1/3- Secret Russian Aircraft of WWII

History Channel - History has overlooked the unimaginable hardships Russian designers faced under the paranoid rule of Josef Stalin. Frequent purges represented a constant threat. Yet, in spite of the ever-present danger, Soviet aircraft designers mastered technical hurdles astonishing even by today's standards. This hour features extensive archive images of never-before-seen aircraft and the designers who brought them to life. The innovative aircraft profiled include a swept-wing Delta aircraft design; a rocket-powered fighter; a long distance fixed-wing aircraft with features later incorporated in the U-2 spyplane; a flying tank prototype; a submarine-bomber combination; and a canard-wing aircraft. And we highlight remarkable aircraft launched after Stalin's death in 1953, like the delta-winged supersonic Concordski and the world's largest plane, the Antonov 124 Ruslan.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Secret
• Russian
• Aircraft
• World
• War
• II
• dogfight
• air
• combat
• airplane
• history
• Soviet

[Ispintechno1]

Stalin was a real nut job according to this video. Executing his top designers too! Sounds like he was mad with power and a touch schizophrenic to boot (not that that can't be medicated these days).

[Brera011]

For those who (still) think that Russia was a third world nation, first look at this amazing video first. The purges of Stalin and his outrageous ideas that people perform better under fear, really slowed down Russian progress in developing new technoligy. Without Stalin, the Russians could have been on the same level (or maybe better) than Americans, Germans, Japanese or British designers.

[Savi141]

All stolen technologie from Germany

[justforever96]

@greyderH2 Yes. I could have warned you of that...the same thing happened to America. This used to be a nation of famers, welders, and workers. There were bankers, but they were the enemy and the people knew it. Now we are a nation where the very lucky are lawyers and bankers, or TV producers or actors. The rest of us at gas station attendants or working at McDonalds fast-food resteraunts...that is, if you're lucky and have a job at all. (There are still farmers/workers, but not many)

[greyderH2]

good movie, but there are a lot of anti-Soviet propaganda (as in all these movies)

I can not say that that communism is good, I almost did not live with him (incidentally, we could never have been communism, socialism was) but then my parents lived.

but at least then was considered an honorable profession welder, now considered to be honorable lawyers and bankers, etc, and this is very bad

[KongoOttov2]

Interesting Documentary! Thanks for uploading.

[animationchambers]

Over 80 Million people died in Russia in the last century much of that due to war and government purges. I find it amazing that the engineers could think of anything given the pressure, this aside from the fact that as soon as you start to climb the ladder you fall more and more into the deadly spotlight of political persecution. They must be respected.

[TheVoiceOfReason93]

I rather felt uneasy seeing how few references the documentary made about the Nazi invasion of Russia in WWII and the Eastern Front. You know, because that would tell the audience that there might be a legitimate reason for the Soviets to develop these planes

[seapeddler]

Anyone can survive a plane crash from 40 000 ft. today. The technology is so far advanced.

Flying saucers were too simple in concept, and perhaps required larger fuel tanks as well.

[Doperwtje81]

02:38

Wait, so American forces were led by Marshall AND Shirley Temple?

[ssmusic214]

@DarkTwinDX Nonsense! Industrialization of Russia started back in 1890s and by the time of Stolypin's reforms was going faster than anytime under communist rule. By 1913 Russia surpassed US in Railroad construction and oil production. Igor Sikorsky produced 1st in the world 4 engine Heavy Bomber and 1st in the world 4 engine airliner in 1914. Both flying