ABSTRACT
The Soviet and Russian aircraft designers and their design bureaux have overcome many challenges in the past, and face daunting new challenges that are testing them as never before. They have played leading roles in the complete restructuring of the former Soviet aviation industry from largely unifunctional glavki to vertically structured aviation companies that include design, development, production, repair, testing, and financing of aircraft, engines, and aircraft subsystems and components. The chapter focuses on Patterns in the Aircraft Industry, which appeared in Soviet Aviation and Air Power. The most prominent and persistent design characteristics of Soviet aircraft are evolutionary design, component commonality, design heredity, adaptability, and standardization. With few experienced designers and limited production facilities, the nascent Soviet aviation industry slowly coalesced around a handful of key designers whose numerous contributions laid the foundations of Soviet military and civilian air power. Aircraft designers must consider the basic aerodynamic requirements for flyable air vehicles in developing their creations.
