List of reference books by period or manufacturer: Bulgarian aircraft

c460

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Hi all,
Here is a list of reference books about aircraft produced in Bulgaria. Any additional information is welcome.

List of similar threads for other countries:
http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,22054.0.html

General books or articles on Bulgarian aircraft production

Bilingual Bulgarian / English:
  • Самолетостроенето в България [Samoletostroeneto v Bulgaria] / Aircraft Manufacture in Bulgaria (bilingual Bulgarian/English) by Dimitar Nedialkov [Димитър Недялков], Albatros MDV, 2009, ISBN 9789549242614
    Available as hardcover or softcover. The hardcover edition has seven additional pages consisting of 28 colour profiles, which are already included in the main text in black and white.
    The book covers all Bulgarian airplanes up to 1958, including DAR, KB and Lazarov; it does not cover helicopters or gliders. Some unbuilt projects are fully covered (DAR-7, Laz-14), others are mentioned in passing.
    The book is beautifully printed (at least for the hardcover edition) and shows many pictures. The text appears in two columns, for Bulgarian and English. The contents is very interesting but has some nationalistic bias, which leads to some oddities. For example it omits to say that the KB-6 (or KB-309) was a variant of the Italian Caproni Ca.309.
    There are three-view drawings for each aircraft. Side and top views look good, but some front views are clearly off, which casts some doubt on the accuracy of the other views.

Entirely in Bulgarian:
  • Забравена слава – Българското самолетостроене [Zabravena Slava – Bulgarskoto Samoletostroene] by Ivan Borislavov [Иван Бориславов], Vanyo Nedkov [Ваньо Недков], 1997, ISBN 9548176157
    Reputedly contains 200 drawings, 60 pictures, 14 colour profiles.
  • Самолетостроенето в България [Samoletostroeneto v Bulgaria] by Kiril Karlov [Кирил Кърлов], Basa, 2008, ISBN 9789549462302
    This is a revised and completed edition of a book with the same title by Kiril Karlov and Nayden Dichev [Найден Дичев], Voenno Izdatelstvo [Военно издателство], 1986.
    Not sure if it contains many illustrations.
  • Справочник на самолетите произведени в България [Spravochnik na Samoletite Proizvedeni v Bulgaria] by Svetoslav Spirov [Светослав Спиров], 1997
    No information, seems very hard to find.

In French:
  • "La production aéronautique bulgare", by Jean Noël & Malcolm Passingham, four-part article in Le Fana no.259 to 262
    Very good first approach, some colour profiles, three views of the DAR-10F, KB-4, KB-5 and KB-11.

Interesting website in Bulgarian, with articles by Ivan Borislavov and Peter Correll:
http://history.rodenkrai.com/new/bylgarska_aviaciq/index.html

Booklets and articles on specific Bulgarian aircraft

Four monographs on Bulgarian aircraft were published by Air Group 2000 [Еър Груп 2000]. These are early issues of a series of booklets that evolved into the magazine Krile Retrosalon (Криле Ретросалон).
  • DAR-3 ДАР-3 „Гарванъ" – Българското чудо [DAR-3 Garvan – Bulgarskoto chudo], Retrosalon no.3, 1999, by Ivan Borislavov
  • Laz-7 Лаз-7 – Лястовицата [Laz-7 – Lyastovitsata], Retrosalon no.7, 1999, by Dan'o Iotov & Ivan Borislavov
  • DAR-1 ДАР-1 – Акробатът [DAR-1 – Akrobatat], Retrosalon no.10, 1999, by Ivan Borislavov
  • KB-1 to KB-5 „Чучулигите" от Казанлък [Chuchulite ot Kazanlak], Retrosalon no.20, 2000, by Ivan Borislavov & Nayden Dichev
    Not seen.

Various monographs were published in French magazines (in French language only):
  • "DAR-1 & DAR-1A", signed "Ivan Borislav Petrov" (apparently a typo for Ivan Borislavov), in Air Magazine no.20, 2004
    Excellent and very complete, with 3-view drawings and colour profiles.
    This is certainly a translation of the Bulgarian booklet Retrosalon no.10.
  • "Les avions Kaproni-Bulgarski", by Jordan Andreev, two-part article in Avions no.72 and 73, 1999
    First approach, no drawings, light on the KB-11 which was already covered in Avions no.1.
  • "Les alouettes de Kazanlik", by Ivan Borislavov & Naiden Dichev, in Air Magazine no.28, 2005
    Excellent and very complete, covers the KB-1 to KB-5, with 3-view drawings and colour profiles.
    This is certainly a translation of the Bulgarian booklet Retrosalon no.3.
  • "Le Kaproni-Bulgarski KB-11 Fazan", by José Fernandez, in Avions no.1, 1993
    Not seen.
 
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