HMH Publications | Aircraft in Detail 010: Mirage F1
Reviewed by Kevin Williams
Publisher: HMH Publications
Author(s): R. Pied, Nic Deboeck
Publishing date: 2019
ISBN: 978-2-9602488-9-0
Pages: 82
Now we're talking. This particular volume covers the very interesting Dassault Mirage F1, and I'm thrilled silly to finally get my hands on this. I've been searching long and hard for better references than I already have on this machine, and now here it is. Everything the Mirage enthusiast could want, and gobs of it, is featured in this book. This volume, I don't hesitate to state, will set the bar for any and all future Mirage F1 references.
(Not a new volume by any means, but I'm fortunate to have access to periodic older publications, thanks to Casemate.)
Large scale aircraft modelers are out of luck here, as at present, there is no large scale Mirage F1 kit available, not that I'm aware of anyway.
As with all of the titles from this publisher, this is very much a collaborative effort, using photos from many varied sources, each with appropriate photo credits given, and there are quite a substantial number of them, especially in this wonderful volume. Printed on good quality semi-glossy stock, the photos are nothing sort of magnificent, highlighting many areas of the air-frame, giving both modelers and aviation enthusiasts alike, a wealth of eye candy on this fascinating plane. If you're looking for detail shots of this version of the Mirage, it's more than likely in this book.
This particular book (No. 010 in the series), depicts the rather interesting Dassault Mirage F1, and it’s geared toward both modelers and aviation enthusiasts alike, being very much a detailed, walk around overview of the type, and that pleases me immeasurably, as it's the major reference type that I seek these days.
Photo Samples
Photos are broken down by section; types, forward fuselage, air intakes, fuselage, wings, cockpit (numerous pages), fuselage again, front landing gear, speed brakes, main landing gear, vertical tail, aft fuselage, horizontal tail, maintenance (quite a lot, but certainly not all of the detail photos, are located in this section), and finally, Action!! Certainly enough material is presented here, to satisfy even the most ardent Mirage fan.
The myriad photos obviously form the backbone of this book, and for me, this is a true blessing, as I can never seem to get enough details, and this book certainly has them in great abundance.
Somewhat oddly, I've never been a huge fan of the F1 (at least until I got my hands on this volume). Now I'm seriously considering grabbing a kit for myself!
Even if you have just a passing interest in the F1 (or fighter aircraft in general), you can’t go wrong with the purchase of this book. You may just become a fan.
Summation
On a scale of 1 to 10, I’d rate this book as a solid 10, no question about it. Topping out at a solid 82 pages of Mirage goodness, it's just packed wall-to-wall with details, details, and more details, and is therefore highly recommended. Another great volume "knocked out of the park" by HMH.
Note: Book cover image directly from HMH Publications (used with permission).
My review copy compliments of Casemate Publishers. Thanks a ton to Casemate, it's truly an outstanding reference book for this particular Mirage variant, really top-notch stuff.
© Kevin Williams 2022
This review was published on Monday, September 12 2022; Last modified on Tuesday, October 11 2022