Book - "Dragon's Wings" by Andreas Rupprecht

Deino

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Thanks to all so far !!

Here's another review I found:
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Dragon’s Wings, di Andreas
Rupprecht, Ian Allan
Publishing, Hersham 2013.
Sterline 30.
Questo non è un semplice libro di presentazione di una Forza Aerea come rivelato già dal sottotitolo “Chinese Fighter and Bomber Aircraft Development”.
Si parla quindi soprattutto di sviluppo e vi possiamo assicurare che nonostante la tradizionale
“riservatezza” delle industrie e dei militari cinesi, l’autore è riuscito a ricostruire la storia dei programmi di tutti gli aerei da combattimento cinesi con una completezza disarmante ottenendo informazioni ritenute inaccessibili e superando anche ostacoli come l’uso ripetuto di nomi e sigle per aerei diversi.
Lo stesso autore confessa che si tratta di una materia in evoluzione in cui le notizie sul passato emergono continuamente.
Il libro non tratta solo dei programmi concretizzati con prototipi o produzioni in serie, ma anche di quelli rimasti sui tavoli dei progettisti, dalla serie Dong Feng lanciata “politicamente” nel 1958 al super bombardiere esamotore H-7; sono decine e decine di disegni che vengono tutti sviscerati anche con l’aiuto di un misterioso libro di riferimento dei progetti segreti cinesi di cui l’autore ripropone varie immagini con trittici molto elementari ma spesso con tutti i dati e prestazioni previsti.
Come arco temporale il libro parte dal MiG-9 fornito dall’URSS nel 1950 e arriva all’UCAV Sharp Sword e al caccia J-31.
Sono 224 pagine con circa 300 tra foto e disegni in gran parte a colori e di ottima qualità.
Un lavoro eccellente e insostituibile non solo per gli appassionati della Forza Aerea cinese ma anche per tutti coloro che si interessano all’aviazione mondiale del dopoguerra.
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translated via BING:

Dragon's Wings, Andreas
Rupprecht, Ian Allan
Publishing, Hersham 2013.
30 pounds.

This is not a simple presentation of a paper air force as revealed already by the subtitle "Chinese Fighter and Bomber Aircraft Development".
He speaks therefore mainly development and we can assure you that despite the traditional "confidentiality" of industries and the Chinese military, the author has managed to reconstruct the history of all the Chinese fighter aircraft with a complete disarming by obtaining information deemed inaccessible and overcoming obstacles like also the repeated use of names and abbreviations for different aircraft.

The same author confesses that it is an evolving matter in which the news about the past emerge continuously.
The book is not simply a matter of the programs implemented with prototypes or series production, but also of those who remained on the tables of the designers, from Dong Feng launched "politically" in 1958 at super H-7 designed bomber; There are dozens and dozens of designs that are all discussed in more detail with the help of a mysterious reference book of Chinese secret projects of which the author presents various images with very elementary but often triptychs with all data and expected performance.

How to span the book starts from the MiG-9 provided by the Soviet Union in 1950 and the UCAV Sharp Sword fighter and J-31.

There are 224 pages with about 300 between photos and drawings mostly in colour and of excellent quality.
Excellent work and invaluable not only for fans of the Chinese air force but also for all those who are interested to the post-war world.
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By the way in the meantime Ian Allan Publishing Ltd has agreed the sale of the Classic and Midland imprints to Crecy Books.


Deino
 

Deino

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And a second one:

via:
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Deze elf hoofdstukken tellende hardback draait hoofdzakelijk om de jets van de luchtstrijdkrachten van China. In deze rubriek kwamen eerder drie andere luchtvaartboeken over China aan bod. We kunnen stellen, dat het onderwerp 'hot' is onder de uitgevers.
Opvallend aan nieuwe boeken van deze uitgever is dat de cover bedrukt is. Tot dusver
waren ze nagenoeg kaal, d.w.z. (quasi-) linnen met losse stofomslagen. Dat is een verandering en m.i. een vooruitgang. De auteur loodst ons door de tijd en bespreekt in elk hoofdstuk per paragraaf de in die periode ontworpen en gevlogen vliegtuigtypen.
De verschillende versies komen steeds afzonderlijk aan bod. Het gebruikte lettertype is vrij klein en dat van de fotobijschriften nog iets kleiner. Dat komt de leesbaarheid niet ten goede, maar het is wel goed geschreven.
Niet alleen de daadwerkelijk gebouwde ontwerpen zijn opgenomen, want we zien en lezen ook over projecten die niet werden afgerond of die de competitie verloren. Daarvan zijn bijvoorbeeld schaalmodellen ofprofiles afgebeeld. In kaders staan de gebruikte technische specificaties, maar niet bij alle types.
Ook zijn er aanvullende kaderteksten. Soms zien we een tabel met een overzicht van de subversies met hun afwijkende kenmerken en de productieaantallen. Aan het einde presenteert de auteur de meest moderne en toekomstige types en ontwerpen.
Dit boek is keurig geïllustreerd met 199 kleurenfoto's, 25 zwart-witfoto's, 38 kleine (lijn-) en andere tekeningen. Een aantal lijntekeningen is erg dun gezet. Het geheel wordt aangevuld met 39 gekleurde profiles, waarbij verschillende schaalgrootten werden gehanteerd. Wat opvalt, is dat een fors aantal als 2-zijdenaanzicht perspectief-profile wordt afgebeeld. Erg fraai.
Er is een inhoudsopgave opgenomen, maar geen alfabetische index. Conclusie: toch net weer even anders en dus een prima boek met een goede verhouding beeldtekst en aardige opmaak. Wel een stevige prijs.

again via BING:

These eleven chapters counting hardback runs predominantly to the jets of air power of China. In this section arrived earlier three other aviation books on China. We can say, that the subject is ' hot ' is under the publishers.
A striking feature of new books from that Publisher is that the cover is printed. So far
they were virtually bald, i.e. (quasi-) linen with loose fabric covers. That's a change and m.i. a progress. The author guides us through time and per paragraph in each chapter discusses the designed and flown aircraft types.
The different versions are becoming separate. The font used is relatively small and that of the photo captions still slightly smaller. That's not good for readability, but it is well written.
Not only the actual built designs are included, because we also see and read about projects that were not completed or that the League lost. These include scale models ofprofiles. In frames are the technical specifications, but not all types.
There are also additional framework texts. Sometimes we see a table with an overview of the different features and minor versions with their production numbers. At the end the author presents the most modern and future types and designs.
This book is nicely illustrated with 199 colour photographs, 25 black-and-whites, 38 small (line-) and other drawings. A number of line drawings is very thin. The whole is complemented by 39 colored profiles, with different scale sizes. What is striking, is that a large number of as 2-sides view perspective-profile is displayed. Very attractive.
There is a table of contents, but no alphabetical index. Conclusion: However, just different and so a good book with a good ratio image text and nice formatting. Though a solid price.



Deino
 

Jeff Head

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And a second one:

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Deino
Deino, I must say, I purchased and have read entirely through your "Dragon's Wings," and it is a very, very well done publication.

It is an excellent reference for the Chinese aircraft within its pages, including all of the relevent development and deployment data, and the various weapon systems covered.

I keep it right there, close at hand, along with my USNI "Combat Fleets of the World, 16th Edition 2013," and other reference works I relish when I am researching, studying, or just browsing on military matters.

Well done, and well deserved praise.
 

AlyxMS

Junior Member
Registered Member
Yeah I wanted a autographed copy too.
Besides that, the Amazon link say's it's published in 2005. Is it the same book?
 

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
Yeah I wanted a autographed copy too.
Besides that, the Amazon link say's it's published in 2005. Is it the same book?


If you simply look at the 1st post of this thread by Deino, the author, you can get an answer.

Dragon's Wings by Andreas Rupprecht Hardcover: 224 pages

Publisher: Ian Allan Publishing (October 4, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1906537364
ISBN-13: 978-1906537364
 

AlyxMS

Junior Member
Registered Member
If you simply look at the 1st post of this thread by Deino, the author, you can get an answer.

Okay this is weird.
Yesterday I clicked the same link, it shows the same book with the same book with the same cover and the same review but a publishing date of 2005.
Apparently it is all normal now.
 

AlyxMS

Junior Member
Registered Member
It must have been a different page because a clearly remember the publishing date is 2005 and I was like "WTH? Didn't deino wrote it in 2013?".

Okay, I found the page.
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It is from amazon.com not amazon.ca.:confused:
 

mack8

Junior Member
Hi Deino,

This is a reply to your post here, thank you for that:
https://www.sinodefenceforum.com/bo...s-of-the-chinese-af-and-naval-av.t6153/page-6

Regarding the "Chinese secret projects book" i was refering to the mysterious chinese book from which you have included some images in your own Dragon's Wings, those images having appeared on chinese forums i presume. Must be some sort of restricted book for the top brass only?

Anyway, as to what you said about future plans, it is of course exciting news, as to what can be done to improve things, for instance a new edition could really use some 3-view drawings, and of course more CGIs of the various variants, more pictures and more information if available (for instance regarding the Mirage type J-11 project, it appears there were at least 2 versions of it, the initial one that looks almost exactly like the Mirage F1, and a second one that borrows from MiG-23, like nose shape and intakes - but there is no mention in the text about this second variant if i'm not mistaken). Of course i do realize that this depends solely on the amount of new information available from China since 2012. I was thinking if perhaps it would be a good idea for future editions to decouple built and unbuilt projects, one edition could focus on solely unbuilt projects (like DF-104, 107, 109, 113, J-9 variants, JH-8, J-10 (heavy interceptor), J-11 (Mirage-type), J-13, Q-6, H-7 four or six engined bomber etc. and any new projects about which info might have surfaced meanwhile (like the carrier fighters) while a companion edition could offer updated info on the prototyped or series built J-6, J-7, J-8, J-10, J-12, H-6, JH-7, J-11 family, the new J-20 and FC-31 etc. etc., including all the related initial projects and built or unbuilt variants and also things like operational history, exports etc.

Dragon's Wings probably contains the tip of the iceberg of chinese aviation's history and projects, and can only leave aviation enthusiasts very hungry for more info! A future edition would of course be very, very much welcomed. One thing not to forget is to thank you for asking the readers or would be readers for input, ideas etc. that is something that should be followed more (by other writers i mean). Keep up the good work, and like i said, looking forward to more of your excellent works!

Thanks,
mack8
 
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