The Horrible History of Russian Fighter Jets

Interesting Documentary

This video dives deep into the earliest ventures of the Russo-Soviet aviation industry into the world of jet propulsion. While Moscow lagged behind in the first half of the 20th century, it clawed its way back — through violence, espionage, and a touch of crime.

I find it amazing that the Soviets weren’t ashamed to admit that they copied, or “improved” the Rolls-Royce Nene and Derwent engines for their own jet fighters like the MiG-15 and MiG-17. For the USSR, this meant reverse engineering.

Overall, this is a great piece of documentary, and highly educational. Definitely very insightful and interestingly presented. Do you find Soviet engineering and military equipment horrible or fascinating? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!