HMH Publications | Aircraft in Detail 026: Boeing (McDonnell Douglas) F-15 E/K/SG
Reviewed by Kevin Williams
Publisher: HMH Publications
Author(s): R. Pied, Nic Deboeck
Publishing date: 2023
ISBN: 978-2-931083-19-2 (Softcover)
Pages: 194
This particular volume (No. 026 in the series), covers the quite fabulous McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle. (I know Boeing likes to hog the name, but it'll always be a McDonnell Douglas product to me.) Having spent the majority of my life in Saint Louis, seeing Eagles ripping around in the sky was a common occurrence, and I miss them a lot. Everything the Strike Eagle enthusiast could want, and gobs of it, is featured in this book. If it isn't presented in this volume, it probably doesn't exist! Dual seat aircraft are covered here, and details abound.
HMH originally set the bar pretty darned high, and seem to delight in raising it ever further. Such is the case with this volume, and I wholeheartedly approve.
As with the majority of 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 in this magnificent 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 there's a detail of the Strike Eagles that you'd like to see, it's more than likely in this book.
While I certainly should be used to it by now, flipping through the pages of a new HMH title, still fills me with awe. The quality and variety of images, is truly mesmerizing. Having been a big fan of the Eagle for years now, a book of this nature was just the ticket for me. (Now I'll need to chase down a good kit to start on.)
Photo Samples
As is readily apparent. the images are really quite magnificent. Photos are broken down by section; types, forward fuselage, air intakes, fuselage, F-15EX Eagle II, fuselage again, fast packs, F-15K Slam Eagle, wings, cockpit (many pages), F-15I Ra'am, front landing gear, main landing gear, Defence [sic] systems, vertical tails, aft fuselage, main landing gear again (this is an error, as there's just tail stuff here), speed brake, horizontal tail, maintenance, arrestor hook, engine exhausts, ordnance fast packs again, ordnance continues, F-15SG, and finally, Action!! Certainly enough material is presented here, to satisfy even the most ardent Strike Eagle enthusiast, with gobs of beautiful, crystal clear, sharp colorful imagery.
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. Generally, text is very informative as well. Photos are razor sharp, revealing incredibly nice color details. HMH certainly has filled a much needed/desired niche here, elevating the walk around type of publications to soaring new heights, and I hope doesn't let up any time soon. To have an entire wall of books from this publisher would be much to my liking.
Fortunately for those of us with a passion for larger scale aircraft models, kits do exist in 1:32 scale of this machine (Revell and Tamiya), so being able to build a representative example should prove to be a snap.
For those with a passion for the F-15s, I can highly recommend this volume. Buy a copy, you will not be disappointed.
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 very respectable 194 pages of F-15 excellence, it's just packed wall-to-wall with details, details, and more details, and is therefore highly recommended.
Footnote
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 the these various Eagle variants, really top-notch stuff.
© Kevin Williams 2023
This review was published on Monday, May 08 2023; Last modified on Sunday, March 03 2024