Aircraft under restoration at the Air Zoo, Kalamazoo Michigan.
Tag: Douglas
Douglas SBD Dauntless Walk Around Part VIII
Aircraft under restoration at the Air Zoo, Kalamazoo Michigan.
Douglas SBD Dauntless Walk Around Part VII
Aircraft under restoration at the Air Zoo, Kalamazoo Michigan.
New York City Vintage Photographs Part IV
Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless Walk Around Part VI
Photographs taken at the Air Zoo, Kalamazoo Michigan.
Douglas A-4 Skyhawk Walk Around Part I
Photographs taken at the Air Zoo, Kalamazoo Michigan.
McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II Walk Around Part 2
Photographs taken at the Air Zoo, Kalamazoo Michigan.
McDonnell – Douglas F-4E Phantom II Walk Around
Photographs taken at the Air Zoo, Kalamazoo Michigan.
USN McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II Book Review
USN McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II
By Peter E. Davies, illustrated by Adam Tooby and Henry Morshead
Series: Osprey Air Vanguard Book 22
Paperback, 64 pages, heavily illustrated
Published by Osprey Publishing March 2016
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1472804953
ISBN-13: 978-1472804952
Dimensions: 7.2 x 0.1 x 9.9 inches
This is the first book in the Osprey Air Vanguard Series which I have read. Like most Osprey books, it covers a lot of ground in a small number of pages, so it is best thought of as a primer or an introduction rather than a comprehensive history. The story of the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom could easily (and does!) fill several volumes so it is wise that Osprey have focused on USN F-4s in this work while issuing a separate book on Phantoms operated by the USAF. Having said that, this volume also covers Phantoms in US Marine, Royal Air Force, and Royal Navy service, so the USN in the title is a bit of a misnomer.
The first chapters are devoted to the developmental history and technical description of the Phantom. This is well known among aviation enthusiasts but is useful for being concise – an example where the brevity of the format is a strength. There is a description of all the major sub-types operated by the naval services, and then a history of the type in service.
Like most Osprey books, this one is profusely illustrated, mostly in color. There are several pages of artwork including portraits of two aircraft and profiles of nine. The profiles are reproduced to a much smaller format than either those in the Aircraft of the Aces or Combat Aircraft series and there is much less information presented in the captions. One of the nicer presentations is one which I almost overlooked – the back cover is actually a gatefold which contains an annotated cut-away illustration of the Phantom.
Overall a nice package, the contents and quality of which would not come as a surprise to anyone familiar with this publisher.
Israeli A-4 Skyhawk Units in Combat Book Review
Israeli A-4 Skyhawk Units in Combat
By Shlomo Aloni, illustrated by Jim Laurier
Osprey Combat Aircraft Series Book 81
Paperback, 96 pages, heavily illustrated, 24 color profiles
Published by Osprey Publishing November 2009
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1846034302
ISBN-13: 978-1846034305
Dimensions: 7.2 x 0.2 x 9.9 inches
The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is one of the classics of aeronautical engineering. It was developed as a carrier-borne light attack aircraft for the U.S. Navy. It was designed by Ed Heinemann and exceeded its design expectations in every respect – it was lighter, smaller, faster, and cheaper than specified. It was also loved by both pilots and ground crews, it was easy to fly, simple to maintain, and could absorb significant punishment. Almost 3,000 were produced.
In addition to the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps the Skyhawk was exported to several other air arms, Israel was the largest export customer. The A-4 was intended to replace both the French Mystere and Ourangan in IDF service. This book details the political maneuvering and negotiations which resulted in the initial acquisition of the A-4 in 1965 using first-hand accounts from the participants. I found this process fascinating, and the “What If” crowd will certainly enjoy reading about the multiple aircraft types in consideration for the contract.
The A-4 saw considerable combat while in Israeli service, and these actions are covered well here using pilot interviews and mission summaries. The factors which lead to changes in tactics and adaptations of the aircraft are interesting. There is discussion of the organizational structure of the Israeli Air Force and the evolving mission tasking of the Skyhawk force. It was surprising to see how suddenly the shifts in personnel were conducted, in many cases squadron Commanding Officers were shifted overnight.
The book covers Skyhawk service in the IDF through several major conflicts – the War of Attrition and the Yom Kippur War, along with more limited actions against the PLA and in Lebanon. This is an interesting narrative which did not get bogged down in dry mission statistics but struck a good balance between first hand accounts and keeping the larger strategic picture in focus. One of the better volumes in Osprey’s Combat Aircraft Series.