Ilya Muromets & The Russian Knight: The Dawn of Long Range Aviation

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The intent of this volume is to detail the world’s premier large-size multi-engine heavier than air craft, the Grand Baltic/Russian Knight and the Ilya Muromets, the world’s premier four engine heavy bomber/reconnaissance aircraft. The latter entered operations with the air service of the Imperial Russian Army in 1915 and served through the years of World War 1 – 1914 to 1918 – and the Russian Civil War that followed, from which the Soviet Union was born.Drawing upon historical data from a number of sources, including the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation and the Russian Air Force (Aerospace Forces) historical records, the volume covers the genesis, design and development of the Grand Baltic, it’s evolution into the Russian Knight and the subsequent development and deployment of the Ilya Muromets as a heavy bomber/reconnaissance aircraft operating against the Central Powers from 1915. It further covers the Ilya Muromets fleet organisation in the Russian Civil War and the establishment of air transport links in the early Soviet period, 1921-1922.