B. - Soviet Fighters (1973) (original edition)

Soviet Fighters (V.S. Vukolov, N.G. Konkov, 1973)

Book: ‘Советские истребители’ (‘Soviet Fighters’) Authors: V.S. Vukolov (Colonel, Pilot) and N.G. Konkov (Colonel, Engineer). Publisher: DOSAAF (Voluntary Society for Cooperation with the Army, Air Force and Navy). Year: 1973 (USSR). Target audience: Young aviation enthusiasts, future pilots, and the general public interested in Soviet military technology.

Aim:

• To explain the role, design, armament and equipment of modern fighter aircraft (1970s).
• To highlight the technological advances made by the USSR in combat aviation.
• To inspire Soviet youth to join the ranks of the military air force, presented as the “protector of the homeland’s skies” and the cradle of cosmonautics.

🔹 Part 1: Introduction – The Role of Fighter Aviation

📌 The Soviet Air Force (ВВС) in 1973

📌 Fighter Aviation: The Heart of Air Superiority

🔹 Part 2: History of Soviet Fighter Aviation

📌 The Early Years (1914–1918): The Birth of Fighter Aviation

📌 The Russian Civil War (1918–1922): Nesterov’s Legacy

📌 The 1930s: Modernisation and Preparations for War

📌 The Great Patriotic War (1941–1945): The Golden Age of Soviet Fighter Aviation

🔸 Soviet Aces

Pilot Kills Honour Iconic Aircraft

Alexander Pokrychkin 59 Three-time Hero of the USSR Airacobra P-39

Ivan Kozhedub 62 Three-time Hero of the USSR La-5, La-7

Kirill Evstigneev 56 Two-time Hero of the USSR Yak-1, Yak-3

Alexander Aliukhin 40 (individual) + 17 (in formation) Twice Hero of the USSR Yak-1

Dmitri & Boris Glinka 73 (combined) Brothers, one of whom was a Twice Hero of the USSR La-5

Anatoli Gorovets 9 in a single engagement (Battle of Kursk) Hero of the USSR Yak-1

🔸 Legendary Aircraft

Model Manufacturer Max Speed Armament Special Features

Yak-1 (1940) Yakovlev 580 km/h 1 × 20 mm cannon + 2 machine guns Speed advantage over the Messerschmitt Bf 109

La-5 (1942) Lavochkin 600 km/h 2 × 20 mm cannons Radial engine (air-cooled)

Yak-3 (1943) Yakovlev 660 km/h 1 × 20 mm cannon + 2 machine guns Light and manoeuvrable

La-7 (1944) Lavochkin 680 km/h 3 × 20 mm cannons Best Soviet fighter of the war

Result: Soviet air superiority from 1943 onwards, systematic destruction of the Luftwaffe in the East.

📌 Post-war (1945–1973): The Jet Age

• Iconic aircraft:
• MiG-15 (1947): First Soviet supersonic fighter (Mach 1.03).
• MiG-17 (1950): Swept-wing design, speed of 1,100 km/h.
• MiG-21 (1959): Mach 2, in service until the 1980s.

🔸 Evolution of Aircraft Structures

Period Wing Type Max Speed Example Problems

1920s Biplane (2 wings) ~230 km/h R-5 (Polikarpov) High drag (cables, struts)

1930s Monoplane (1 wing) ~370 km/h I-153 “Chaika” Fixed landing gear → residual drag

1940s Monoplane with retractable landing gear ~600 km/h Yak-3 Drag reduced by 40%

1950s Swept-wing Mach 1+ MiG-15 Solution to the sound barrier

🔹 Why Swept-Wings?

📌 Composition of a Modern Wing (e.g. MiG-17)

📌 The Tailplane (Stabilisation)

📌 The Evolution of Aircraft Engines

🔸 The Turbojet (TRD) – Standard Fighter Engine

📌 Operating Principle

📌 Improvements for Supersonic Flight

🔸 Other Types of Jet Engines

📌 The History of Jet Engines in the USSR

• 1903: Konstantin Tsiolkovsky theorised the rocket engine.
• 1932: Friedrich Zander built the first Soviet rocket engine (OR-1).
• 1942:
• First flight of a rocket-powered aircraft: BI-1 (Bereznyak & Isaev).
• Pilot: Grigoriy Bakhchivandzhi (died in 1943 during a test flight).
• 1946: First Soviet turbojet engines (copies of the German Jumo 004).
• 1950s: Original Soviet engines (e.g. VK-1 for the MiG-15).

🔹 Part 5: Fighter Armament

📌 Evolution of Airborne Armament

🔸 The MiG-17’s Armament

• Cannons:
• 2 × NR-23 (23 mm): Rate of fire 1,200 rounds/min.
• 1 × N-37D (37 mm): 1 heavy cannon for penetrating armour.
• Sight: ASP-3NM (gyroscopic, with automatic correction).
• Ammunition:
• Armour-piercing shells (for armoured aircraft).
• High-explosive shells (for ground targets).

📌 How Automatic Cannons Work

📌 The Fire Control System: Accuracy and Automation

🔹 Part 6: On-Board Equipment

📌 Radar: The Fighter’s Eyes

📌 Flight Instruments

📌 Artificial Horizon (Gyrohorizon)

📌 The Cockpit

🎯 Conclusion: The Legacy of Soviet Fighters

📌 Technological Review (1973)

📌 Lessons and Outlook

1. Continuous innovation:
• The USSR caught up with Western countries (Germany, the United States) within 20 years (1920–1940).
• Priority given to research (aerodynamics, engines, armament).
2. The importance of training:
• Soviet pilots were trained intensively (simulators, aerobatic flights).
3. Numerical superiority:
• The USSR produced fighter aircraft in vast numbers (e.g. MiG-15: 18,000 units).
4. Adapting to new threats:
• Cold War → Interceptors (MiG-25, capable of Mach 3).
• Ballistic missiles → Air defence (S-75, S-200).

💡 Summary: The 5 Pillars of Soviet Fighters

1. 🛩️ Aerodynamics:
• Swept-back wings → Breaking the sound barrier.
• Slim profile → Reduced drag.
2. ⚡ Engines:
• Turbojet engines → Supersonic speed.
• Afterburner → Increased thrust.
3. 🔫 Armament:
• Automatic cannons (23 mm, 37 mm).
• Gyroscopic sights → Extreme accuracy.
4. 📡 Equipment:
• Radar → Night-time and all-weather detection.
• Gyroscopic instruments → Flight without visual reference.
5. 👨✈️ Pilot Training:
• Intensive training.
• Mastery of air combat techniques.

🔎 Comparison with Western fighter aircraft (1973)

Criterion USSR (MiG-17, MiG-21) United States (F-100, F-4 Phantom) Europe (Mirage III, Lightning)

Speed Mach 1.1–2.0 Mach 1.5–2.2 Mach 2.0–2.2

Altitude 15,000–20,000 m 15,000–20,000 m 18,000–20,000 m

Armament Cannons + missiles Missiles (AIM-9 Sidewinder) Cannons + missiles (Matra 550)

Radar RP-1 (12 km) AN/APQ-100 (50 km) Cyrano II (50 km)

Manoeuvrability Excellent (swept-wing design) Good Very good

Cost Cheaper (mass production) High Moderate

Role Interception (air defence) Air superiority Multi-role

Soviet advantage:

• Robustness and simplicity → Ease of maintenance.
• Mass production → Numerical superiority. Disadvantage:
• Less advanced electronics than the West.

✅ Summary in 10 Key Points

1. Soviet fighter aviation began in 1914 with Pyotr Nesterov and his heroic kamikaze attack.
2. The 1930s–1940s saw the emergence of monoplane fighters (I-16, Yak-1, La-5) which dominated the Second World War.
3. Soviet aces (Pokrychkin, Kozhedub) shot down hundreds of enemy aircraft thanks to their tactical mastery.
4. The post-war period marked the transition to jet engines (MiG-15, MiG-17) and the breaking of the sound barrier.
5. Aerodynamics (swept wings, slender airfoils) and jet engines made it possible to reach Mach 2.
6. Armament evolved from machine guns to automatic cannons (NR-23, N-37D) and air-to-air missiles.
7. Gyroscopic sights (ASP-3NM) and radar (RP-1) enabled precise firing at night and in bad weather.
8. On-board equipment (artificial horizon, gyroscopic compass) ensured safe flight in zero visibility.
9. Soviet doctrine prioritised mass production, simplicity and robustness.
10. The book is a technical manual and an ode to Soviet military aviation, aimed at inspiring the younger generation.