Sign-In
Cart
Ilyushin Workhorses: Airlifters and Airliners of the East
Paperback
Technology & EngineeringAviationAir Combat
Currently unavailable to order
Please enter your email and a message will be sent to you when this product becomes available on our website.
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: Dec 2 2025
Pages: 302
Weight: 0.89
Height: 0.63 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
For more than eight decades, Ilyushin aircraft have carried the physical weight of empires, wars, disasters, and daily life across some of the harshest and most inaccessible landscapes on Earth. From the smoking ruins of the Second World War to the frozen airfields of the Arctic and the humanitarian corridors of the modern world, Ilyushin's transports and airliners became the silent backbone of Eastern aviation power. This book tells, for the first time in one continuous narrative, the complete story of how a single design bureau shaped military mobility, civil air travel, and global heavy lift from the heart of Eurasia to every corner of the developing world.
Ilyushin Workhorses traces the rise of Soviet transport aviation, the birth of legendary aircraft such as the Il-12, Il-18, Il-62, and Il-76, and the transformation of these machines into instruments of war, diplomacy, and humanitarian survival. It explores how Ilyushin's aircraft moved armies across continents, rebuilt shattered nations after global conflict, sustained isolated regions where no roads existed, and delivered lifesaving aid into disaster zones that no other aircraft could reach. The book follows the bureau through the collapse of the Soviet Union, the shock of market upheaval, and the renewed struggle for industrial independence under modern geopolitical pressure.
Blending strategic history, industrial evolution, and the human consequences of airlift, this definitive account reveals why Ilyushin never simply built airplanes-it built the infrastructure of movement for an entire civilization. Rugged, uncompromising, and enduring, Ilyushin's workhorses reshaped not only Eastern aviation, but the very meaning of air transport under conditions where failure was never an option.
Also from
Aaberg, Aaron
The Falklands Air War: Sea Harriers, Skyhawks, Bombers, and the Battle for Distance
Aaberg, Aaron
Paperback
The Battle of Britain Machine: Fighters, Radar, Pilots, and the Air Defence System That Held the Line
Aaberg, Aaron
Paperback
The Vietnam Air War: Helicopters, Phantoms, MiGs, and the Conflict That Changed Air Power
Aaberg, Aaron
Paperback
The Attack Helicopter: Armour, Missiles, and the Low-Level Battlefield from Above
Aaberg, Aaron
Paperback
The Ships That Never Came Home: Lost Vessels, Missing Crews, and the Mysteries of the Sea
Aaberg, Aaron
Paperback
The Ferry: Island Crossings, Commuters, Storms, Accidents, and the Boat That Connects Communities
Aaberg, Aaron
Paperback
The Surname Story: Family Names, Lost Jobs, Places, Nicknames, and the History Hidden in Ordinary People
Aaberg, Aaron
Paperback
The Cold War Bomber: Deterrence, Range, and the Aircraft Built for Nuclear Strategy
Aaberg, Aaron
Paperback
The Harrier Story: Vertical Flight, Small Carriers, and the Jump Jet That Defied Runways
Aaberg, Aaron
Paperback
Carrier Wings: Swing-Wing Fighters, Naval Aviation, and the Cold War Jet Age (Independent Book)
Aaberg, Aaron
Paperback
The Lighthouse Keepers: Storms, Solitude, Fog, and the People Who Guarded the Coast
Aaberg, Aaron
Paperback
The Container Ship World: Ports, Cranes, Storms, Crews, and the Hidden Journey of Everything We Buy
Aaberg, Aaron
Paperback
The Shipwreck Map: Lost Cargoes, Broken Hulls, Rescue Attempts, and the Stories Beneath the Waves
Aaberg, Aaron
Paperback
The Lifeboat Story: Volunteers, Storm Rescues, Wrecks, and the Courage of the Shore
Aaberg, Aaron
Paperback
The Warning Signs: Cracks, Smoke, Leaks, Alarms, and the Disasters People Nearly Prevented
Aaberg, Aaron
Paperback
Fortress Islands: Sieges, Sea Power, and the Battles for Malta, Rhodes, Cyprus, and Crete
Aaberg, Aaron
Paperback
The Siege from the Sea: Blockades, Landings, Supply Lines, and the Naval Side of Famous Sieges
Aaberg, Aaron
Paperback
Also in
Aviation
Shadow Before the Flame: The Hindenburg Disaster and the Prelude to War
Katz, Catherine Grace
Hardcover
Bird Men: The Rise of American Airpower and the Machine That Ended World War II
Baime, A. J.
Hardcover
Into Unknown Skies: An Unlikely Team, a Daring Race, and the First Flight Around the World
Randall, David K.
Paperback
Fbo Management: Operating, Marketing, and Managing as a Fixed-Base Operator
Prather, C. Daniel
Hardcover
Pocket Flyers Paper Airplane Book: 69 Mini Planes to Fold and Fly
Lammers, Jeff
Blackburn, Ken
Paperback
The Complete Book of Spacecraft: Rockets, Shuttles, Satellites, and Space Stations
Sivolella, Davide
Gorn, Michael H.
Hardcover
Far-Amt 2027: Federal Aviation Regulations for Aviation Maintenance Technicians
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)/Aviation Supplies & Ac
Paperback
Cockpit Confidential: Everything You Need to Know about Air Travel: Questions, Answers, and Reflections
Smith, Patrick
Paperback
Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbook--Powerplant (2026): Faa-H-8083-32b
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
U S Department of Transportation
Paperback
Stone Age Astronaut: The Astonishing Adventures of America's Forgotten Flier
Callanan, Liam
Paperback
Airframe Mechanic Test Guide 2026: Study and Prepare for Your Aviation Mechanic FAA Knowledge Exam
ASA Test Prep Board
Paperback
Aircraft Inspection, Repair and Alterations (2026): Acceptable Methods, Techniques, and Practices (AC 43.13-1b, AC 43.13-2b)
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
U S Department of Transportation
Paperback
The Women with Silver Wings: The Inspiring True Story of the Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II
Landdeck, Katherine Sharp
Paperback
Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbook--General (2026): Faa-H-8083-30b
U S Department of Transportation
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
Paperback
General Mechanic Test Guide 2026: Study and Prepare for Your Aviation Mechanic FAA Knowledge Exam
ASA Test Prep Board
Paperback
His Majesty's Airship: The Life and Tragic Death of the World's Largest Flying Machine
Gwynne, S. C.
Paperback
Glory Lost and Found: How Delta Climbed from Despair to Dominance in the Post-9/11 Era
Kaplan, Seth
Shabat, Jay
Paperback
Flying Creatures Paper Airplane Book: 69 Mini Planes to Fold and Fly
Lammers, Jeff
Blackburn, Ken
Paperback
The Alaska Bush Pilot Chronicles: More Adventures and Misadventures from the Big Empty
Mason, Mort D.
Paperback
Exploring Airline History with David H. Stringer, Volume Three, Subjects O-W: The Airways Magazine Articles
Stringer, David Hubert
Paperback
Modern Military Aircraft: Multi-Role Fighters * Interceptors * Bombers * Transports
Ward, Edward
Paperback
The Long Way Home - Revised Edition: A Journey Into History with Captain Robert Ford
Dover, Ed
Paperback
Instrument Flying Handbook, FAA-H-8083-15B (Color Print): IFR Pilot Flight Training Study Guide
U S Department of Transportation
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
Paperback
Black Pioneers in Aviation: A Multicultural History Book for Kids: Discover the Men and Women Who Broke Barriers in the Sky
Beautiful Voices
Paperback
Let's Make a Race Of It!: The Story of Those Daring Women Who Flew The Powder Puff Derby, 1947-1977
Rickman, Sarah Byrn
Paperback
Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbook--Powerplant (Black & White): Faa-H-8083-32b
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
U S Department of Transportation
Paperback
Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters
Zaslow, Jeffrey
Sullenberger, Chesley B., III
Paperback
Essentials of Advanced Composite Fabrication and Repair
Gardiner, Ginger L.
Dorworth, Louis C.
Hardcover
Flying on Film: A Century of Aviation in the Movies, 1912 - 2012 (Second Edition)
Carlson, Mark
Paperback
Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbook--Airframe (2026): Faa-H-8083-31b
U S Department of Transportation
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
Paperback
Come Fly with Me: The Rise and Fall of Trans World Airlines
Rust, Daniel L.
Hoffman, Alan B.
Paperback
Secrets of the P-39 Aircobra Fighter Plane World War II: Royal Gifts of Lawrence Dale "Larry" Bell of the Bell Aircraft Company
Long, Patricia E.
Paperback
Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbook-Powerplant - Volume 2 (FAA-H-8083-32)
Administration, Federal Aviation
Transportation, U. S. Department of
Paperback
The Piasecki H-21 Helicopter: An Illustrated History of the H-21 Helicopter and Its Designer, Frank N. Piasecki
Davies, William J.
Brandt, Robert J.
Paperback
The Crash of Delta Flight 723: The Worst Air Disaster in New England History
Houle, Paul D.
Paperback
Exploring Airline History with David H. Stringer, Volume Two, Subjects D-N: The Airways Magazine Aarticles
Stringer, David H.
Paperback
Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbook--Powerplant (Color): Faa-H-8083-32b
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
U S Department of Transportation
Paperback
Fire Eaters: The People and Aircraft Combatting Wildfires Over the Last Century
Pigott, Peter
Paperback
Air Power: The Men, Machines, and Ideas That Revolutionized War, from Kitty Hawk to Iraq
Budiansky, Stephen
Paperback
Miracle on the Hudson: The Extraordinary Real-Life Story Behind Flight 1549, by the Survivors
Prochnau, William
Parker, Laura
The Survivors of Flight 1549
Paperback
Space Flyers Paper Airplane Book: 63 Mini Planes to Fold and Fly
Lammers, Jeff
Blackburn, Ken
Paperback
Judgment on Erebus: A Notorious Air Disaster on Antarctica's Mount Erebus Tests a Nation's Conscience
Sheehan, Joey
Hardcover
Becoming A Pilot (Second Edition): What Every New Pilot Needs To Know To Navigate Flight School While Saving Time and Money
Kofford, James D.
Paperback
Private Pilot Test Prep 2025-2026: The All-in-One Ground School and Test Prep for Student Pilots, Featuring Realistic Questions and Key Flight Maneuve
Mercer, Spencer Brooks
Paperback
Military Aircrafts in the Sky: Air Combat from World War II Planes to Modern Fighter Jets That Changed History
Modern Daily Press
Paperback
80 Years, a Tribute to the Pby Catalina: The Ultimate Color Photo Album of the Best Flying Boat Ever Made
Wiesman, Hans
Hardcover
Birdmen: The Wright Brothers, Glenn Curtiss, and the Battle to Control the Skies
Goldstone, Lawrence
Paperback
Mavericks of the Sky: The First Daring Pilots of the U.S. Air Mail
Macaulay, Catherine
Rosenberg, Barry
Paperback
Exploring Airline History with David H. Stringer, Volume One: The Airways Magazine Articles
Stringer, David H.
Paperback
Nuts!: Southwest Airlines' Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success
Freiberg, Jackie
Freiberg, Kevin
Paperback
Boeing Versus Airbus: The Inside Story of the Greatest International Competition in Business
Newhouse, John
Paperback
Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbook-Powerplant - Volume 1 (FAA-H-8083-32)
Administration, Federal Aviation
Transportation, U. S. Department of
Paperback
Bound for the Backcountry II: A History of Airstrips in the Wallowas, Hells Canyon, and the Lower Salmon River
Holm, Richard H.
Paperback
The Pilot's Guide to Air Traffic Control: Who's Really in Control... Real Life ATC Stories
Watson, Andy
Hardcover
2027 General Mechanic Test Guide: Essential Prep to Pass the FAA Knowledge Test
ASA Test Prep Board
Paperback
McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle Pilot's Flight Operating Instructions
Air Force, United States
Paperback
TM 9-230-289-20 CUCV Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle Unit Maintenance Manual January 1988
US Army
Paperback
Airman Certification Standards: Aviation Mechanic General, Airframe, and Powerplant (2026): Faa-S-Acs-1 and Faa-G-Acs-1
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
U S Department of Transportation
Paperback