Il-2,
Il-10; Monografie Lotnicze #22Il-2,
Il-10; Monografie Lotnicze #22The latest Monografie from author Robert Michulec, #22 on the Ilyushin Il-2 and Il-10 is a superlative example of new research. A softcover A4 sized booklet, the Monografie is a full 72 pages in length. It features dozens of photographs, color plates by the superb AJ Press artist J.Wrobel, and an unprecedented series of truly outstanding 1:72 scale line drawings of virtually all Il-2/-10 models and variations. All of the text is in Polish, however, which can be a difficulty for many Westerners, but the value of the illustrations and drawings, alone, is almost beyond description.
Without question, the Il-2 Monografie is one of the current definitive resource for factual information on the Il-2 aircraft, anywhere, and in any language. The level of scholarship and research present in this volume is truly impressive, giving a complete account of the development of the Il-2 and its many-fold variations. An enormous number of common myths are laid to rest by Michulec, who tells the Il-2 story with considerable attention to detail. Some criticism of Michulec's "editorial bias" against the VVS and its pilots is appropriate, but this fact cannot detract from the magnitude of the work, itself.
No modeler wishing to construct an example of the Il-2 from any kit should be without this superb reference.