Il-2 Shturmovik Book Review
By David L. Veres
| Date of Review | July 2020 | Title | Il-2 Shturmovik |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | Viktor Povinsky | Publisher | Mushroom Model Publications |
| Published | 2020 | ISBN | 9788365958686 |
| Format | 44 pages, hardbound | MSRP (BP) | £19.00 |
Review
Over 36,000 Il-2s were manufactured – the largest single warplane production run in history.
During WWII, Stalin claimed that the Red Army “needs IL-2 aircraft like the air it breathes, like the bread it eats.”
And historians everywhere consider it one of aviation’s most significant designs.
Now author/illustrator Viktor Povinsky samples the sumptuous swath of Shturmovik schemes in the latest “Spotlight ON” from MMP Books.
And what colorful compendium Ilyushin Il-2 is.
Coverage follows the publisher’s familiar format. After an illuminating, two-page “camouflage and markings” précis, contents course through 41 pages of color art – 34 of profiles and seven of plan views.
Subjects survey the full range of WWII Soviet Shturmovik warpaint – both single- and two-seat versions. How about that speculative view of a 1944 Black Seas Fleet torpedo bomber?
Artwork quality and execution are very good – but somewhat pristine in presentation. Look elsewhere for weathering details. And Povinsky’s captions offer helpful comments.
Read it in conjunction with the author’s excellent 2014 study – also from MMP.
Recommended!
With thanks to MMP for the review copy.