Victory in the Great Patriotic War was determined not only by the courage of soldiers and commanders on the battlefield, not only by the talent of military leaders, but also by the hard work of military equipment designers. The new book in the series tells about the activities of leading Soviet aircraft designers on the eve and during the Great Patriotic War, about the creation of the main types of combat aircraft of the Red Army, their development and modifications, both mass-produced and produced in small series. Particular attention is paid to projects created during the period under review, which for various reasons were not accepted for service, did not pass tests, or remained at the preliminary design stage.