Air : book review : On Target profile F-104 (long)

Hello,

just got this book in the mail from Hannants today, and immediately browsed through. What a disappointment ! I should have known, but I thought that just maybe I would learn something. Two impressions prevail when looking at this book : well produced, and déjà vu from the first to the last page. Inside you find colour side profiles of F-104's of :

Belgium : 5 (2 silver, 3 sea) + 1 4-view of a silver scheme. Canada : 5 (3 silver, 1 green, 1 green/grey) + 1 4-view of the green/grey scheme Denmark : 5 (2 grey, 1 silver, 2 green), + 1 4-view of a grey scheme Greece : 2 (silver, SEA) Turkey : 3 (silver, SEA, ex-Bundesmarine) + 1 4-view of a grey scheme Germany : 10 (2 silver, 5 splinter, 2 Bundesmarine, 1 lizard) + 1 4-view of a splinter scheme + 1 4-view of the lizard scheme. Colours are BTW difficult to tell apart. Italy : 5 (silver, 2 grey/green, 2 grey) + 1 4-view of grey/green scheme +

4-views of two anniversary schemes (22 gr & RSV) center spread consists of 10 side views of well-known special schemes from Canada, Italy, Germany Japan : 5 (4 silver, 1 grey) alas no interesting disruptive schemes, 1 4-view of a silver/red/white scheme Jordan : 1 (grey) Pakistan : 2 (silver) Spain : 2 (grey) + 4-view Netherlands : 5 (silver, grey, 3 disruptive) + 4-view of grey/green scheme Taiwan : 5 (silver, 2 grey, 1 sea, 1 ghost) 1 4-view of ghost scheme USA : 10 (6 silver, 1 grey, 2 sea, 1 drone) 1 4-view of sea scheme + 4-view of one Nasa scheme. On the last page you see a copy of the decal sheet you can order from the publisher. This sheet offers you the possibility to model 6 plain jane F104's : usaf silver, canada grey/green, denmark grey, turkey grey, germany splinter, italy grey/green, spain grey, taiwan ghost). Nothing really fancy.

Sorry for the long review but at least now you know what's inside. If you don't know much about starfighters yet (on which planet have you been hiding ?), or just want a quick overview of the most representative colour schemes, then this book could be meant for you. I'm not commenting on the correctness of the drawings however. If you were looking for something more special; forget it. There is a book on the way about japanese F-104's (including all the aggressors) from another publisher. If you already have some references about the 104 (like World Air Power Journal, Journal of Military Aviation, International Air Power Review), this book is not for you. Could someone tell me for which type of modeller this kind of book is meant ? I don't get it...Too bad since they were planning an issue about the BAe Hawk. I will ask Hannants for a refund...

-- Pierre (48, Belgium) snipped-for-privacy@econ.kuleuven.ac.be

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Pierre Francois
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