Soviet Spyplanes of the Cold War

Book excerpt: Spy in the Sky' matters have long been a source of interest and fascination for aircraft enthusiasts, historians and modellers and none more so than the elusive and secretive Soviet types of the Cold War era. Yefim Gordon presents us here with a range of such types, presenting a collection of photographs, profiles and line drawings together with supplementary text detailing the history of each craft, encompassing the various developmental milestones, successes and pitfalls experienced along the way.??The Soviet Union's two dedicated spyplane types, the Yakovlev Yak-25RV 'Mandrake' (the Soviet equivalent of the Lockheed U-2) and the MiG-25R 'Foxbat' are profiled, supplemented by details garnered from a host of original sources.??Well-illustrated histories and structural analyses are set alongside detailed descriptions of the various plastic scale model kits that have been released, along with commentary concerning their accuracy and available modifications and decals.??With an unparalleled level of visual information - paint schemes, models, line drawings and photographs - it is simply the best reference for any model-maker setting out to build a variant of this iconic craft.