HMH Publications | Aircraft in Detail #002: F-16 Fighting Falcon

Reviewed by Kevin Williams

Publisher: HMH Publications
Author(s): R. Pied, Nic Deboeck
Publishing Date: 2017
ISBN: 978-2-9602488-1-4
Pages: 106

And yet another fascinating volume here from the good folks at HMH Publications. I've been a Falcon fan for many years now, and from the moment I first heard of this volume, have been wanting to add it to my own library. Once again, everything the Viper enthusiast could want, and gobs of it, is featured in this book. Just beautiful coverage. The very fact that the Falcon is used by both the US Air Force and US Navy as adversary/aggressor aircraft, is a statement in itself to the wonderful capabilities of this agile little fighter.

This particular book (No. 002 in the series), depicts the rather sleek looking General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, 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. Certainly one of the earliest books in the "then new" series, nonetheless we are treated here to a plethora of wonderful, full color captures of gobs of Falcon goodness, as HMH hit full stride right out of the gate.

(Not a brand new volume by any means, but I'm fortunate to have access to periodic older publications, thanks to Casemate.)

Large scale aircraft modelers are again in luck here, as there at least two excellent kits of the F-16 (Academy and Tamiya), so building a representative example should be a snap.

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 details on this fascinating plane. If you're looking for wonderful detail shots of the beautiful F-16, it's more than likely in this book.

Typical Photo Samples


Photos are broken down by section; types, forward fuselage, air intake, fuselage, wings, cockpit (numerous pages), front landing gear, main landing gear, vertical tail, speed brake, horizontal tail, maintenance (quite a lot, but certainly not all of the detail photos, are located in this section), engine, maintenance (again), engine (again), Defence [sic] systems, ordnance, and finally, Action!! Certainly enough material is presented here, to satisfy even the most ardent Falcon fan.

The prodigious quantity and clarity of 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.

While I've always liked the lines of the F-16, and have a 1:32 Tamiya kit of same, I've yet to begin to explore its full potential as a truly wonderful representation, but that may well change now.

Even if you have just a passing interest in the sleek F-16 (or fighter aircraft in general), you can’t go wrong with the purchase of this book, as it's truly an outstanding reference.

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 106 pages of Falcon 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.

My review copy compliments of Casemate Publishers. Thanks a ton to Casemate, it's truly an outstanding reference book for the F-16, really top-notch stuff.

© Kevin Williams 2022

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This review was published on Thursday, November 03 2022; Last modified on Sunday, November 06 2022