Israel with impunity) caused a stir in Western aviation and intelligence communities. Thomas' fictional MiG-31 was depicted on the cover of many printings as the Mig-25. At the time of the book's first issue in 1977, stealth technology was a subject of top secret research in defence establishments (Lockheed Have Blue had its first flight in 1977) and had not been operationally deployed (though the Lockheed SR-71 did exhibit stealth-like features). The publisher of the book's first paperback edition, Sphere, gambled on real-life events such as the 1976 defection of the Soviet pilot Viktor Belenko, to risk a 250,000-copy printing. The background material for Firefox was a result of meticulous research, and provided by friends formerly with the RAF, and the Russian setting was derived from guidebooks as he could not afford to visit Moscow. Adaptations and sequels Firefox was made into a film by Warner Brothers based on the novel and released in 1982. Clint Eastwood was the director, producer, and played Mitchell Gant. The novel Firefox Down is a continuation of the story of Firefox, beginning at the moment at which the previous book had concluded. Many of the characters of Firefox and Firefox Down return for the novel Winter Hawk (1987) and A Different War (1997). Release details 1977, USA, Holt Rinehart and Winston , Pub date 1 August 1977, hardback (First edition) 1977, UK, Michael Joseph , Pub date 8 August 1977, hardback 1978, UK, Sphere , Pub date 27 July 1978, paperback 1978, USA, Bantam Books , Pub date ? ? 1978, paperback 1988, USA, Time Warner , Pub date 1 January 1988, paperback (reissue) 1992, USA, Chivers Audio Books , Pub date ? December 1992, Audio book cassette (narrated by Stephen Thorne) References External links Firefox (1977) - Craig Thomas - the unofficial companion 1977 British novels British novels adapted into films Novels set during the Cold War Novels by Craig Thomas Techno-thriller novels Aviation novels Michael Joseph books