HMH Publications | Aircraft in Detail 029: Sukhoi Su-34 Fullback
Reviewed by Kevin Williams
Publisher: HMH Publications
Author(s): R. Pied, Nic Deboeck
Publishing date: 2023
ISBN: 978-2-931083-22-2 (Softcover)
Pages: 138
This particular volume (No. 029 in the series), is dedicated to the Sukhoi Su-34 Fullback. Everything the Fullback 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!
The Su-34 is currently Russia's lead strike aircraft. It has supplanted the Su-24 Fencer, which, while still operational, are generally not readily available in large numbers. The Su-34 is designed on Sukhoi's excellent Su-27 Flanker family air-frame design, but like the USAF's F-15E Strike Eagle, is mostly dedicated to the strike role. It is a very large, twin engine jet aircraft with a side to side cockpit seating arrangement, somewhat akin to the marvelous General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark.
As has become standardized by now, HMH takes a good long detailed look at the Su-34, an aircraft that most of us in the west will rarely, if ever, get to see "up-close", and for that, I am very happy indeed.
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 Su-34 that you'd like to see, it's more than likely in this book.
While I certainly should not be surprised 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. Most fans of Soviet designed military aircraft, will be thrilled with this particular offering.
Photo Samples
As is readily apparent. the images are really quite magnificent. I keeping with a similar format to other titles in the series, photos are broken down by section; types, forward fuselage, canards, air intakes, fuselage, wings, fuselage (again), cockpit (many pages), ejection seat, fuselage (again) cockpit, front landing gear, front landing gear bay, main landing gear, main landing gear bay, horizontal tails, vertical tails, aft fuselage, engine exhausts, ordnance, and finally, Action. Certainly enough material is presented here, to satisfy even the most ardent Fullback 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, providing an excellent walk around type of view of these wonderful air-frames, and I certainly hope that doesn't let up any time soon. (The forthcoming title on the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II (Warthog), for instance, will most certainly be a "must-have" for my already rather hefty book collection.) In fact, to have an entire wall of books from this publisher would be much to my liking. (It's my fervent hope that we'll also one day be seeing HMH titles on the U.S. fifth generation F-35 and F-22 fighters, as well as perhaps (hopefully) the Soviet Su-57 & Su-24.)
At present, there are no 1:32 scale models of this air-frame, though more than a few do exist in 1:48 scale (Trumpeter, Italeri and Hobby Boss), so there are at least some options out there for the modeler, even though not in large scale.
For those with a passion for the Fullback, 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 138 pages of Su-34 excellence, it's just packed wall-to-wall with details, details, and more details, and is therefore highly recommended.
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 on the Fullback, really top-notch stuff. My thanks also to Nic Deboeck for his involvement.
© Kevin Williams 2024
This review was published on Friday, January 05 2024; Last modified on Sunday, January 07 2024